Sixty-two congregations sent representatives to the meeting of the Alliance of Reformed Churches held in Chicago from November 17 to November 19, 1992. Although most of the churches present came from the CRC areas of Ontario, Chicago, west Michigan and northwest Iowa. some delegates traveled from as far away as Idaho and Florida. Fifty-one of the 62 congregations present sent official voting delegates; the other eleven participated as nonvoting observers. Elder Peter Moen of Pompton Plains Reformed Bible Church. chair of several meetings in the past. was again elected chairman of the assembly; Rev. Jerome Julien, pastor of the Independent Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario, continued as stated clerk.

The Alliance of Reformed Churches (ARC) was founded six years ago by councils from 18 member congregations of the CRC Church called a meeting to discuss the growing liberalism within their denomination. This “Consistorial Conference” merged with a Similar Canadian group to become the Christian Reformed Alliance, dedicated to defending the confessional Reformed faith in the CRC. In 1991, the Christian Reformed Alliance changed its name and constitution to allow non-Christian Reformed congregations into its membership.

       

         

This year’s Alliance meeting was marked by the presence of the official fraternal delegates from seven Reformed and Presbyterian denominations: the Canadian Reformed Churches, the Federation of Reformed Churches, the Free Reformed Church, the Protestant Reformed Churches, the Orthodox Christian Reformed Church, the Reformed Church in the United States and the Reformed Presbyterian Church, General Assembly.

The Orthodox Christian Reformed Church of Surrey, British Columbia, sent its denomination’s greetings in a letter. Mid-America Reformed Seminary, a conservative seminary primarily organized to train CRC pastors, was also represented by two of its professors.

The growing defections from the Christian Reformed denomination over the past twelve months cast a long shadow over the 1992 Alliance meeting. These recent developments were particularly reflected in the shifting ratio of CRC-afflliated and independent churches. At the 1991 meeting of the Alliance, the CRC member congregations constituted an overwhelming majority of the delegates. This year they had a slim majority of one; 29 of the total congregations attending were CRC members; 28 were independent; four were members of other denominations. Among the voting delegates, the independent churches had a slight majority of 26 congregations, while 25 are still CRC members.

The rapidly changing composition of the Alliance due to events within the CRC became the first item of business at the Chicago meeting. Calvin CRC of Rock Valley, Iowa, overtured the Alliance to change its declaration concerning the Christian Reformed denomination. In 1991, the Alliance stated that “it is unbiblical to remain In a federation of churches where a synod ascribes to itself and to its declarations more power and authority than the Word of God. It has now become evident that withdrawal from the CRC should occur.” The Rock Valley church proposed to amend the declaration by stating that “it is unbiblical to remain without protest in a federation of churches where a synod ascribes to itself and to its declarations more power and authority than to the Word of God.”

The council at Rock Valley defended its proposed amendment as more even-handed, recognizing the legitimacy of remaining in the troubled denomination in order to work for reformation. Rock Valley’s council asserted that the 1991 declaration appears to condemn those churches still InsIde the CRC. Supporters of the amendment cited several churches in northwest Iowa which stayed away from the Alliance meeting because of the 1991 amendment. Rev. Jay Wesseling of First CRC in Sheldon, Iowa, added that many CRC elders and laymen think that the Alliance’s primary mission is to drag as many people out of the denomination as possible.

The majority of the delegates, however, were disinclined to amend the 1991 declaration. Rev. Richard Stienstra of Grace Reformed Church in Dunnville, Ontario, noted that the declaration from 1991 spoke to the situation then. Stienstra said it would be better to adopt an entirely new declaration to reflect the changed circumstances of 1992. Rev. Jelle Tuininga of Trinity Reformed Church in Lethbridge, Alberta, said he felt the statement was fully justified since the Christian Reformed denomination showed marks of the false church. Tuininga particularly objected to the amended wording, “without protest.” Tuininga pOinted to the conservatives in the Gerefor-meerde Kerken in Nederland (GKN or Reformed Churches in the Netherlands) who had remained in their denomination for fifty years, protesting the whole time, and had “nothing to show for it.”

The long and sometimes heated discussion came to a conclusion following a compromise amendment proposed by Rev. Schlissel of Messiah’s CRC in New York City. Schlissel reworked the second part of Rock Valley’s overture as an expression of the position of the Alliance in 1992: “The Alliance of Reformed Churches welcomes as members both federated and independent churches who give testimony to the truth of the Word of God as it is set forth in the historic Reformed creeds of the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism. and the Canons of Dort.” The delegates adopted this compromise with virtually total unanimity.

