NR #1995-093: California South Announces Date and Location for Interclassical Conference of Christian Reformed Conservatives In a letter to all 985 congregations in the 294,000-member Christian Reformed denomination, Classis California South has announced that its "Interclassical Conference" of Christian Reformed conservatives opposed to women in office and toleration of continued ecclesiastical relations with denominations that tolerate gay marriages will be held on November 6 and 7 at First CRC in the Chicago suburb of South Holland, Illinois. NR #1995-093: For Immediate Release California South Announces Date and Location for Interclassical Conference of Christian Reformed Conservatives by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service (September 8, 1995) URNS - In a letter to all 985 congregations in the 294,000-member Christian Reformed denomination, Classis California South has announced that its "Interclassical Conference" will be held on November 6 and 7 at First CRC in the Chicago suburb of South Holland, Illinois. The date and location for the Interclassical Conference were not determined by the August 26 special meeting of Classis California South which called the conference; classis instead assigned the task to the classical interim committee. The organizers of the Interclassical Conference have been criticized for holding a conference outside the borders of Classis California South, but according to classical interim committee chairman Rev. Andrew Cammenga, the key factor determining the location of the Interclassical Conference was access to airport facilities. "We find nothing in the church order that would prohibit a conference from being sponsored anywhere; we are reminded that Grand Rapids is sponsoring a prayer conference here in Southern California without asking our permission and we are not objecting," said Cammenga, noting that locations were considered in California as well as Denver and Detroit. "We felt the Chicago area was central for almost everyone in terms of air flights or travel, coming from the east, west, midwest, it was the most economical." Cammenga said a major factor in the decision to hold the Interclassical Conference in Chicago was an invitation from First CRC of South Holland. According to Rev. Richard Blauw, pastor of First CRC, the invitation was extended partly because the church has experience in hosting conferences but mostly because of support for the goals of the Interclassical Conference. "I think we are seeking the cooperation and the support of like-minded churches to either effect change or provide some way in which we can provide some protection for those churches that find themselves in ecclesiastically untenable situations in their classis," said Blauw. Echoing Blauw's concerns, Cammenga said the focus of the conference would be to address the issues of women in office and the CRC's decision not to cut ties with the CRC's mother church, the Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland, despite its tolerance of practicing homosexual ministers, elders, deacons, and members. "If that is not going to be possible, if as some have suggested synod has closed the door on us and we are facing a brick wall, we will have to find some ways to protect congregations in classes where women serve as officers and remain in the CRC to pass an uncompromised Christian Reformed heritage on to coming generations," said Cammenga. While the invitations were sent to all churches in the CRC and the meeting will be open to the public, Cammenga noted that the voting delegates at the meeting would be limited to those who "share the four convictions stated in the invitation from Classis California South," namely, "that the Scripture prohibits the ordination of women to the offices of minister, elder, and evangelist," "that Synod 1995 failed to follow the Scripture and violated Church Order articles 3, 31, 47, and 86," being "committed to preserving the biblical principles of our Church Order," and being "devoted to maintaining the historic Reformed character of our churches, for example in rejecting ecclesiastical fellowship with denominations that permit and encourage homosexual practice." While the agenda for the meeting will be established by proposals from attending churches, Cammenga said he hoped the option of secession would not be considered. "I think we do not want to secede because we love the Christian Reformed denomination as we have grown up in it, as it has demonstrated its faithfulness to the Scriptures in the past, its historical faithfulness to the Word, its faithfulness to missions and to Christian education," said Cammenga. "Those are all things we love, and we find that secession would certainly not be to our advantage nor to the advantage of the denomination." "Schisms in the past have always been acrimonious and we would want if at all possible to avoid that kind of thing," said Cammenga. 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" #1995-081: Classis California South Calls Special Meeting to Discuss Christian Reformed Women in Office Decision #1995-082: California South Calls Conference of Christian Reformed Classes, Councils, to Address Women in Office Decision #1995-094: Iakota Rejects Interclassical Conference #1995-095: Classis Illiana "Encourages" Churches to Attend Interclassical Conference of CRC Churches Opposed to Women in Office Contact List: Rev. Richard Blauw, Pastor, First Christian Reformed Church 16304 South Park Ave., South Holland, IL 60473 * O: (708) 333-8211 * H: (708) 225-1431 * FAX: (708) 333-6722 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 ------------------------------------------------ file: /pub/resources/text/reformed: nr95-093.txt .