The Role of a Church Paper?

Some time ago a reader wrote in The Banner “Voices” column: “I often feel that The Banner is used to indoctrinate us in the changes that are about to occur in the Chr. Ref. Church.” Later another reader expressed himself as follows: “How refreshing it would be to read even one issue of The Banner in which our Reformed creeds, historic forms, and moral heritage were supported instead of attacked and derided.”

I can understand something of the frustration of these readers. I too am often unhappy with the “direction” (or lack thereof) of The Banner, particularly during the last year or two. Several of the contributions to “Soapbox” have been downright disgusting . One wonders why they are even printed in The Banner. A measure of diversity and discussion on issues is good, provided it takes place within the framework of our common confession. But that has not always been the case. I believe there has been a very definite bias towards the “women’s liberation” movement in the church in the pages of The Banner (think of the articles by Evenhouse, Hart & Vos in particular). I don’t know who is fully responsible for what comes in The Banner, but I have an idea that the Editor and Assistant Editor have something to do with it. And there is no doubt that such articles are placed intentionally. And too often we are simply presented with “the goods” without any editorial (or otherwise) comment of approval of disapproval. Readers are left “hanging in the air.” And that might not be all that bad if The Banner were an “ordinary” paper. But each issue states that it is “the official publication of the Christian Reformed Church.” Now I have never been able to figure out exactly what that means, but I know that in the minds of many people it means that what The Banner says, the church says. That isn’t true, happily, but that’s the way it often comes across. And that is not good. In my opinion The Banner isn’t providing the type of Reformed leadership that the church needs and that we can expect.

The Geref. Kerken in the Netherlands have never had an “official” church paper, and I wonder whether we should have one. If we do, we better make clear that the only thing that’s “official” about it is that the entire church pays for it, and “owns” it. For the rest, there is nothing “ex cathedra” about any of its articles or editorials. And the readers better not have any illusions about that matter.

One more thing: Of late the Rev. Boomsma has called for some renewed theological discussion in the church. And even though The Banner is not first of all a theological journal, yet it could be used to educate and stimulate our people in the fundamentals of the Reformed faith and its implications for today. But that doesn’t happen much . . . . Issues suddenly come upon us, and we are ill prepared to handle them, simply because we acted as if all was well and there was no cloud on the sky. We were often unaware of the theological climate around us, and were defenseless when foreign ideas came within the gates. Think e.g. of the “Infallibility debate,” the “love of God” debate and more recently the “Genesis” controversy . . . .

Prof. M.H. Woudstra of Calvin Seminary has often pleaded for more open discussion on these issues in the pages of our church periodicals, so we might be prepared to properly deal with issues when they arise. To be forewarned is to be forearmed . . . Too many of our people are theologically illiterate, and something has to be done to change that.

J. Tuininga

DANCING the Christmas Story at Calvin

The Grand Rapids Press for Saturday, December 17, 1983 devoted most of a page and three photographs to describing how a group of men and women students, members of Calvin College’s liturgical dance troupe had “enacted a Christmas story for the audience at the Calvin College Fine Arts auditorium.” Karen Sterk “choreographed the 20-minute performance” given at the college “chapel.” “Loosely, the concerto depicts the unity of God in the trinity, the angels’s announcement to Mary she will be the mother of Jesus, Joseph and Mary’s grueling trek to Bethlehem and the coming of the wise men and shepherds to praise the newborn Messiah,” according to the news report. “I hope people have a lot of fun watching this. That’s one of the main ideas,” Sterk said,

“The Apostle Paul labored for the gospel in a Greek world whose dramas and theaters are still admired and used up to the present day. He did not try to adapt and use these popular entertainment devices to present the gospel or modify Christian methods of worship. Instead he wrote to the sophisticated church at Corinth that ‘God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe’” (1 Cor. 1:21).

When the bored Israelites in the desert remembered and began to long for the entertainments of Egypt, Aaron evidently thought that the pagan ideas and practices could be adapted to and serve a religious purpose by announcing, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD” (Exodus 32:5) . . . . and the people sat down to eat and to drink and rose up to play.” But God was not pleased with that kind of pagan fun although it might be called “worship.” He had given a commandment about how He wanted to be worshipped, and neither the “church in the wilderness,” nor that of our own time is free to ignore that.

The feminist heresy continues to be industriously promoted in these circles. In a recent announcement to the Woodlawn congregation (which meets in Calvin College’s PAC auditorium) the people were informed that the elders had decided to have women “elder assistants” serving at the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. The introduction of this practice was defended as “not in conflict with the Church Order” and as a “positive response” to 1975 Synod advice to churches “to make all possible use, within biblical guidelines and the restrictions of the Church Order, of the talents and abilities of women in the work of the church.”

One of our readers also sent us a copy of a notice appearing in GRACE Notes (publication of the local ecumenical organization) of December 1983.

“Pulpit Supply” Congregations which need an occasional supply for their pulpit and which welcome a woman Master of Divinity student from Calvin Seminary please call Joan Bulthuis at. . .

Peter De Jong