For over three years now I have noted with interest the events which are occurring within the Christian Reformed Church. My interest has not, I’ll admit, been one of indifferent unconcern as my connections with that denomination have been, and remain, very close. Not only were my wife and I born and baptized in the CRC, so were our parents and grandparents before us. We made our professions of faith in her, were married in her, and had our four children baptized in her. She catechized us and inculcated in tis a love for the Word, for the creeds, and for the confessions. Her liturgical forms spoke beautifully to us at various times in our lives. We received the nourishment of the Word preached as we sat before her pulpits. To this day nearly every member of both our families, and many of our friends, remain within her fold. I still read The Outlook, Christian Renewal, and even The Banner. You Can see the reason for my interest and concern!

Yet, I am not Christian Reformed. And this I say without embarrassment. After having been graduated from Mid-America Reformed Seminary with its first class in May of 1985, I received and, after much prayerful struggle, accepted a call to serve as the pastor of Immanuel Fellowship Church in Kalamazoo. My intent had always been to minister in the CRC, but God, in His sovereign grace, led me instead to an independent congregation unaffiliated with any denomination or organization. After having been duly examined by the elders of that congregation, I was ordained as a Minister of the Word and Sacraments in June of that year.

I have given the foregoing personal history simply as background tor the rest of my comments. The balance of what I wish to say can be divided into two parts. First, I would like to make a few observations concerning the CRC. My intent is to be as objective as possible. Perhaps the view of an “outsider” will enable those “within” to see the issues more clearly. Second, I would like to say just a few things about my experience in an “independent” church.

First, then, some observations aboutCRC:

1. The issue of women in office, a very “hot” issue when I left the CRC, seems to have become passe’. The strident articles regarding this subject no longer appear in church publications—official or unofficial—at least as far as the office of deacon is concerned. That which was only a short time ago regarded as an unacceptable and unbiblical stand by conservatives within the CRC has apparently become the accepted practice by them within the communion of churches. 2. The church-growth school of thought has apparently grasped the CRC within its tentacles. This would seem to be a clear indication that the denomination as a whole has chosen modern “growthism” at the expense of the faithful proclamation of the Word and total reliance upon the movement of the Holy Spirit. The objective of the church must always be faithfulness rather than numbers. (See the meditation by HVK in the July issue of the MARS Messenger.) 3. The matter of evolution is being handled in a way very similar to that of women in office. When in doubt, appoint another study committee. That way the issue becomes so diffused that the “conservatives” will no longer be able to pointedly call the church back to faithfulness. Indeed, those who hold to evolution are now officially classified as orthodox. The argument against them disappears. 4. Hierarchicalism eventually buys peace at every price. While inveighing against congregationalism, congregationalism becomes the church standard. The “experts” in theology, church order, missiology, etc. are deemed, by their mere expertise, to be wiser than the godly men and women who are unabashedly faithful and confessional. The effect of this heirarchical boardism is seen particularly in annual synodical pronouncements regarding such things as quota payment and rule-following. Consistories apparently exist primarily to carry out the directives of the boards.

Second, a few words about my experience outside denominational boundaries:

1. Our Triune God has not limited Himself to the confines of denominations! We have experienced His continuing work among His faithful children even in an independent congregation. 2. Independency does not necessarily imply lawlessness. We have voluntarily bound ourselves to bylaws consonant with the confessions, that everything might be done “decently and in good order.” 3. Independency allows us the freedom to live in accordance with God’s Word, the creeds, and the confessions in line with the dictates of our own consciences as they have been enlivened by the light of God’s truth. This does not mean that we are perfect. It simply frees us from guilt by association. 4. Independency gives us the freedom to devote our time, our talent, our energy, to the study of Scripture and to its application to life. Our resources are not consumed in devotion to denominational matters—however important they may be. For instance, we are able to take a very clear stand regarding creation/evolution without making this topic and what to do about it the topic of every conversation.

5. We are, by God’s grace, able to selectively designate our tithes to causes we deem to be worthy without the strictures of a quota system.

There are, of course advantages and disadvantages to both denominations and independence. We are convinced that for the present, God has called us to be independent. What He holds for our future, we cannot tell. Perhaps some day He will call us to unite with others within some sort of structure. In the meantime, we are convinced that we are within His will for us.

Finally, each of us must examine his own conscience in the light of Scripture, and, having done so, be obedient to God’s call in his own life.

Duane F. Vedders, 6015 West H. Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49009