Date: Sat, 23 Aug 1997 21:41:44 -0400 (EDT) From: Darrell128@aol.com Subject: NR 97093: CRC International Ministries Director Compares Women's Ordination to O NR #1997-093: Christian Reformed International Ministries Director Compares Women's Ordination to Overcoming Racial Prejudice Following a sermon by the Christian Reformed Church's international ministries director comparing opposition to women in office to racial discrimination, Trinity CRC of Mt. Pleasant ordained Rev. Mary-Lee Bouma as the third woman minister in the 286,000-member denomination. Bouma, who has served her church since 1994 as an unordained pastor, had been repeatedly denied ordination by synod and her group of local churches, Classis Northern Michigan. Synod 1997 finally had to transfer the Mt. Pleasant church to Classis Muskegon which was willing to allow her ordination. NR #1997-093: For Immediate Release Christian Reformed International Ministries Director Compares Women's Ordination to Overcoming Racial Prejudice * Mary-Lee Bouma last of three pioneer women CRC candidates to be ordained by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service MT. PLEASANT, Mich. (August 23, 1997) URNS -- "As women's ministry goes, so does ethnic ministry." That was the message of Rev. Robert Price, international ministries director of the Christian Reformed Church, at the August 23 ordination of Rev. Mary-Lee Bouma at Trinity CRC of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. In his sermon to the woman who was initially denied ordination by the Christian Reformed synod and whose church eventually transferred to Classis Muskegon because Classis Northern Michigan continued to refuse to allow women's ordination even after synod approved, Price closely linked racial discrimination with opposition to ordaining women. "'We don't like women, we don't like black people.' Before you know it this is Archie-Bunkerville," said Price, who is black. "If God is really God, he can speak through a mule -- me -- he can speak through men, he can speak through women, and when you start accepting women, you'll start accepting people like me." Price illustrated his sermon with quotes from a number of children's books designed to teach the importance of accepting others.. "I think Classis Northern Michigan told our friend, 'you can't play,'" said Price. "So I brought along this book to have some fun." Bouma's ordination speakers also included Rev. Ed Visser representing Classis Muskegon and Rev. Jon DeBruyn from Fellowship CRC in Classis Northern Michigan. De Bruyn -- who noted that he was not officially representing the classis -- made clear that he supported Bouma's ordination even if his classis would not. "I hope you'll let us play. We didn't say you can't play, we just said you can't play with us," said De Bruyn. "One of the hardest things is not to reject those who reject us." Bouma's ordination comes at the end of a long wait. Synod 1994 said she couldn't be ordained because she is a woman, but left in place a 1992 rule that allowed her to accept a post as the unordained pastor of Trinity CRC on the campus of Central Michigan University. Synod 1995 allowed women's ordination but said she'd have to wait another year to apply for candidacy despite having completed the prescribed theological training at the denomination's Calvin Seminary in 1994. Synod 1996 declared Bouma a candidate for the ministry along with two other women, Rev. Ruth Hofman of First CRC in Toronto and Rev. Mary Antonides of Eastern Avenue CRC in Grand Rapids, both of whom were promptly ordained by their classes, but Classis Northern Michigan repeatedly refused to allow Bouma's ordination because of her gender. However, when the final step finally came for Bouma, it proceeded with lightning speed. Classis Muskegon called a special meeting on Thursday, August 21 to conduct the required theological exam, and Trinity CRC ordained her only two days latwe. The change from Classis Northern Michigan to Classis Muskegon occurred because Trinity CRC's original classis, Classis Northern Michigan, never did allow Bouma to be ordained. In a compromise designed to benefit both supporters and opponents of women's ordination, Synod 1996 voted to allow churches in such situations to transfer from a classis that bans women's ordination to join a classis that will, or vice versa. Synod 1997, meeting this past June in Grand Rapids, approved the transfer of Trinity CRC as well as two other transfers -- Pine Creek CRC of Holland, Mich., wanted to join a classis opposed to women's ordination and a California Korean church wanted to join an ethnic Korean classis. "We are sorry that it had to happen, we regret that Classis Northern Michigan basically suggested we leave, but we understand the dynamics," said Bouma. "We don't wish to be a model for anyone else to leave their classis because we would much rather see the unity of the church in every obvious way. There's no cause for rejoicing that we left our classis." Bouma said her ordination as a minister rather than simply an unordained "expounder" was pastorally necessary for her church. "It's been hard pastorally to lead people to Christ, to disciple them, to take them through new members classes and catechism and not be able to baptize them and serve th em the Lord's Supper," said Bouma. "That's been really hard for the congregation especially, and it's been hard for me to have it be an issue for them." Bouma -- who generally supports conservative views on topics other than women's ordination and used to accuse women who wanted to be ordained of sinning against God -- said she appreciated questions in her classical examination designed to see if she supported liberal theology. "I enjoyed answering their questions about modern day heresy with the answer that goddess worship is a modern day heresy," said Bouma. "That 'Christa' figure from feminist theology is terribly wrong. I quoted Elizabeth Achtemeier about how perhaps why Scripture revealed God in masculine language is because we creatures would tend to worship the earth from which we sprang as a mother goddess." In addition to serving in her local church, Bouma is a member of a synodical committee studying pastoral ministry to homosexuals. Bouma -- who spent much of her time doing inner-city ministry before coming to Mt. Pleasant -- agreed with Price on the need for racial and gender reconciliation in the CRC. "Although we can celebrate a new era of diversity in the Christian Reformed Church, all of us still have a long way to go in the CRC," said Bouma. "We have a lot of sin to repent of in the Christian Reformed Church, and I feel that racism is one of the top sins we have to repent of in the Christian Reformed Church." Cross-References to Related Articles: #1994-043: Second Woman Pastor to Serve Christian Reformed Church; Mary-Lee Bouma to "teach, expound the Word of God, and provide pastoral care" as an unordained solo pastor of Trinity CRC, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan #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 #1996-026: Northern Michigan: No Ordination for Mary-Lee Bouma #1996-076: CRC Synod Rejects 25 Overtures and Communications Calling for End to Classical Option on Ordination of Women #1996-077: Churches Allowed to Switch Classes for Theological Reasons #1996-101: Northern Michigan Nixes Ordination for Mary-Lee Bouma #1997-008: Classis Zeeland Votes by 72% Margin to Receive Pine Creek Christian Reformed Church Pending Synodical Approval #1997-010: Classis Holland Acquiesces in Pine Creek Request to Transfer to Classis Zeeland Due to Opposition to Women in Office #1997-029: Classis Muskegon Admits Trinity CRC of Mt. Pleasant; Vote Allows Ordination of Mary-Lee Bouma as Third Christian Reformed Woman Pastor #1997-077: No Theological Classes Allowed for CRC Conservatives Contact List: Rev. Zachary (Zack) Anderson, Pastor, Pine Creek Christian Reformed Church 663 Riley St., Holland, MI 49424 O: (616) 399-1413 * H: (616) 399-2016 Miss Mary-Lee Bouma, Expounder, Trinity Christian Reformed Church 211 W. Broomfield, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858 O: (517) 772-0664 * H: (517) 772-1029 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@crcna.org Rev. Douglas Van Essen, Stated Clerk, Classis Muskegon 1132 Peck St., Muskegon, MI 49441 O: (616) 725-7325 * H: (616) 728-6289 Rev. Paul Veenstra, Stated Clerk, Classis Northern Michigan 11520 Atwood Rd., Ellsworth, MI 49729 H/O: (616) 599-2765 ---------------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/reformed/archive97: nr97-093.txt .