From: Darrell128@aol.com Date: Tue, 25 Mar 1997 10:41:10 -0500 (EST) Subject: MEDIA ALERT: Holland RCA Classis to Vote Tonight on Salvation Apart from Christ March 25, 1997 * MEDIA ALERT: Media Alert: Holland Classis to Vote Tonight: Should All Reformed Church in America Ministers and Churches Annually Reaffirm that Salvation is Through Christ Alone? Meeting tonight at Third Reformed Church of Holland, the Reformed Church in America's Classis of Holland will vote on a pending amendment to the denomination's book of church order which would require all ministers and churches to annually reaffirm that salvation is through Christ alone. The Holland Classis executive committee is recommending rejection of the amendment. At 13,629 members in 14 churches, the Holland Classis is the fourth-largest in the 312,803-member denomination and the third-largest of the eight classes in the Regional Synod of the Great Lakes. More important than the Holland Classis' size, however, is its influence in the Reformed Church in America, due in large part to the denomination's Hope College and Western Theological Seminary being located within its bounds. The classis ministerial roll includes nine ordained professors, teachers, administrators, and denominational staff members -- more than any other classis in the denomination -- and a number of laypeople in member churches are professors at Hope College. One of the denomination's most prominent progressive churches, the historic Hope Reformed Church of Holland, hosted a "Kindred Spirits Gathering" on March 3 bringing together invited RCA leaders concerned about a perceived fundamentalist backlash against Rev. Richard Rhem of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, retired Kalamazoo campus minister Rev. Don Van Hoeven, and others in the RCA advocating similar views. MEDIA ALERT: For Immediate Release Holland Classis to Vote Tonight: Should All Reformed Church in America Ministers and Churches Annually Reaffirm that Salvation is Through Christ Alone? * Holland Vote Crucial Due to Role of Western Seminary, Hope College Professors; Executive Committee Recommends "No" Vote * Holland Vote to be Last of Eight in Regional Synod of the Great Lakes by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service (March 25, 1997) URNS -- Meeting tonight at Third Reformed Church of Holland, the Reformed Church in America's Classis of Holland will vote on a pending amendment to the denomination's book of church order which would require all ministers and churches to annually reaffirm that salvation is through Christ alone. The Holland Classis executive committee is recommending rejection of the amendment. The classis will meet at 7 pm at Third Reformed Church of Holland, 111 West 13th Street, following by a dinner for delegates beginning at 6 pm, and will be the last of the eight classes of the Regional Synod of the Great Lakes to vote on the amendment. So far, all but one of the seven classes that have voted have passed the amendment, often by wide margins. At 13,629 members in 14 churches, the Holland Classis is the fourth-largest in the 312,803-member denomination and the third-largest of the eight classes in the Regional Synod of the Great Lakes. The RCA's largest classis is the Classis of California, followed by South Grand Rapids and Zeeland. More important than the Holland Classis' size, however, is its influence in the Reformed Church in America, due in large part to the denomination's Hope College and Western Theological Seminary being located within its bounds. The classis ministerial roll includes nine ordained professors, teachers, administrators, and denominational staff members -- more than any other classis in the denomination -- and a number of laypeople in member churches are professors at Hope College. One of the denomination's most prominent progressive churches, the historic Hope Reformed Church of Holland, hosted a "Kindred Spirits Gathering" on March 3 bringing together invited RCA leaders concerned about a perceived fundamentalist backlash against Rev. Richard Rhem of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, retired Kalamazoo campus minister Rev. Don Van Hoeven, and others in the RCA advocating similar views. The proposal to explicitly require ministers and churches to answer whether they preach that salvation is only through Christ was adopted by a 148-112 majority at the 1996 General Synod. If passed by two-thirds of the denomination's 46 classes and ratified at this summer's General Synod, the Reformed Church in America will require each of its ministers and churches to inform classis on whether "the doctrines of the gospel [are] preached in your church in their purity in conformity with... the truth that divine redemption from sin is only by grace through faith in the perfect work of the Lord Jesus Christ alone, the only mediator between God and humankind." If ratified, the new question would follow up on two "constitutional inquiries" that each RCA classis is already required to ask each year to all ministers and elder delegates to classis. Currently, each church must inform classis on whether the doctrines of the gospel are preached in conformity with "the Word of God" and "the Standards of the Reformed Church in America," namely, the Heidelberg Catechism, Belgic Confession, and Canons of Dort. The church order amendment originated with an overture from the Classis of Northern Michigan, which explicitly cited articles in the Grand Rapids Press on Rhem as grounds for its overture. "Those in the RCA teaching heterodoxy (that there are other ways to salvation besides Jesus Christ and that salvation is possible in Christ without saving faith) are disrupting the unity of the RCA by bringing in destructive heresies which cannot be tolerated if Christians are to be loyal to the Lord Jesus Christ," stated the Northern Michigan overture. "It is the duty of modern-day church elders to protect the church from false teaching." The