Of special interest to all who love the Reformed faith is the decision of representatives of more than 260 Southern Presbyterian churches meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 19 to form a new denomination, separate from the Presbyterian Church in the U.S. The vote to form what is to be called the Continuing Presbyterian Church carried by a 349 to 16 majority. The Religious News Service report also stated that more than 400 observers from 89 additional churches helped to pack the church where the meeting was held, and there was little debate at the meetings. The decision called for establishing the new denomination this year, “loyal to the Scripture, the Reformed faith and committed to the spiritual mission of the Church as Christ commanded in the Great Commission.” It is to be followed by an advisory convention tentatively scheduled to meet August 7–9 in Asheville, North Carolina, to prepare, in turn, for a General Assembly meeting probably in December.
Background – In the June 6 Presbyterian Journal, Donald Patterson, chairman of the steering commit· tee for this development, traced the history that preceded it. Although more than three decades ago a committee was formed in behalf of such a Continuing Presbyterian Church, three years ago “that original concern became a resolution to work” toward realizing such a church. Increasing departures from the Gospel and Presbyterian Standards by presbyteries, general assemblies, boards and agencies provoked increasing resistance.
Prominent in this resistance to the growing apostasy have been the Presbyterian Journal, which over the years informed the members of the church of what was happening, the Presbyterian Evangelistic Fellowship which has been promoting evangelism since 1959, Concerned Presbyterians, a layman’s organization organized in 1965, whose newsletter now exceeds 80,000 in each mailing, and Presbyterian Churchmen United, begun in 1969 by some 600 ministers and joined by more than 300 sessions. These four organizations, each represented by three members on the twelve-man steering committee, entrusted the committee with the responsibility to plan for continuation of a Presbyterian Church that would be loyal to the Scriptures and the Reformed Faith.
Prodding conservative Christians in the Southern Presbyterian Church toward such action, there have been more than three years of negotiation between their Presbyterian Church US and the larger, even more generally liberal Northern United Presbyterian Church USA toward union of the two groups. The plan for such a union contained an “escape clause” permitting congregations to refuse to enter the union, included in the hope that this might lead conservatives to vote for it. Now this plan, including the “escape clause,” has been scrapped to be replaced by a new one. In the meanwhile some northern and southern presbyteries are being united and the southern church is being “restructured” in ways that give the liberal leadership greater control. Considering these developments within the denomination, the steering committee unanimously decided to call for the establishment of a new denomination in the course of this year.
“Why now?” – The question is being raised why this break should be made with the old denomination in 1973. The question is ably answered by W. J. Williamson, a prominent elder and attorney in the movement. He calls attention to the increasing frustration of serving as an elder “in a structure whose official acts and doings constantly and consistently contradict my faith,” that “forces me to spend most of my time in negative reaction and apology” and “permits unbelief to run rampant and has lost its will and ability to discipline.” While the union movement with the “escape clause” seemed to offer an opportunity for faithful churches to depart peacefully to form a new loyal fellowship, discarding this plan has brought these churches to the conviction that they should take the initiative and break away now rather then temporize further with the denomination whose leaders have been demonstrating their dishonesty in these discussions as increasing disloyalty to the Presbyterian faith.
A number of churches have already been breaking away from the denomination and some new presbyteries have been formed. Mr. Williamson observes: “We have always maintained that we who agree in principle should move together. We are convinced that if we wait longer, major fragmentation will occur. In order to maintain the significant corporate witness of a Church loyal to Scripture and the Reformed faith, we must move now in 1973.”
Definitions – The kind of church that is envisioned in this movement is defined somewhat more clearly in a series of “Reaffirmations” adopted by the steering committee in February of this year. These affirm “the plenary and verbal inspiration of the Holy Scripture” and subscribe to the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms.
