NR #1995-087: Most Christian Reformed Classes Decline Synodical Option to End Prohibition on Women in Office Synod 1995 made history by deciding that "a classis may, in response to local needs and circumstances, declare that the word 'male' in Article 3-a of the Church Order is inoperative and may authorize the churches under its jurisdiction to ordain and install women to the offices of elder, minister, and evangelist." However, if current classical votes hold, the proponents of women in office may have won the battle to allow women in office on the synodical level while losing the war on the classical level. Only six of the denomination's 46 regional classes voted to declare the word "male" inoperative, and half didn't even consider the matter at their fall meetings. NR #1995-087: For Immediate Release Most Christian Reformed Classes Decline Synodical Option to End Prohibition on Women in Office by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service (October 9, 1995) URNS - Synod 1995 made history by deciding that "a classis may, in response to local needs and circumstances, declare that the word 'male' in Article 3-a of the Church Order is inoperative and may authorize the churches under its jurisdiction to ordain and install women to the offices of elder, minister, and evangelist." However, if current classical votes hold, the proponents of women in office may have won the battle to allow women in office on the synodical level while losing the war on the classical level. Even the most optimistic supporters of women in office can only view the classical results as establishing a precarious beachhead for their position. Of the Christian Reformed denomination's 46 regional classes, half didn't take up the issue of women in office at all, and of the 23 classes which did take up the matter, only six successfully passed motions to declare the church order's ban on women in office inoperative - some by very close margins and one by only a single vote. So far, only Classis Pacific Northwest, Classis Holland, Classis Grand Rapids East, Classis Hackensack, Classis Toronto, and Classis Lake Erie have voted to declare the church order inoperative. Four classes - Minnesota North, Chatham, Alberta North, and Atlantic Northeast - voted down attempts to declare the church order inoperative, and Classis Arizona voted down overtures on both sides of the issue with the effect that the ban remains in effect. Three classes took the technically unnecessary step of declaring the church order "operative," and one classis took the additional step of declaring that it reserved the right to discipline any churches in its bounds which voted to allow women in office. So far, in the classes where women in office came to a clearly decisive vote, women in office won in six classes and lost in eight, with twenty more classes not bothering to even consider whether to declare the church order inoperative. Many but not all of these twenty classes have a history of being vocal opponents of women in office. The results indicate some surprising reverses. While few people could be surprised that Classis Grand Rapids East, Classis Lake Erie, or Classis Toronto allowed women in office, several leading progressive classes such as Alberta North voted down proposals to declare the church order inoperative. Others such as Classis Kalamazoo took procedural votes which had the same effect. One such case may become particularly difficult: while Classis Toronto's decision clears the way for the ordination of Ruth Hofman, unordained pastor of Toronto First CRC since 1993, Classis Northern Michigan tabled a proposal until its March meeting which would have declared the church order inoperative to allow the ordination of Mary-Lee Bouma of Trinity CRC of Mt. Pleasant. The matter will come up again in some classes, however. Overtures to declare the church order inoperative were tabled, sent to committee, or postponed to the next meeting in six classes. In a three classes, overtures were ruled out of order, withdrawn, or action withheld on various technical grounds. Only time will tell whether synod's decision turns out to be a disguised victory for a conservative majority or the first of many victories for those in support of the ordination of women. Cross-References to Related Articles: #1995-070: Christian Reformed Classes Permitted to Declare Church Order Ban on Women's Ordination "Inoperative"; Synod Decision Given Immediate Effect without Two-Year Ratification Process #1995-074: Synod Rejects Two Efforts to Require 1996 Ratification of Women in Office Decision #1995-075: Synod Permits Classes to Declare Second Church Order Article "Inoperative"; Women May Now "Expound" or "Exhort" #1995-088: List of Classis Decisions on Women in Office #1995-089: Classis Pacific Northwest Makes Christian Reformed History by Declaring Word "Male" Inoperative #1995-090: Grand Rapids East Becomes First Christian Reformed Classis to Seat Women Elders #1995-091: Classis Lake Erie Appoints Committee to Review Synod 1995 Decision on Women in Office #1995-092: Atlantic Northeast Votes Down Women in Office, Overtures Christian Reformed Synod to Overturn 1995 Decision Contact List: Rev. J. George Auperlee, Stated Clerk, Classis Atlantic Northeast 255 Goldthwaite Rd., Whitinsville, MA 01588 * (508) 234-2927 Rev. Robert Arbogast, Stated Clerk, Classis Kalamazoo 6138 Ormada Dr., Kalamazoo, MI 49001 * O: (616) 342-2646 * H: (616) 629-5258 Miss Mary-Lee Bouma, Expounder, Trinity Christian Reformed Church 211 W. Broomfield, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858 * O: (517) 772-0664 Rev. Harvey Brink, Stated Clerk, Classis Pacific Northwest 1221 - 148th Ave. NE, Bellevue, WA 98007 * (206) 747-5288 Rev. Jack Gray, Stated Clerk, Classis of the Heartland 708 - 5th St., Orange City, IA 51041-1804 * O: (712) 737-2797 * H: (712) 737-2997 Mrs. Ruth Hofman, Expounder, Toronto First Christian Reformed Church 63-67 Taunton Rd., Toronto, ON M4S 2P2 * O: (416) 481-4912 Rev. Nicholas Knoppers, Stated Clerk, Classis Alberta North 10736 - 43 St., Edmonton, AB T6A 1V4 * H/O: (403) 469-2993 Rev. Terry Lapinsky, Stated Clerk, Classis Hackensack 400 N. Haledon Ave., Haledon, NJ 07508 * (201) 427-1418 Dr. Philip R. Lucasse, Stated Clerk, Classis Grand Rapids East 3096 Old Kent Rd. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49512 * O: (616) 957-6000 * H: (616) 942-1219 Rev. Anthony Schweitzer, Stated Clerk, Classis Minnesota North 710 Aberdeen Ave., Winnipeg, MB R2W 1W7 * O: (204) 586-7290 * FAX: (204) 586-8842 Rev. John Tenyenhuis, Stated Clerk, Classis Toronto 213 Mill Rd., Etobicoke, ON M9C 1Y1 * (416) 620-5548 Rev. Robert Timmer, Stated Clerk, Classis Holland 4075 - 112th Ave, Holland, MI 49424 * (616) 772-0410 Rev. Carl J. Toeset, Stated Clerk, Classis Arizona 5402 E. McKellips #224, Mesa, AZ 85215 * (602) 981-3378 Mr. Jan H.G. Vandergeest, Stated Clerk, Classis Chatham 106 Fairview Ave., St. Thomas, ON N5R 4X6 * (519) 631-5285 Pastor George Vander Weit, Stated Clerk, Classis Lake Erie 2901 Waterloo Dr., Troy, MI 48084 * O: (810) 645-1990 * H: (810) 649-5388 Rev. Paul J. Veenstra, Stated Clerk, Classis Northern Michigan 11520 Atwood Rd., Ellsworth, MI 49729 * (616) 599-2765 Rev. Don Wisse, Stated Clerk, Classis Hudson 183 Godwin Ave, Midland Park, NJ 07432 * (201) 445-4260 Rev. Laryn Zoerhof, Stated Clerk, Classis Illiana 8910 Grace St., Highland, IN 46322 * O: (219) 838-6231 ------------------------------------------------ file: /pub/resources/text/reformed: nr95-087.txt .