A Biblical Church Order? The Reformers wanted to ground their church polity on the Scriptures. This was their strength against the traditions of Rome. Calvin was fully convinced that the church order which he developed could be derived from the Bible. Any recent efforts to deny the sufficiency of the Word as a guide for […]
In this eighth article in a series For Elders and Deacons, Rev. Harry G. Arnold writes: “If ever church members needed shepherds to ‘warn them against errors in doctrine and life,’ it is today!” Rev. Arnold is pastor of the First Christian Reformed Church of Lansing, Illinois. The point was made in our last article that […]
The Synodical Liturgical Committee submitted a “Second Sunday Service” report to Synod 1973 (Acts, pp. 502–513). Synod had not instructed the committee to make a report on that subject, but requests came in; and so the committee decided to make a report. This is an “irregular” procedure. No less irregular is the report itself. LITURGICAL […]
“Pastor Peter” whose anonymous epigrams usually decorate the last pages of The Messenger missed the ball the other day. He wrote: “When a congregation, without classical approval, ceases to contribute to a denominational cause, the council of the congregation has lost its right to exercise any discipline over a member who fails to contribute his […]
Unlike the mother in a television commercial, who can supply all the vitamins and minerals her family needs with one bowlful of breakfast food, there arc no easy ways or shortcuts for elders who would be faithful in their tasks. In every communion, elders are called upon to exercise oversight of the congregation, to […]
One of the leading figures at the great Synod of Dordt (1618-19) was Francis Comarus. Many of his contributions to the defense of the Reformed faith have long since been ignored, largely because histOrians have not wearied of insisting that he was “an angry and querulous old man.” As such he has frequently become a stereotype […]
The Idea of the Church Order One of the main instruments for the proper exercise of church polity is a Church Order, more precisely in our context, the Church Order of the United Reformed Churches in North America. This Church Order can be easily accessed at the United Reformed Churches in North America website, www.urcna.org, […]
It all began in 1950, fifteen years ago. In 1950 the synod of the Christian Reformed Church appointed a committee to respond to a communication from the Gereformeerde Kerken in the Netherlands on a proposal to enter upon a revision of the Church Order. In 1951 Synod agreed to a recommendation of this committee to proceed […]
It must be remembered that at the time the Heidelberg Catechism was composed Protestantism was engaged in a battle for survival against the Roman church. It is no wonder, therefore, that the catechism reflects this fact at a number of points. For one thing, it emphasizes that good works cannot merit salvation, in questions and answers […]
Here follows a m0re or less detailed report on the debates and actions of the Synod of 1963 of the Christian Reformed Church. Members of the Editorial Committee of the magazine have tried to cover the discussions on the more important matters before synod. Many things are not dealt with. But we hope we have covered the more significant […]