The Voice of the Prophet in the Reformed Church in America
THE REV. HENRY P. KIK, pastor of Fourth Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, has issued a brochure of some twenty-seven mimeographed pages which is quite likely to cause considerable discussion. Its title is “The Reformed Faith in Conflict.” Its message is a call for separation on the part of orthodox, Reformed forces in the Reformed Church in America from modernists. The specific issue to which the author mainly directs himself is the affiliation of the Reformed Church in America with the National Council of Churches.
A summary of the contents of this booklet would contain the following items: (1) The deceptiveness of the modernist heresy as shown from its use of the traditional Christian language to clothe its false teachings; (2) the fact of denominational dividedness in Mr. Kik’s denomination between modernists and conservatives, a dividedness often described as between the eastern segment of the Reformed Church in America and its western sector, between New Brunswick (New Jersey) and Western (Holland, Michigan) theological seminaries; (3) the fact that by virtue of his most solemn ordination vow every Reformed Church minister pledges to maintain the Heidelberg Catechism, Canons of Dort, and Belgic Confession as the right interpretation of the Scriptures; (4) the participation of the Reformed Church in the National Council is a concrete denial of this pledge.
The vigor of Mr. Kik’s pamphlet can be demonstrated from this quotation:
The Reformed Church in America should not believe that she is beyond the possibility of error and apostasy. The factual evidence presented clearly demonstrates that it is already an actuality. Other facts can be produced that as a denomination we are rapidly headed in the wrong direction. In our witness we are partly hot and partly cold—divided between Christ and antichrist. In our expression of worship we are rapidly tending to join the ball-room and the communion table, the theater with the worship of God, and the feasting and riot of the world with pretended charity and Christian love. With the phrases of “our beloved denomination” and “our heritage” we become vain like the church of Laodicea, being sell-satisfied, boastful, and thinking that we have need of nothing. What more can be wanted than we have now except money and more money to promote, in large measure, agencies and institutions that do not subscribe to the historic Christian faith. The voice of the prophet is not heard so often these days that one can afford to pass up the opportunity when it is sounded. Send fifty cents to The Reformed Faith Fellowship, 515 Marietta, N. E., Grand Rapids, Michigan and you will receive for yourself a copy of this stirring piece of writing. And meanwhile pray fervently that Christ’s Church today may heed in the spirit of repentance and reform such warnings!
Issues at Stake in 1955
From The Presbyterian Guardian, April 15, 1955, we take the following list of major issues confronting the General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church when it convenes at Glenside, Pennsylvania, beginning May 25: “Among items of business before the Assembly this year will be further discussion of and possible decision on the revised Form of Government of the church. the report of the committee on a church hymnal (we understand the list of hymns to be included in the hymnal has been determined, with possible omissions to be decided on, but no addition), and a complaint from a member of the Presbytery of Philadelphia against certain actions of the presbytery in the matter of the ordination and installation of the Rev. G. Travers Sloyer.”
From the Christian Reformed agenda (a 336 page book!) for the 1955 synod scheduled to gather June 7 at Grand Rapids we list the following as more important matters of decision:
1. Liturgy: revision of the form for the Lord’s Supper: improvement and revision of Psalter Hymnal.
2. Church government: realignment of missions and church extension; Woman suffrage at congregational meetings; new form for the erasure of baptized members; status of membership of divorced persons.
3. Education: revised compendium of committee on the principles of education.
4. Publications: appointment of new editor for The Banner, denominational weekly, to succeed the Rev. Henry J. Kuiper, scheduled to retire in 1956.
Watch developments on these important matters!
A new editor for The Banner!
It is not without considerable concern that every member of the Christian Re4 formed Church awaits the decision of its 1955 synod with respect to the editorship of its widely read weekly, The Banner.
This paper will undoubtedly give thorough expression to its appreciation of the present editor when the time for his leaving that post actually arrives. It is our hope that the 1955 synod will be unafraid to appoint someone with the same courage and forthright Reformed conviction which has marked Banner editorials in the past.
An official church paper can be a very dangerous instrument unless its voice be strong and unwavering in defense of the truth to which such a church as the Christian Reformed is historically committed.
Few ministers, large church buildings!
Trouw, Christian daily newspaper published in The Netherlands, carried an interesting story in its March 26, 1955, issue of the erection of a new Protestant church building in the city of Rijssen. Its distinction is that it has the largest seating capacity of any Dutch Protestant church, offering space for 2400 worshippers. The church was erected by the local congregation of the Gereformeerde Gemeenten (the American counter4part of this denomination is referred to as the Netherlands Reformed Church ).
Naturally the question arises, why should one congregation build so large a church? Wouldn’t it be more desirable to split into a number of smaller congregational units?
The answer lies in this fact: this congregation is part of a denomination which claims 133 congregations plus 25 preaching centers. The total number of active ministers serving this church group, however, is only seventeen plus one licensed exhorter. If many are to hear the word preached, the size of the church buildings simply must be as large as the number of worshippers in a given area.
Grand Rapids readers will be interested to know that this large congregation was formerly served by the Rev. William C. Lamain, now pastor of the local Netherlands Reformed Church.
Fearful Prophets in an Immoral Society
“I have no real morals, said a boy of 19. ‘And I would never marry a girl because I had made her pregnant. Why should I give up my liberty for the sake of a child?’” This quotation is the “clincher” in an article entitled “Sin and Sweden” appearing in the April 25, 1955, issue of Time. In this article sexual moral standards of Sweden are described as “jolting.” Statistics offered read as follows: Statistics show that there are at least 27,000 unmarried mothers. The birth rate of only 110,000 babies a year in a country of 7,000,000 is in itself a hazard to Sweden’s future. Fully 10% of the babies are illegitimate. One of every two unmarried women who conceive a child has a legal abortion. All a woman need do to have one is to convince a social worker that the birth is “unsuitable.” About 5,000 women, married and unmarried, are admitted to hospitals each year for legal abortions.
And what do the preachers of the Word say to all this?
Three years ago the Lutheran bishops cautiously came out against sin by issuing a pastoral letter on sexual morality. Public indignation against them ran high. The bishops wilted, and haven’t dared to say anything out loud since.
Until Sweden’s prophets dare to prophesy—no matter what the cost—there is no hope for Sweden.