The Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America (Covenanter) convened at the Calvin Seminary Chapel in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Saturday June 13, 1987, with a worship service led by the retiring moderator, John McMillan.
When the roll of the !58th Synod was made up, this reporter was one of six elders delegated by their sessions for the first time. Two deacons were also at Synod for the first time (each Presbytery sends one deacon delegate to serve on the Finance Committee. Deacons are non-voting members of the court).
Elder Willard McMillan, DO (ruling elder in our Geneva congregation in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, professor of Bible at Geneva College and teaching elder as well), the brother of retiring moderator John McMillan, was elected moderator. He was the only one to be nominated-single nominations for offices at both Presbytery and Synod are normal.
Reports were made by all the denominational organizations including Reformation Translation Fellowship, Reformed Presbyterian Seminary, Geneva College, and others. One interesting report was presented by Harold Harrington on the Ottawa Theological Hall in Ottawa, Ontario. That is our (the St. Lawrence Presbytery’s) theological seminary whose purpose is to prepare men for the ministry particularly in the Canadian churches (we have 3 or 4 of our 71 congregations in Canada). Up to now Ottawa Theological Hall has charged no tuition to its students, and it is open to other than Reformed Presbyterian students.
We received the following fraternal delegates from non-NAPARC churches with which we maintain fraternal relations, Mr. David Compton, pastor of the Toronto congregation of the Free Church ofScotland and Pastor Riffort from the Reformed Church US (formerly Classis Eureka). Both of these denominations have historically been soundly Reformed. Although we have no official relations with the Reformed Presbyterian Church in the US, we received a fraternal letter from them. They are a small Reformed denomination centered around Atlanta, Georgia, which also holds to Christ being King of the nations as well as of His Church.
Our Synod last year passed a new Book of Church Government which was sent by overture to the sessions. A vast majority of our sessions and elders approved of this book. Now Presbytery and Synod will be constituted by one ruling elder from small congregations (those with less than 100 members) and by two ruling elders from large congregations, as well as all teaching elders under the jurisdiction of that court. The new Book of Church Government also makes us into a two-office church (elder and deacon) from three offices (teaching elder, ruling elder and deacon). Under special circumstances Presbytery can appoint a “ruling” elder to perform any of the functions historically reserved for teaching elders. (Note: the church order of Dordt’s office of minister of the Word is a Presbyterian “teaching elder.”)
I was disappointed with Synod’s approving money for graduate study by a man who has serious questions about one of our distinctives-Psalmody. My question is how can a man who has question(s) about any of our distinctives teach at our seminary or Geneva College and produce men who are committed to them? When a vacancy occurs we will now have to deal with this question.
Many Reformed denominations face problems with either liberalism or evangelical Arminianism, but one does not find these evident in the RPCNA. We hope to grow closer to other orthodox Reformed denominations and local congregations.
We trust that a warm welcome will be extended to all readers of Outlook who visit our churches or any of our courts.
James Curtis lives at Pontiac, Michigan.