Turning from the trend in the old church to give primary emphasis to social, economic and political matters, they state that the primary mission of the Church is given in the Great Commission of the Lord to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world and nurture His chosen ones in the faith. They state that the Bible, the Confession of Faith and the Catechisms are to be the basic teaching materials for the educational curricula of the Church and that Cod’s Word should rule over man and his culture. In contrast with the social revolution and civil disobedience being encouraged by churchmen, they acknowledge the obligation of citizens to obey duly constituted civil authorities and support them by prayers and sympathy. They envision church union only with those who share the same faith, and repudiating the “situation ethics” being widely taught in the literature and practice of the church, they insist on the biblical ethics of the Ten Commandments and the teachings of Jesus. They insist that purity of doctrine and morals must be maintained by firm yet humble administration of discipline. They affirm the parity of eldership and the right of local churches, without interference of higher judiciaries, to own and control their property as stewards of God who entrusted it to them.
In times when there is so much news of waning faith and weakening churches, the rise of this new, positively Reformed denomination is welcome news. Let us pray that the Lord whose guidance this movement has sought may prosper it and use it as a means for the revival of the full biblical Christian faith in our time.
REFORMED CHURCHES IN AUSTRALIA LIMIT RELATIONS WITH REFORMED CHURCHES IN THE NETHERLANDS
The annual Synod of the Reformed Churches of Australia (RCA) limited its relations with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (RCN). From now on no pastor from the RCN will be installed in the RCA before having sustained an interview with Classis, subject to the approval of Synod. Also, the Synod cautioned the church sessions to ask visiting Dutch ministers concerning their views on the authority of Scripture and the binding character of the Confessions before inviting them to the pulpits. Membership transfers will continue to be accepted, but new members from the Netherlands will also be questioned on their view on Scripture and the church confessions.
The concern of the Australian Synod was the “new theology” in the Dutch churches and their failure to exercise necessary disciplinary actions.
The Synod called on all the churches to hold special prayer for the Dutch churches on June 17.
– Reformed Ecumenical News Exchange 7/3/73 (RES NE)
ORTHODOX PRESBYTERIANS REAFFIRM SABBATH AS CREATION ORDINANCE
The General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church acted on a report on the Sabbath postponed from the last assembly and reaffirmed that the Sabbath is a creation ordinance.
A Committee on the Sabbath had requested the Assembly to declare the following teachings as contrary to the Word of God: (1) “That God has not appointed the first day of the week to be the Christian Sabbath or Lord’s Day”; (2) “that, because the weekly Sabbath was given to Israel as a type of spiritual rest from sin, it was therefore abolished at the coming of Christ;” and (3) “that the distinction between the six days and the seventh day contained in the fourth commandment does not apply in this dispensation.”
The General Assembly agreed, after long debate, that these teachings are contrary to Scripture and thus in effect it upheld the basic position of the Westminster Confession of Faith.
In additional actions, the General Assembly was
– encouraged by the increased cooperation of its Committee on Education with the Christian Reformed Church and the Steering Committee for A Continuing Presbyterian Church (US); and
– decided not to send observers to the International Council of Christian Churches;
– asked the Canadian Reformed Church to consider establishing fraternal relations with the OPC;
– terminated its “sister relationship” with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands so that the only official ties with the Dutch church are in common membership in the Reformed Ecumenical Synod;
– accepted an invitation of the National Presbyterian and Reformed Fellowship to send representatives to a meeting in Atlanta in September;
– rejected the proposal to withdraw from the Reformed Ecumenical Synod. The Assembly asked its delegates to the 1972 RES to present reasons to the 1974 Assembly whether or not the OPC should take steps to withdraw;.
– erected a special committee, in response to a request from the RES, to study the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. (RES NE 7/3/73)
REFORMED CHURCHES IN AMERICA TO ADMIT WOMAN PASTOR
In a history-making decision, the 167th General Synod of the Reformed Church in America, meeting in Pella, Iowa, voted to grant a dispensation from a professorial certificate to a woman.
Mrs. Joyce Stedge of Spring Valley, New York, a mother-of six who has just completed four years of training at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, becomes the first woman in Reformed Church history to be given what amounts to a license to preach. She can now be legally examined by her Classis, or local judicatory, in preparation for ordination. If ordained by her Classis, Mrs. Stedge will become the first woman minister in the Reformed Church.
