Date: Mon, 9 Jun 1997 08:16:33 -0400 (EDT) From: Darrell128@aol.com Subject: NR 97053: Classis Hudson Declares Freswick to Have "Status of One Deposed from Office NR #1997-053: Classis Hudson Declares Rev. Casey Freswick to Have "Status of One Deposed from Office" First Classis Hudson refused to seat Newton CRC pastor Rev. Casey Freswick because of allegedly schismatic comments made in an interview with United Reformed News Service. Then the classical interim committee sent a letter to all Newton CRC members -- but not the members of council -- urging the Newton congregation to disregard the church leadership. Now that Newton CRC has seceded, Classis Hudson went into closed session in its May 14 meeting at Midland Park CRC and voted to declare Freswick to have "the status of one deposed from office" -- but only after the synodical deputies refused to approve an earlier vote declaring Freswick to be dismissed.""It seems to me to be an issue not so much of procedure; what has happened has happened," said synodical deputy Rev. Philip Apol in explaining why the synodical deputies refused to approve the lesser penalty. "This is a matter of hermeneutics, interpretation of what has happened. I speak for all of us in saying that what has happened meets the category of one deposed." NR #1997-053: For Immediate Release Classis Hudson Declares Rev. Casey Freswick to Have "Status of One Deposed from Office" by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service MIDLAND PARK, N.J. (May 15, 1997) URNS -- First Classis Hudson refused to seat Newton CRC pastor Rev. Casey Freswick because of allegedly schismatic comments made in an interview with United Reformed News Service. Then the classical interim committee sent a letter to all Newton CRC members -- but not the members of council -- urging the Newton congregation to disregard the church leadership. Now that Newton CRC has seceded, Classis Hudson went into closed session in its May 14 meeting at Midland Park CRC and voted to declare Freswick to have "the status of one deposed from office" -- but only after the synodical deputies refused to approve an earlier vote declaring Freswick to be "dismissed." "It seems to me to be an issue not so much of procedure; what has happened has happened," said synodical deputy Rev. Philip Apol in explaining why the synodical deputies refused to approve the lesser penalty. "This is a matter of hermeneutics, interpretation of what has happened. I speak for all of us in saying that what has happened meets the category of one deposed." Classis Hudson stated clerk Rev. Don Wisse said Freswick's printed comments in United Reformed News Service and elsewhere were crucial in the decision. "They looked at the documents, the quotes you attributed to him, the later documents which he wrote," said Wisse. "Even those who were in favor of Casey's position were not in agreement with those." Although the classis decision was made in executive session, members of classis later reported that the classical interim committee had recommended deposing Freswick -- and then saw classis vote instead by a 10 to 9 margin to "dismiss" rather than "depose" him. When the synodical deputies refused to concur, Wisse read the synodical rules in such matters, noting that classis could discuss it and change its decision, ask the synodical deputies to change their decision, or go to synod with an appeal. Classis voted instead to change its decision and concur with the deputies that Freswick should be declared to be in the status of one deposed from office; delegates from one church recorded their negative votes as a formal protest against the classical action. Wisse declined to state what happened in executive session but noted that the wording of the formal declaration of classis was important -- but then reverted to other wording. "It's not deposition, he's just declare to have the status of one deposed," said Wisse. "He's not supposed to preach in the CRC, a man who is deposed is not supposed to preach in the churches." Freswick wasn't the first man to lead his church out of Classis Hudson, but he is the first one declared to have the status of one deposed from office. According to Wisse, when New Jersey pastors Rev. Richard Kuiken of Pompton Plains CRC and Rev. Dan Bratt of Franklin Lakes CRC led their churches out of the denomination, they were "dismissed." Rev. Steve Schlissel of Messiah's Congregation in Brooklyn was formally deposed by Classis Hudson, an action affirmed by the Christian Reformed synod, following which his church was expelled from the classis when it ordained Schlissel as an elder and continued to allow him to preach. According to Wisse, the reason for the stronger action in Freswick's case was Freswick's stronger language. "If Freswick had stayed within the denomination he probably would have been disciplined. He urged other people not only in his own following but also in other churches to leave," said Wisse. "I have very mixed emotions; I've spent many hours with Casey talking to him, but he did not speak the truth about the Christian Reformed Church." Some delegates to Classis Hudson were quite clear about their emotions. Dr. Paul Szto of Queens (NY) CRC -- who has boycotted recent classis meetings