I suppose it would be too much to say that one article of our Church Order is more important than another, but one article is certainly better known than another. Everyone immediately knows the content of article seven or article forty-one, while many of the other articles are less well-known.
Article 29 (formerly art. 31) is a very important article and is therefore also well-known to the majority. This article speaks of the nature of the decisions of ecclesiastical assemblies and the limitations placed upon these decisions. It reads: “Decisions of ecclesiastical assemblies shall be reached only upon due consideration. The decisions of the assemblies shall be considered settled and binding, unless it is proved that they conflict with the Word of God or the Church Order.” This article of the Church Order became very important in the battle which was waged in De Gereformeerde Kerken in the Netherlands in 1944. The “Liberated” churches which separated from them even made reference to this article (31) in their name. Every delegate or member of an ecclesiastical assembly deals with this article whenever the assembly meets. One has to be careful so that nothing is passed which cannot be settled and binding!
It is strange that only the Word of God and the Church Order are mentioned when this article speaks of the limits of its authority. Nothing is said about the confessions. I, for one, believe that a reference to the confessions ought to be added to this article and an overture ought to come to Synod to that effect.
There has also been some debate over the years concerning the time element in pointing out conflicts between decisions taken and the teaching of the Word of God and the Church Order. It is true, article 30 says that appeal should be made to the next assembly. However, this has been challenged. May a Classis or Synod or consistory bind someone’s conscience? A consistory meets frequently and even a Classis meets at least twice a year so the limited length of time may not be too great a hardship. However, here a Synod meets once a year and in the Netherlands the Synod meets once in three years! Then the binding of conscience becomes a real problem.
In order that this article of the Church Order may have the desired effect, there must be a complete submission to the Word of God and there must be due respect for the Church Order . The limitations which both Scripture and Church Order place on the decisions of the assemblies prevents hierarchicalism.
How easily, though, we can fall into the error of violating this article of the Church Order. When the Committee on Women in Office reported to the Synod of 1981 , the majority recommended the changing of one article of the Church Order and the change in the headings of four articles. The first minority recommended changes in two articles and “minor” editorial changes in no less than seventeen articles! But, no decision shall be settled and binding if it conflicts with the articles of the Church Order. One gets the impression from the illustration used that if a decision or a proposed decision does conflict with the Church Order, we should change the Church Order!
If such changes would be made in the Church Order, the only remaining limitation of the decisions of ecclesiastical assemblies would be the teaching of the Word of God. But, in the Netherlands giant strides have been taken toward changing that, too. When the new hermeneutic is used and it declares that the passages which conflict with a desired decision are time or culturally conditioned, all the limitations are gone. Surely, the Church Order may be changed. We revised the whole Church Order in 1965. But, we may not deal with it as though it has no authority, and the Bible may not be changed!
If ecclesiastical assemblies make decisions which are contrary to the Word of God or the Church Order and still consider such decisions settled and binding, they become dictatorships! This may never be allowed in the Church of Christ. Every member of a consistory and every delegate to a Classis or Synod must be convinced that he votes only for that which is not in conflict with Scripture or the Church Order. Using decisions of ecclesiastical bodies to further pet schemes or using them as a club may never be condoned.
Henry Vander Kam, who also writes our outlines for Bible study, is a retired Christian Reformed minister living at Orange City, Iowa.