author of the overture argues that passage of the amendment is a matter of simple integrity for the Reformed Church in America. "We need to either come out and openly say that the doctrinal standards are worthless pieces of paper or some people need to leave," said Rev. Patrick Shetler, pastor of First Reformed Church of Grant, Michigan. "Really what I see coming out of this is a reading of what the RCA's heart and soul is and that we really are a church with two theologies, we really are a house divided," said Shetler. While the additional constitutional question could result in questioning the credentials of many additional RCA ministers, at least two RCA ministers are already in the disciplinary process. The case of Rhem, the minister whose teachings touched off the controversy, will next be dealt with at the May meeting of the Regional Synod of the Great Lakes which will determine how to proceed on an unrelated charge of "gross sexual misconduct" that so far has not been substantiated by the classis or the regional synod. The appeal of retired Kalamazoo minister Rev. Don Van Hoeven, who was formally rebuked by the Classis of Southwest Michigan for a Kalamazoo Gazette article expressing agreement with Rhem's theological position, has already been advanced to the Regional Synod Assembly with a recommendation that his appeal be dismissed. So far all but one of the seven RCA classes in the regional synod which have voted on the amendment have passed it: North Grand Rapids voted to pass it on October 15; Southwest Michigan on February 25; Muskegon on March 4, Northern Michigan on March 11, South Grand Rapids and Zeeland both on March 18. Rhem's membership is held in Muskegon and Van Hoeven's by Southwest Michigan; both classes passed the amendment by sizeable margins. The Classis of Lake Erie voted on October 26 to disapprove the amendment. Regional synod minister Rev. Sherwin Weener has previously cautioned that not everyone opposed to the church order amendment opposes the underlying theology. Some in the RCA argue that the amendment is redundant because the RCA's doctrinal standards, drafted in the late 1500's and early 1600's, already include statements affirming salvation through Christ alone. Nationwide, the Reformed Church in America has 312,802 members in 949 local churches. The Regional Synod of the Great Lakes, composed of churches in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and a few scattered churches at a greater distance, is by far the largest of the denomination's eight regional synods, with 83,569 members in 150 churches. Cross-References to Related Articles: #1996-013: Special Meeting of RCA's Muskegon Classis Discusses Homosexuality, Scripture, Salvation Apart from Christ #1996-023: Muskegon RCA Classis: No Room for Pastor Questioning Salvation Apart from Christ, Authority of Scripture #1996-086: Muskegon Classis Rebukes Rhem for "Heretical" Views, Restarts Negotiations "to Reach a Mutually Acceptable Separation Agreement" with Christ Community Church #1996-091: Rhem Conflict Leads to Homosexuality Debate in Muskegon #1996-092: Back to the Drawing Board: Muskegon Classis Tables Proposed Settlement with Pastor of RCA's Fourth-Largest Church #1996-093: Dr. Jonathan Gerstner on Rhem: "Tragedy is the Only Word" #1996-094: Second RCA Minister Faces Discipline for Theological Views #1996-103: Classis Muskegon Averts Heresy Trial, Completes Separation Agreement with Richard Rhem, Christ Community Church #1996-110: Appeal Stalls Settlement Agreement on Rev. Richard Rhem; Protests Greet Upcoming Rhem Keynote Speech for RCA Regional Synod of the Mid-Atlantics on "The Church in Conflict... Can Non-Believers be Saved?" #1996-118: Rhem to Reformed Church in America: "The Bible is a Wax Nose" #1997-001: Muskegon Classis Suspends Separation Agreement Until Regional Synod Adjudicates Appeal on "Gross Sexual Misconduct" Allegations Against Richard Rhem #1997-002: Rhem's Attorney Responds: "Classis... Has Engaged in Conspiratorial Actions Which Were Maliciously Calculated to Damage Rev. Richard Rhem and Christ Community Church" #1997-007: Appeal of Charges Against Rhem Sent Back to Committee by RCA's Regional Synod Executive Committee; Van Hoeven Appeal to Proceed with Recommendation of Dismissal #1997-019: Reformed Church in America Classes Poised to Vote on Church Order Change: Should All RCA Ministers and Churches Annually Reaffirm that Salvation is Through Christ Alone? #1997-026: SW Michigan Becomes First RCA Michigan Classis to Ratify Church Order Amendment on Salvation Through Christ Alone #1997-027: "Kindred Spirits Gathering" of RCA Progressives Meet in Holland to Discuss Direction of Reformed Church in America #1997-028: Rhem Case on Hold; Muskegon Classis Affirms Salvation Through Christ Alone #1997-031: Reformed Church in America's Second and Third Largest Classes Vote to Affirm Salvation Only Through Christ Contact List: Rev. E. Wayne Antworth, Director, RCA Stewardship & Communication Services 475 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10115 O: (212) 870-2954 * FAX: (212) 870-2499 Rev. Marvin Hoff, Stated Clerk, Classis of Holland (RCA) 2390 Orchard, Holland, MI 49424 H/O: (616) 399-9585 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. Patrick Shetler, Pastor, First Reformed Church 271 E. State Rd., PO Box 365, Grant, MI 49327 O: (616) 834-8668 * H: (616) 834-7246 * E-Mail: grantreformedchurch@worldnet.att.net Rev. Dennis Tebeest, Pastor, Hope Reformed Church 77 W. 11th St., Holland, MI 49423 O: (616) 392-7947 * H: (616) 392-5552 Rev. Donald Van Hoeven 1024 Westfall, Kalamazoo, MI 49006 H: (616) 381-8586 Rev. Sherwin Weener, Synod Minister, Regional Synod of the Great Lakes 4500 - 60th St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49512 O: (616) 698-7071 * H: (616) 457-3572 * FAX: (616) 698-6606 * E-Mail: RSGLWeener@aol.com ---------------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/reformed/archive97: nrma97-4.txt .