The RCA Synod voted to stay in both the National Council of Churches and the World Council. However, contributions to the 1974 administrative budgets will be made not by assessment to the churches but from other sources such as interest on endowment funds.
The Synod voted down a recommendation to urge the government to grant a broad general amnesty but passed a substitute motion calling for the establishment of a board of review empowered to make recommendations concerning amnesty to the President.
According to a ruling of the Synod, elders as well as ministers may now administer communion, subject to the approval of the local adjudicatories.
JOINT SYNOD OF DUTCH CHURCHES LEADS TO “GRADUAL INTEGRATION”
The Netherlands Reformed Church (Hervormde Kerk) and the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Gereformeerde Kerken) met for two days in an historic combined Synod. On the agenda were issues of church confession and church polity (see RES NE May 1, 1973). The Reformed Churches seceded from the State Church in 1834 and 1886.
A participant, Prof. J. Plomp (Gereformeerd ), described the coming together not as a federation, which is not fully appropriate for churches which have so much in common historically and confessionally, nor as a union, for institutional unity should not be a goal in itself. It is rather, in his terms, a gradual integration, a process in which both churches and all members are involved and in which there is room for progress and the realization of a spiritual happening.
The concrete results of the “combi-synod” may be listed in six points:
– the possibility of joint decision making in a combined synod if the majority of both adopt a proposal;
– the careful and stimulating accompaniment of the congregations which are already integrated;
– the joint responsibility for experiments in cooperation;
– the coordination of borders between congregations, classes, particular synods and provincial gatherings;
– the plan for a combined secretariat;
– the erection of a commission of the combi-synod to formulate the nucleus of a new confession.
These six points were accepted with applause and referred to the officers of both churches for referral to their church bodies.
There exists also a combined work group, “Together en Route” (Samen op Weg). This will now, according to one observer, be less non-committal. Differences between the two churches that need to be considered include portions of the confession, the authority of Scripture, the future hope, the image of God, the binding character of the confessional standards, and church discipline.
Herman Ridderbos (Gereformeerd) called the joint synod a new beginning and saw its most important aspect in the fact that the delegates gathered in a brotherly and hearty spirit. He took grateful note of the remark by the Rev. F. H. Landsman (Hervormd) that the integration of the two churches would bring about a strengthening of the confessional clarity. (RES NE 7/3/73)
Peter De Jong is pastor of the Christian Reformed Church of Dutton, Michigan.
Background – In the June 6 Presbyterian Journal, Donald Patterson, chairman of the steering commit· tee for this development, traced the history that preceded it. Although more than three decades ago a committee was formed in behalf of such a Continuing Presbyterian Church, three years ago “that original concern became a resolution to work” toward realizing such a church. Increasing departures from the Gospel and Presbyterian Standards by presbyteries, general assemblies, boards and agencies provoked increasing resistance.
Prominent in this resistance to the growing apostasy have been the Presbyterian Journal, which over the years informed the members of the church of what was happening, the Presbyterian Evangelistic Fellowship which has been promoting evangelism since 1959, Concerned Presbyterians, a layman’s organization organized in 1965, whose newsletter now exceeds 80,000 in each mailing, and Presbyterian Churchmen United, begun in 1969 by some 600 ministers and joined by more than 300 sessions. These four organizations, each represented by three members on the twelve-man steering committee, entrusted the committee with the responsibility to plan for continuation of a Presbyterian Church that would be loyal to the Scriptures and the Reformed Faith.
Prodding conservative Christians in the Southern Presbyterian Church toward such action, there have been more than three years of negotiation between their Presbyterian Church US and the larger, even more generally liberal Northern United Presbyterian Church USA toward union of the two groups. The plan for such a union contained an “escape clause” permitting congregations to refuse to enter the union, included in the hope that this might lead conservatives to vote for it. Now this plan, including the “escape clause,” has been scrapped to be replaced by a new one. In the meanwhile some northern and southern presbyteries are being united and the southern church is being “restructured” in ways that give the liberal leadership greater control. Considering these developments within the denomination, the steering committee unanimously decided to call for the establishment of a new denomination in the course of this year.
