NR #1995-082: California South Calls Conference of Christian Reformed Classes, Councils, to Address Women in Office Decision Rejecting an official opinion from the CRC Board of Trustees and the advice of Calvin Seminary professor of church polity Dr. Henry De Moor, Classis California South voted in a special session held on August 26 to call a conference of all like-minded classes and consistories to respond to Synod 1995's decision to allow classes to declare the church order's ban on women in office "inoperative" and to continue fraternal relations with the Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland despite its support of gay marriages. The battle may not be over, however: almost half the classis was absent at the special meeting and classis president Rev. John Berends recorded his negative vote and reserved his right to appeal to classis and synod, including through the synodical interim committee. NR #1995-082: For Immediate Release California South Calls Conference of Christian Reformed Classes, Councils, to Address Women in Office Decision by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service BUENA PARK, Calif. (August 29, 1995) URNS - When conservative Christian Reformed church councils and classes meet to respond to Synod 1995's decision to allow women in all offices of the church by permitting classes to declare parts of the church order inoperative, the meeting won't be an "assembly," it won't be a "protest," and it definitely won't be a "picnic." Instead, it will be a "conference," held at a time and place to be determined by Classis California South's interim committee. That's what Classis California South decided at a special session held on August 26 in the Los Angeles suburb of Buena Park. The decision didn't come without a fight, however: most of the session was spent debating the propriety of a decision by classis president Rev. John Berends to rule the entire proposal out of order. Rev. Andrew Cammenga of Escondido CRC began the session by presenting an overture from his church calling for a meeting of "all classes (as well as all councils and officebearers) who share our convictions to attend an assembly in November to formulate appropriate actions and responses to Synod 1995," particularly the decision to allow women in office and to maintain relations with the CRC's mother church, the Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland, despite its official tolerance of homosexual practice. "We believe synod has acted in a tyrannical way by ignoring its own rules and the church order," said Cammenga. "In the past few years, 40,000 people have left, including a former Banner editor, a former synod president, and a former seminary professor. The purpose of our overture is not secession, it is to stop secession, to find a way that good people can remain members of the Christian Reformed Church." Immediately after Cammenga presented his overture, the classis president distributed a six point ruling with three pages of attachments from the executive committee of the CRC board of trustees and from Calvin Seminary professor of church polity Dr. Henry De Moor arguing that no Christian Reformed classis has a right to call an assembly to protest and change synodical decisions. According to the documents, Berends had asked the denominational board of trustees to review the overture and to send him "an official ruling or finding as to its admissibility or legality." While the documents cited a large number of highly detailed points of church order, the main points included concerns that the overture "seeks to create an ecclesiastical assembly of classes, councils, officebearers, and individuals, all with equal authorization to submit agenda items and motions to the proposed assembly," that it violates the bylaws of the CRC "if, as has been rumored, the proposed assembly is to be held outside the geographical boundaries of Classis California South," that it "does not provide for the approval of the proposed assembly's authority, jurisdiction, or mandate by synod," that it extends a general invitation to all like-minded classes and consistories rather than only to those in geographical proximity to California South, that assemblies authorized under Church Order Article 44 may not protest decisions of synod, and that "it seeks to deny other classes the benefit of the decision of Synod 1995 to allow them to determine whether the word 'male' in Church Order Article 3 is operative in their own setting. Synod's intent is to have each classis decide this in view of its particular church and ministry settings without deciding for other classes beyond its jurisdiction." "You can overture to synod, you can protest to synod, you can do many things, but you cannot do this," said Berends. "If this ruling is not appealed, then we can close in prayer and go home, and then churches can formulate appropriate overtures and bring them to our next meeting in October*." [*Editor's note: In quoted material, it is stated that Classis California South