The second issue which divided the delegates concerned the future structure of the Alliance. By a narrow margin the delegates voted to adopt a recommendation that the ARC is also designed to give “counsel encouragement and advice to both federated and non-federated churches, providing ecclesiastical structure to independent Reformed churches, and providing fraternal relations to all who desire to uphold, propagate and defend the historic Reformed faith.” Nevertheless, the same delegates voted down a proposal to appoint a committee to study a church order for the independent churches. Although some churches, particularly those in Ontario, want to move toward some kind of an ordered federation. the majority of the Alliance members were unwilling as yet to take that step.

The worries of many alliance churches about moving too quickly toward an ecclesiastical structure did not prevent them from potentially enlarging the Alliance by reaching out to the Presbyterian churches. By unanimous consent the delegates voted to add the Westminster Standards to the confessional basis of the Alliance. Since this involves a change in the Alliance constitution, final action on the matter was deferred to 1993. If it is adopted again, congregations will be able to be admitted to the Alliance if thy adhere to either the Dutch Reformed “Three Forms of Unity” or the Presbyterians’ Westminster Standards. Rev. Jeff Donnan. representing the Reformed Presbyterian Church, General Assembly. said that as a result of this vote his churches will probably apply for membership.

This same ecumenical concern was reflected in the decision by member churches to continue the Alliance’s sponsorship of the Confessional Conferences for Reformed Unity. The Alliance will convene the first of four confessional conferences on July 21, 1993, at Wheaton College in Illinois. The topic of the first conference will be evolutionism. followed by conferences on egalitarianism and ecclesiology. The organIzers hope that the confessional conferences can present a forum for the discussion of issues of importance to the entire Reformed community.

During the course of the three day meeting each of the fraternal delegates addressed the Alliance. Rev. John Mulder, sent by the Synod of the Canadian Reformed Churches. expressed his hope that the Alliance would follow up on the purpose of furthering Reformed unity. He asked the fraternal relations committee of the Alliance to meet with representatives of the Canadian Reformed Churches. Rev. Dave Shank of the Federation of Reformed Churches described the federation as a group of churches from very diverse backgrounds which have found the Reformed faith. “We want to connect with an organization like this,” Shank said.

Dr. Cornelis Venema, invited to speak as a representative of Mid-America Reformed Seminary. thanked the delegates for the support his seminary has received from Alliance member churches.

Rev. G.R. Williamson represented the Orthodox Presbyterian Church’s ecumenical committee. He told the delegates that “the OPC’s heart is with you.” Williamson also discussed how the General Assembly of the OPC voted to reassess its relationship with the Christian Reformed denomination. Rev. Jeff Donnan spoke to the Alliance as the official delegate of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, General Assembly. “We are very interested in what you are becoming. We are looking for a home, too,” said Donnan.

Rev. Carl Schouls of the Free Reformed Church asked the Alliance to conSider some suggestions for Its future ecclesiastical program. Schouls argued that the traditional method of organic unity would create great tensions in existing denominations. Schouls said that denominations seeking unity need to respect each other’s historical distinctives. As an alternative to organic union. Schouls maintained that the Alliance ought to pursue a federative unity. “Respecting each other’s qualities and distinctives might provide a real opportunity for Reformed ecumenism,” said Schouls.

Professor Robert Decker. sent by the synod of the Protestant Reformed Churches. echoed Schouls’ concerns for a federative approach to Reformed unity. He commended the Alliance for its courage. Decker continued. saying that there is more that unites the churches than divides them. “There are differences,” said Decker, “and some are significant and they need to be discussed in a brotherly way on the basis of the Three Forms of Unity.”

The last fraternal delegate to address the Alliance was Rev. Alfred Reineking, whose church recently reunited with the Reformed Church in the United States after nearly 60 years as a member of the liberal United Church of Christ. Reineking described the history of the 36 congregation group of primarily German Reformed churches.

At the conclusion of the deliberations several delegates rose to express their thankfulness about the three days of meetings. Dr. Ben Zandstra. a ruling elder of Cornerstone CRC in Hudsonville, Michigan, and chairman of the 1991 Alliance. commended the delegates for the progress of the Alliance. Rev. Richard Stienstra said that he was greatly encouraged by the presence of the fraternal delegates. He noted that this is the largest secession in the history of the Christian Reformed denomination: almost 1500 families and 6300 individuals have left in the last few years.

John P. Elliot, Special Correspondent, Reformed Believers Press Service