“Why now?” – The question is being raised why this break should be made with the old denomination in 1973. The question is ably answered by W. J. Williamson, a prominent elder and attorney in the movement. He calls attention to the increasing frustration of serving as an elder “in a structure whose official acts and doings constantly and consistently contradict my faith,” that “forces me to spend most of my time in negative reaction and apology” and “permits unbelief to run rampant and has lost its will and ability to discipline.” While the union movement with the “escape clause” seemed to offer an opportunity for faithful churches to depart peacefully to form a new loyal fellowship, discarding this plan has brought these churches to the conviction that they should take the initiative and break away now rather then temporize further with the denomination whose leaders have been demonstrating their dishonesty in these discussions as increasing disloyalty to the Presbyterian faith.
A number of churches have already been breaking away from the denomination and some new presbyteries have been formed. Mr. Williamson observes: “We have always maintained that we who agree in principle should move together. We are convinced that if we wait longer, major fragmentation will occur. In order to maintain the significant corporate witness of a Church loyal to Scripture and the Reformed faith, we must move now in 1973.”
Definitions – The kind of church that is envisioned in this movement is defined somewhat more clearly in a series of “Reaffirmations” adopted by the steering committee in February of this year. These affirm “the plenary and verbal inspiration of the Holy Scripture” and subscribe to the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms.
Turning from the trend in the old church to give primary emphasis to social, economic and political matters, they state that the primary mission of the Church is given in the Great Commission of the Lord to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world and nurture His chosen ones in the faith. They state that the Bible, the Confession of Faith and the Catechisms are to be the basic teaching materials for the educational curricula of the Church and that Cod’s Word should rule over man and his culture. In contrast with the social revolution and civil disobedience being encouraged by churchmen, they acknowledge the obligation of citizens to obey duly constituted civil authorities and support them by prayers and sympathy. They envision church union only with those who share the same faith, and repudiating the “situation ethics” being widely taught in the literature and practice of the church, they insist on the biblical ethics of the Ten Commandments and the teachings of Jesus. They insist that purity of doctrine and morals must be maintained by firm yet humble administration of discipline. They affirm the parity of eldership and the right of local churches, without interference of higher judiciaries, to own and control their property as stewards of God who entrusted it to them.
In times when there is so much news of waning faith and weakening churches, the rise of this new, positively Reformed denomination is welcome news. Let us pray that the Lord whose guidance this movement has sought may prosper it and use it as a means for the revival of the full biblical Christian faith in our time.
REFORMED CHURCHES IN AUSTRALIA LIMIT RELATIONS WITH REFORMED CHURCHES IN THE NETHERLANDS
The annual Synod of the Reformed Churches of Australia (RCA) limited its relations with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (RCN). From now on no pastor from the RCN will be installed in the RCA before having sustained an interview with Classis, subject to the approval of Synod. Also, the Synod cautioned the church sessions to ask visiting Dutch ministers concerning their views on the authority of Scripture and the binding character of the Confessions before inviting them to the pulpits. Membership transfers will continue to be accepted, but new members from the Netherlands will also be questioned on their view on Scripture and the church confessions.
The concern of the Australian Synod was the “new theology” in the Dutch churches and their failure to exercise necessary disciplinary actions.
The Synod called on all the churches to hold special prayer for the Dutch churches on June 17.
– Reformed Ecumenical News Exchange 7/3/73 (RES NE)
ORTHODOX PRESBYTERIANS REAFFIRM SABBATH AS CREATION ORDINANCE
The General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church acted on a report on the Sabbath postponed from the last assembly and reaffirmed that the Sabbath is a creation ordinance.
A Committee on the Sabbath had requested the Assembly to declare the following teachings as contrary to the Word of God: (1) “That God has not appointed the first day of the week to be the Christian Sabbath or Lord’s Day”; (2) “that, because the weekly Sabbath was given to Israel as a type of spiritual rest from sin, it was therefore abolished at the coming of Christ;” and (3) “that the distinction between the six days and the seventh day contained in the fourth commandment does not apply in this dispensation.”
