The liberals in the CRC are becoming very bold the last number of years—almost ruthless one could say. And they have no intention of looking back. They are in the driver’s seat (even though numerically they are still a minority in the CRC). We have an article in the Church Order (29) which says that decisions of major assemblies are not settled and binding if they conflict with God’s Word or the Church Order. No problem: we change the C.O. to fit the new situation (women in office). No matter if that’s putting the cart before the horse. And the Bible—well, that’s all a matter of interpretation. Who really knows what it says (or means)?

We have studied headship till the cows come home, and it was decided that that excludes women from serving as elders or ministers. But that’s not really what a lot of us meant. That was just a temporary decision, just a tactical move in order to make some headway. Now it’s open season again: synod of ‘87 appointed still another committee to study the matter again. Well, not really to study it, but to find ways of getting around what we said earlier. We “study” things until we get our way. That’s the way we do things in the CRC. And every honest person knows it’s true. We’re playing games—with the Lord’s church and with his Word. In 1975 synod said we would not change the Church Order regarding women in office unless there were compelling biblical grounds for doing so. Did you ever see such grounds? Of course not. There are none. But that, too, was only a temporary decision. When the time is ripe, we just ignore it and change the rules. We’ve done it before and we’ll do it again.

Some churches are going right ahead and ordaining women elders, and some have even allowed women to preach in their pulpits. Who cares? It’s coming anyway, so why wait? We’ll force the issue and synod will be faced with a fait accompli. Ruthless is the word.

A new book says very boldly and plainly that Genesis is not history it’s just the husk around the kernel. More like a parable or “imaginative illustrations.” Our creeds are clear and explicit about the factual historicity of these chapters. But so what? And no matter that we’ve signed the Formula of Subscription. That’s all secondary. The main thing is that we get “the truth” of these new theories out. People have to be told this “exciting new truth.” And so it goes.

Meanwhile the conservatives (I know some people don’t like the words “liberal” and “conservative,” but they are the best we have and everybody knows what we mean by them) are not bold but timid. They are sitting in the back seat. And back-seat drivers are only annoying nuisances. Meanwhile the car keeps going where they’d rather not have it go.

I make a proposal: It’s time the conservatives get some boldness too. It’s time they take the gloves off too. It’s time they fight fire with fire; that they meet the liberals on their own ground and with their own weapons. It won’t do to be “nice” and inoffensive and to meekly obey all the rules. No, it won’t. And the sooner the conservatives realize this, the better it is.

If Luther and Calvin and the other Reformers had kept on being nice and “paying the quotas,” we’d still be in the Roman Catholic church today. There comes a time when we must obey God rather than men, and that time is NOW. No dilly-dallying around.

Let me make some concrete suggestions:

1. Stop paying quotas to agencies which undermine our confessional integrity. It’s an elementary principle of Christian freedom that I may send my money (the Lord’s money) to causes which I believe are doing the most for the cause of the truth and the kingdom of God. As Vander Kam put it recently in The Outlook: “I thought in my naivete that it was in inalienable right of every person to give to the cause he desired!” Exactly. That’s what it is, no matter what any synod may say about it. It’s time we claim this inalienable right. Even the state is more tolerant on this matter than our own synod. 2. Ministers and consistories must stop giving Banner subscriptions to newly-weds. It amazes me that even conservative ministers do this. Let them give a subscription to Reformed papers instead. Let’s use every opportunity we can to promote the truth of the Reformed faith. 3. Consistories must stop using their bulletins to announce meetings of the Women’s Committee in the CRC (whether that’s in Grand Rapids, Edmonton, or anywhere else). This is a revolutionary outfit, and we should give no promotion to that kind of thing. 4. It’s time consistories and churches take the bull by the horns and call and ordain ministers who have completed their training in Westminster, Reformed (Jackson), Mid-America or any other reliable Reformed seminary. De Koster is right here: we’ve simply got to call the bluff of our bureaucrats. These men (seminarians) have had a completely adequate and Reformed training–as good or better than they can get at Calvin. There is no reason in the world why they should have to spend an extra year at Calvin. None at all, except that of provincialism (even the Banner editor recognized that), and keeping a tight rein on things for the protection of our “sacred institutions.” This is really a form of idolatry and we have to stop it. A consistory has the right to call a man who has had good Reformed training and whom it deems fit for the ministry, and if classis will not ordain the man, then a few individual congregations can do it. They have that right. The present rule lacks all fairness, integrity and credibility, and it’s time consistories challenge it. I hope they will do so. We’ve tried to change it through proper channels, to no avail. We’ll have to change it through “improper” channels then.

The Liberals play fast and loose with confessional formulas and church order rules. It’s time conservatives challenge some “synodical regulations.” Exceptional circumstances call for exceptional rules. Such a time is now. If conservatives are not willing to stand up and be counted now, they will be forever doomed to ineffectual backbenchers, where they can continue to wring their hands. Is that what we want?

I’m writing this out of deep concern and love for the CRC and its confessional integrity.