will next meet in September. This accurately reflects what was said on the floor. However, the next meeting will actually be in October. The speaker may have meant to refer to the deadline for overtures for the next meeting.] "I don't think anyone really wants to be here today," continued Berends, noting that if the meeting lasted much longer he would miss his church picnic. Cammenga strongly objected to Berends' ruling. "I find it very sad that we find this long document that we have not had time to read and that almost nails us over the head with the opinions of supposed authorities," said Cammenga. "We have a communication from Dr. De Moor in which he says that a council could call such a conference; if a council can call a conference, then why not a classis?" asked Cammenga. "I don't think we have incurred the time and expense to come here and have our chairman unilaterally and almost dictatorially rule the matters out of order." Classical interim committee secretary Rev. Randy Lankheet objected in even stronger terms. "We are increasingly having chairmen of the day call Grand Rapids, get opinions from the board of trustees, and not discuss or deliberate," said Lankheet, noting that a representative was present at the meeting from the denominational board of trustees. "Next time you're going to be chair, and you see something on the agenda that you don't like, so will you call Grand Rapids and say, 'can you give me six points to rule this out of order so I can get out on time to go to my church picnic?'" Lankheet asked the assembled delegates. "We need to prevent chairmen of the day from doing these things." Other delegates came to Berends' defense. "I appreciate what the president has done because he saved us a lot of time by reading and studying the church order in depth," said host pastor Rev. Peter Shin, noting that almost half of the churches of classis had not come to the special meeting. "If we have all this information from the executive committee of the Board of Trustees, the professors at Calvin Seminary, we should listen." After over ninety minutes of debate, classis voted by a 9 to 7 margin to overturn the decision of the chair and declare that the Escondido overture was in order. Classical debate then moved on to the question of whether the overture should be adopted rather than whether it was out of order. In response to concerns voiced earlier in the debate, Cammenga amended the Escondido overture to specify that the meeting would be a "conference" rather than an "assembly." Other delegates moved, with Escondido's consent, that "the cost of the conference (transportation, housing, etc.) shall not be borne by Classis California South but by those in attendance." Cammenga's effort to address concerns about language which gave the impression that the meeting would be an official ecclesiastical assembly created other problems. "If this is not an official meeting or whatever, why does a whole classis have to sponsor this? Why can't the three councils that are interested do this?" asked Elder Henry Luth of Calvary CRC in Chino. "We need some accountability to classis," said Elder David Rottenberg from San Diego CRC. "We're going to have a picnic, but we don't know where it's going to be, when it's going to be, or what's going to happen." Rev. Don Klop of Calvary CRC in Chino objected not only to the structure of the conference but to its content. "Whatever happens at this conference is going to protest what happened at synod. We don't want to say that we as a classis are going to provide a forum for that kind of thing," said Klop. "Why would we as a classis want to sponsor this conference, when we know its nature, when we know it's not necessary, why do it?" Lankheet attempted to answer the question by giving an outline of its likely goals. "This could preserve churches which are about to leave and cause them to find ways to solve these problems," said Lankheet. "Many of you, brethren, have said you are pained and grieved by the GKN position on homosexuality. I'd like to ask, where are your overtures? Maybe this conference will be a forum to help churches write overtures to address these things." Rev. Ron Scheuers of First CRC in Chino objected to accusations that sponsoring the conference would mean that Classis California South would be organizing a secession from the CRC. "There is no word about separation here," said Scheuers. "Synod said the position we hold on women in office is a legitimate and valid position, and I don't understand why anyone here would be so intolerant of us to prevent us from having a conference to find some way to live within the framework of our denomination." After Scheuers' explanation, Rev. Bart van Eyk argued that since the conference was not intended to divide the CRC it should be advertised in the official denominational periodicals. "There is a presumption given that the classis is asking all like-minded classes to discuss; well, we're not all like-minded here," said van Eyk, moving that the conference be publicized "in