The General Assembly agreed, after long debate, that these teachings are contrary to Scripture and thus in effect it upheld the basic position of the Westminster Confession of Faith.
In additional actions, the General Assembly was
– encouraged by the increased cooperation of its Committee on Education with the Christian Reformed Church and the Steering Committee for A Continuing Presbyterian Church (US); and
– decided not to send observers to the International Council of Christian Churches;
– asked the Canadian Reformed Church to consider establishing fraternal relations with the OPC;
– terminated its “sister relationship” with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands so that the only official ties with the Dutch church are in common membership in the Reformed Ecumenical Synod;
– accepted an invitation of the National Presbyterian and Reformed Fellowship to send representatives to a meeting in Atlanta in September;
– rejected the proposal to withdraw from the Reformed Ecumenical Synod. The Assembly asked its delegates to the 1972 RES to present reasons to the 1974 Assembly whether or not the OPC should take steps to withdraw;.
– erected a special committee, in response to a request from the RES, to study the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. (RES NE 7/3/73)
REFORMED CHURCHES IN AMERICA TO ADMIT WOMAN PASTOR
In a history-making decision, the 167th General Synod of the Reformed Church in America, meeting in Pella, Iowa, voted to grant a dispensation from a professorial certificate to a woman.
Mrs. Joyce Stedge of Spring Valley, New York, a mother-of six who has just completed four years of training at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, becomes the first woman in Reformed Church history to be given what amounts to a license to preach. She can now be legally examined by her Classis, or local judicatory, in preparation for ordination. If ordained by her Classis, Mrs. Stedge will become the first woman minister in the Reformed Church.
The RCA Synod voted to stay in both the National Council of Churches and the World Council. However, contributions to the 1974 administrative budgets will be made not by assessment to the churches but from other sources such as interest on endowment funds.
The Synod voted down a recommendation to urge the government to grant a broad general amnesty but passed a substitute motion calling for the establishment of a board of review empowered to make recommendations concerning amnesty to the President.
According to a ruling of the Synod, elders as well as ministers may now administer communion, subject to the approval of the local adjudicatories.
JOINT SYNOD OF DUTCH CHURCHES LEADS TO “GRADUAL INTEGRATION”
The Netherlands Reformed Church (Hervormde Kerk) and the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Gereformeerde Kerken) met for two days in an historic combined Synod. On the agenda were issues of church confession and church polity (see RES NE May 1, 1973). The Reformed Churches seceded from the State Church in 1834 and 1886.
A participant, Prof. J. Plomp (Gereformeerd ), described the coming together not as a federation, which is not fully appropriate for churches which have so much in common historically and confessionally, nor as a union, for institutional unity should not be a goal in itself. It is rather, in his terms, a gradual integration, a process in which both churches and all members are involved and in which there is room for progress and the realization of a spiritual happening.
The concrete results of the “combi-synod” may be listed in six points:
– the possibility of joint decision making in a combined synod if the majority of both adopt a proposal;
– the careful and stimulating accompaniment of the congregations which are already integrated;
– the joint responsibility for experiments in cooperation;
– the coordination of borders between congregations, classes, particular synods and provincial gatherings;
– the plan for a combined secretariat;
– the erection of a commission of the combi-synod to formulate the nucleus of a new confession.
These six points were accepted with applause and referred to the officers of both churches for referral to their church bodies.
There exists also a combined work group, “Together en Route” (Samen op Weg). This will now, according to one observer, be less non-committal. Differences between the two churches that need to be considered include portions of the confession, the authority of Scripture, the future hope, the image of God, the binding character of the confessional standards, and church discipline.
Herman Ridderbos (Gereformeerd) called the joint synod a new beginning and saw its most important aspect in the fact that the delegates gathered in a brotherly and hearty spirit. He took grateful note of the remark by the Rev. F. H. Landsman (Hervormd) that the integration of the two churches would bring about a strengthening of the confessional clarity. (RES NE 7/3/73)
Peter De Jong is pastor of the Christian Reformed Church of Dutton, Michigan.