until May 14 in protest against classis inquiries into whether his small Chinese congregation met synodical requirements to be an organized church -- wondered whether he'd made the right decision in returning. "The classis vote is proof now the majority of Classis Hudson is liberal," said Szto, who also said the synodical deputies were "dead wrong" in refusing to concur in the initial classis vote for dismissal instead of deposition. "They didn't realize they won't hurt Casey, because he's out, but it will make him mad and he now can even more attack the Christian Reformed Church. The classis in a very stupid way deposed him and gave him the opportunity to say the CRC is even worse than it is." Szto said the classis decision was a sign of refusal to deal with problems in the CRC. "Because they didn't dare to face the problems in the Christian Reformed Church, they say Casey used strong language, because they don't want to deal with the problem," said Szto. While most conservative delegates declined to speak on the record to Christian Renewal out of concern that their quotes would be used, as were Freswick's, as grounds for discipline, Szto said he didn't care who heard what he had to say. "If I said it in public I'm willing to say it in print," said Szto. Interviewed at his parsonage following the classis meeting, Freswick said he wasn't surprised by the classis decision. "The sad thing is that I have very little respect for the decision made because over the years I've seen a lack of discernment so I don't expect them to discern this," said Freswick. "That I don't have respect for them is the most disturbing thing of all." Freswick cited controversial Reformed Church in America pastor Rev. Richard Rhem as an example of lack of discernment in the CRC. "I was laughed at when I tried to bring up that Richard Rhem's church might be outside the creeds and confessions of the Christian Reformed Church when one of his members was placed on the board of Calvin College," said Freswick. "Now even the Reformed Church has put him and his church under rebuke. It really shows a lack of discernment in the CRC." Freswick said his church's decision to leave the CRC went far beyond the women in office issue. "One of the reasons we left the Christian Reformed Church is because the issue of the toleration of those advocating homosexual marriage has not been addressed, and there is no indication it will be," said Freswick. "Any time you compliment someone's overall ministry and office when they hold that gay marriage is a legitimate option, it's outside the bounds of Christianity." According to Freswick, the controversy hasn't hurt the church's ministry at all. "We've had one family leave but their reason had nothing to do with this, and we've had five families begin attending regularly since the first of the year," said Freswick. The Newton congregation -- temporarily named Newton Christian Reformed Church (Independent) -- expects to affiliate with the United Reformed Churches in North America. About 30 officebearers from local independent, United Reformed, and Christian Reformed congregations have already met to consider beginning a new Classis Hudson of the United Reformed Churches. Cross-References to Related Articles: #1996-076: CRC Synod Rejects 25 Overtures and Communications Calling for End to Classical Option on Ordination of Women #1996-088: Interclassical Conference of Christian Reformed Conservatives to be Asked to Create Nongeographical Classes; Minority Urges Immediate Secession from Christian Reformed Denomination #1996-108: Quotes in United Reformed News Service Prompt Classis Hudson to Unseat Rev. Casey Freswick #1997-004: Newton Christian Reformed Church Secedes by 49-1 Vote After Classis Urges Members to Disregard Council Leadership #1997-012: Classis Hudson Refuses Apology to Rev. Casey Freswick Contact List: Rev. Philip Apol, Synodical Deputy, Classis Hackensack 11609 Kemp Mill Rd., Silver Spring, MD 20902 O: (301) 649-4109 * H: (301) 649-7442 Rev. Daniel L. Bratt, Pastor, Franklin Lakes Christian Reformed Church (Indep.) 946 Old Mill Rd., Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417 O: (616) 875-7561 * H: (616) 875-7561 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 Rev. Casey Freswick, Pastor, Newton Christian Reformed Church 47 Condit St., Newton, NJ 07860 O: (201) 383-9635 * H: (201) 383-2263 * E-Mail: cfres@nac.net Rev. Richard J. Kuiken, Pastor, Pompton Plains Reformed Bible Church 415 Boulevard, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444 O: (201) 835-4784 * H: (201) 835-5602 Rev. Richard Rhem, Senior Pastor, Christ Community Church 225 East Exchange St., Spring Lake, MI 49456 O: (616) 842-1985 * H: (616) 846-7777 * F: (616) 842-3476 * E-Mail: christcommunity@novagate.com Rev. Steve Schlissel, Pastor, Messiah's Congregation 2662 E. 24th St., Brooklyn, NY 11235 H: (718) 332-4444 Dr. Paul C.H. Szto, Pastor, Queens Christian Reformed Church 143-55 84th Dr., Jamaica, NY 11435 O/FAX: (718) 658-7979 * H: (718) 658-1151 Rev. Don Wisse, Stated Clerk, Classis Hudson 183 Godwin Ave, Midland Park, NJ 07432 O: (201) 445-4260 * H: (201) 444-6423 ---------------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/reformed/archive97: nr97-053.txt .