This past summer a large group of Christians gathered around a campfire. During the course of the evening conversation turned to matters of interest within the church. Since most of the campers were members of the Christian Reformed Church a discussion arose about the decision of the Synod of 1984 by which the office of deacon was opened to women. Many dissenting opinions were expressed in regard to the action taken by the synod but the prevailing thought was that we had better learn to live with the decision since opposition to it might result in a split in the church. It seems that such thinking is becoming prevalent.

Recently I listened to three lectures delivered under the guise of sermons which dealt with the matter of women and office in the Christian Reformed Church. The “sermons” were sadly lacking in biblical exposition. They were, however, heavily freighted with emotional appeal. The preacher with great indignation made reference by name to two women whom he described as highly gifted who had been “forced” to leave the Christian Reformed Church because they were denied ordination.

As I reflected upon these two episodes I was confronted again with the questions “Who is causing division in the church?” and “Who is forcing whom to leave the church?” Often those who seek to remain true to the Word of God and who seek to uphold our historic Reformed faith are declared to be the culprits. But is that really so?

C.S. Lewis in the essay, “On Moving with the Times” wrote:

But I insist that wherever you draw the lines, bounding lines must exist, beyond which your doctrine will cease either to be Anglican or to be Christian: and I suggest also that the lines come a great deal sooner than many modern priests think. I think it is your duty to fix the lines clearly in your own minds: and if you wish to go beyond them you must change your profession. This is your duty not specially as Christians or as priests but as honest men.

Those who dishonestly use the pulpit, the classroom or the pen to propagate ideas which do violence to the Scriptures and the Reformed faith are guilty of disrupting the peace of the church. Those who ignore the Scriptures and violate our creeds and church order as they introduce their own doctrines and practices are the ones who rob the church of her unity . Those who can no longer abide by the historic position of the church force themselves out of the church. As C.S. Lewis says in the quotation from “On Moving with the Times” they ought to be honest enough to acknowledge this and leave rather than seek sympathy and cause unrest by charging that they have been forced to leave.

When the Word of God is ignored as it was at the Synod of 1984 and decisions are made on the basis of emotional appeal and pragmatic argumentation, must the concerned member of the church remain silent and passively submit lest he be accused of causing division? Indeed not! He has no choice but to protest for he cannot remain silent when the truth is attacked and the church is destroyed. John Calvin said it well many years ago when he wrote: “A dog barks when his master is attacked. I would be a coward, if I saw that God’s truth is attacked and yet would remain silent without giving any sound.”

Arthur Besteman, Zeeland, Michigan