From: Darrell128@aol.com Date: Wed, 9 Oct 1996 08:00:41 -0400 (EDT) NR #1996-109 Classis Hudson Declines to Overture Christian Reformed Synod to Receive Hackensack Church Opposed to Women in Office Synod 1996 allowed churches to transfer between classes for reasons other than geography, a compromise intended to allow conservative churches opposed to women in office to leave classes which voted to allow women to be ordained within their boundaries. Classis Northern Michigan has already given its blessing to Trinity CRC in Mt. Pleasant to seek affiliation with another classis to ordain its female pastor. However, in the first test case of a church opposing women in office, Classis Hudson has declined to ask synod to admit Terra Ceia (NC) CRC. Terra Ceia's current classis, Classis Hackensack, was one of the earliest classes to vote to allow the ordination of women within its boundaries and had already voted to overture synod to grant Terra Ceia's request to transfer to Classis Hudson. NR #1996-109: For Immediate Release Classis Hudson Declines to Overture Christian Reformed Synod to Receive Hackensack Church Opposed to Women in Office by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service (October 9, 1996) URNS - Synod 1996 allowed churches to transfer between classes for reasons other than geography, a compromise intended to allow conservative churches opposed to women in office to leave classes which voted to allow women to be ordained within their boundaries. Classis Northern Michigan has already given its blessing to Trinity CRC in Mt. Pleasant to seek affiliation with another classis to ordain its female pastor. However, in the first test case of a church opposing women in office, Classis Hudson has declined to ask synod to admit Terra Ceia (NC) CRC. Terra Ceia's current classis, Classis Hackensack, was one of the earliest classes to vote to allow the ordination of women within its boundaries and had already voted to overture synod to grant Terra Ceia's request to transfer to Classis Hudson. Hackensack and Hudson have an unusual historical relationship and for many years there was no clear geographical dividing line between the two classes. Originally founded by English-speaking seceders from the Reformed Church in America in 1822, Classis Hackensack was one of two classes in a small denomination, the True Reformed Protestant Dutch Church, whose information about conditions in the RCA was instrumental in leading to the 1857 secession of four of the nine Dutch-speaking immigrant churches in West Michigan to form the Christian Reformed Church, then known as the True Dutch Reformed Church. Language barriers and distance initially kept the two groups from joining, but Classis Hackensack eventually became an English-language classis in a predominantly Dutch-speaking denomination. For many years, churches in New Jersey and New York were aligned with classes based on the language used in worship rather than clear geographical divisions - one of the precedents for nongeographical classes cited by conservatives in successfully overturing Synod 1996 to allow churches to change their classical affiliations based on reasons other than geography. According to the minutes of Classis Hudson's September 25 meeting, "A request from Terra Ceia CRC to affiliate with Classis Hudson was read. A motion made not to accede to their request to overture synod to effect this change was carried." The official grounds for declining the request were that "departing significantly from the principle of geographical proximity may well impair effective ministry" - a concern cited by Synod 1996 - and that "classis provides a framework for churches to work together even when they disagree and provides a forum for continuing interaction which may lead to understanding." According to Classis Hudson stated clerk Rev. Don Wisse, the decision does not strictly close the door to Terra Ceia transferring to Classis Hudson. The minutes state that "it is stated on the floor that this does not mean that Classis Hudson will not accept them if synod accedes to the favorable response of Classis Hackensack to overture synod on this matter." "The bottom line of what Classis Hudson said was that this did not prejudice classis against Terra Ceia, in fact there was a lot of sympathy to that," said Wisse. "I think it would be a benefit to Terra Ceia and I don't think we ought to bind any council to be where they do not want to be, especially in the climate of the CRC today." If synod declines to transfer Terra Ceia from Hackensack to Hudson, the church may have very few options left apart from a transfer to a classis outside the east coast. While Wisse said that he knows of only two churches with women deacons in Classis Hudson and no churches with women elders, Classis Florida and Classis Hackensack have both voted to allow the ordination of women. Classis Atlantic Northeast is split on the women in office issue and has a number of congregations and pastors favoring the ordination of women. Cross-References to Related Articles: #1996-076: CRC Synod Rejects 25 Overtures and Communications Calling for End to Classical Option on Ordination of Women #1996-077: Churches Allowed to Switch Classes for Theological Reasons #1996-078: Synod Approves Korean Classis with 15-Year Time Limit #1996-101: Northern Michigan Nixes Ordination for Mary-Lee Bouma Contact List: Miss Mary-Lee Bouma, Expounder, Trinity Christian Reformed Church 211 W. Broomfield, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858 O: (517) 772-0664 Terra Ceia Christian Reformed Church 3264 Terra Ceia Rd., Pantego, NC 27860 O: (919) 943-2893 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: nr96-109.txt .