the Banner and the Banner only." However, after classical stated clerk Rev. James Howerzyl noted that the Banner had sometimes refused to print similar announcements and after Lankheet indicated that the classical interim committee had intended to send an announcement to all consistories in the denomination, classis voted down van Eyk's motion. Classis finally came to a vote shortly before 11:30 am following almost three hours of debate. By a margin of 10 to 9, classis voted to call the conference. Five men recorded their negative votes, including the chairman, who noted that he "reserved the right to appeal to classis and synod, including through its interim committee." Text of Escondido Overture as Amended Responding to decisions of Synod 1995, the consistory of the Escondido Christian Reformed Church requests the Interim Committee of Classis California South to call a special meeting of Classis this July or August to consider the following Overture: That California South send out the following invitation: 1. Believing that the Scripture prohibits the ordination of women to the offices of elder, minister, and evangelist; 2. Convinced that Synod 1995 failed to follow the Scripture and violated Church Order Articles 3, 31, 47, and 86; 3. Committed to preserving the biblical principles of our Church Order; 4. Devoted to maintaining the historic Reformed character of our churches, for example in rejecting ecclesiastical fellowship with denominations that permit and encourage homosexual practice; Classis California South invites all classes (as well as all councils and officebearers) who share our convictions to attend a conference in November to formulate appropriate actions and responses to Synod 1995. Classes, councils, and officebearers are encouraged to submit agenda items and motions to this conference. The conference will seek ways to: 1. Address the decisions of Synod 1995 relative to women in ecclesiastical office and relative to its failure to break relations with the GKN despite their unbiblical approval of homosexual practice; 2. Protect congregations which differ with their classis where women serve as officebearers; 3. Seek to ensure that the historic Reformed commitments of our churches will be maintained in coming generations. All decisions of this conference may be presented to the councils and subsequently to the classes represented at the conference for approval for submission to Synod 1995. Classis California South, if it approves this request, should appoint a committee on arrangements to see that the invitations are mailed out and that local arrangements and an agenda are prepared. The cost of such a meeting, transportation, housing, etc., shall not be borne by Classis California South, but by those in attendance. Cross-References to Related Articles: #1995-067: Christian Reformed Synod Votes to Keep Fraternal Relations with Gereformeerde Kerken Despite Advocacy of Gay Rights #1995-070: Christian Reformed Classes Permitted to Declare Church Order Ban on Women's Ordination "Inoperative" #1995-081: Classis California South Calls Special Meeting to Discuss Christian Reformed Women in Office Decision Contact List: Rev. John Berends, Pastor, Hope Community Christian Reformed Church 7434 Westwood Dr., Riverside, CA 92504 * O: (714) 689-1855 * H: (714) 688-3661 * E-Mail: PJBerends@aol.com Rev. Andrew Cammenga, Pastor, Escondido Christian Reformed Church 1850 N. Broadway, Escondido, CA 92026 * H/O/FAX: (619) 745-2324 * E-Mail: ACAMMENGA@aol.com Dr. Henry De Moor, Professor of Church Polity, Calvin Theological Seminary 3233 Burton St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 H: (616) 940-0513 * O: (616) 957-7194 * FAX: (616) 957-8621 * E-Mail: DEMH@calvin.edu Dr. David Engelhard, General Secretary, Christian Reformed Church in North America 2850 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49560 O: (616) 246-0744 * H: (616) 243-2418 * FAX: (616) 246-0834 * E-Mail: engelhad@crcnet.mhs.compuserve.com Rev. James Howerzyl, Stated Clerk, Classis California South 1317 Ivy, Escondido, CA 92026 * H/O: (619) 741-5319 Rev. Don Klop, Pastor, Calvary Christian Reformed Church 12509 Ross Ave., Chino, CA 91710 * O: (909) 627-1918 * H: (909) 627-6578 * FAX: (909) 627-0207 Rev. Randy Lankheet, Pastor, Ontario Christian Reformed Church 125 East Philadelphia St., Ontario, CA 91761 * H/O: (909) 984-8201 Elder Henry Luth, Calvary Christian Reformed Church 6010 Walnut Ave., Chino, CA 91710 * O: (909) 627-1918 Elder David Rottenberg, San Diego Christian Reformed Church 6745 Amherst St., San Diego, CA 92215 * O: (619) 583-4007 Rev. Ron Scheuers, Pastor, First Christian Reformed Church 12943 Magnolia Ave., Chino, CA 91710 O: (909) 591-9111 * H: (909) 590-2324 * FAX: (909) 464-9636 * E-Mail: MRenk@aol.com Rev. Bart van Eyk, Pastor, San Diego Christian Reformed Church 6710 Shannon Ave., San Diego, CA 92115 * O: (619) 469-5218 * H: (619) 460-4466 ------------------------------------------------ file: /pub/resources/text/reformed: nr95-082.txt [corrected version] .