From: Darrell128@aol.com Date: Mon, 4 Nov 1996 04:58:31 -0500 (EST) NR #1996-113: Michael Scott Horton Admitted to Christian Reformed Church When a church grows in eleven months from zero to over 250 people attending worship with two morning services on the Lord's Day, most people sit up and take notice. According to Christ Reformed Church co-pastor Dr. Michael Scott Horton, the "secret" is preaching conservative Reformed theology and using a worship style largely drawn from the practices of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Reformed and Presbyterian congregations. Apparently at least some people in the Christian Reformed denomination agree. At its October 16 meeting, Classis California South voted to admit Horton to the Christian Reformed ministry and to grant permission for the congregation in the Los Angeles suburb of Placentia to become an organized church shortly after the first of the year. NR #1996-113: For Immediate Release Michael Scott Horton Admitted to Christian Reformed Church * 31-year-old president of Christians United for Reformation to co-pastor one of the fastest-growing mission churches in the Christian Reformed denomination by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service (October 30, 1996) URNS - When a church grows in eleven months from zero to over 250 people attending worship with two morning services on the Lord's Day, most people sit up and take notice. What's the secret? According to Christ Reformed Church co-pastor Dr. Michael Scott Horton, the "secret" is preaching conservative Reformed theology and using a worship style largely drawn from the practices of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Reformed and Presbyterian congregations. Apparently at least some people in the Christian Reformed denomination agree. At its October 16 meeting, Classis California South voted to admit Horton to the Christian Reformed ministry and to grant permission for the congregation in the Los Angeles suburb of Placentia to become an organized church shortly after the first of the year. "[CRC Regional Home Missionary Rev.] Peter Holwerda said that Christ Reformed Church has been the fastest-growing church in the whole CRC," said Rev. Randy Lankheet, pastor of Ontario (CA) CRC, the supervising congregation for the new mission work. The vote in Classis California South to admit Horton was unanimous, but had been delayed several times due to concerns raised by the synodical deputies about Horton's educational qualifications and technical questions regarding the nature of his original ordination in the Reformed Episcopal Church. Horton holds an earned Ph.D. in theology from Wycliffe Hall in Oxford and a master of arts in religion from Westminster Theological Seminary in California, but does not have a Master of Divinity and did not attend Calvin Seminary for the ecclesiastical year normally required of graduates of other seminaries. The Reformed Episcopal Church follows traditional Anglican practice in dividing its ordained clergy into two categories: "deacons" are entitled to do most work of the pastoral ministry and after several years of service are promoted to being "presbyters." Horton was ordained at his first charge in a Reformed Episcopal congregation but decided to join the CRC before he could be promoted to the rank of "presbyter." Ironically, the synodical deputies hadn't objected to admitting Horton's co-pastor, Rev. Kim Riddlebarger, who also had a Westminster M.A.R. and like Horton held ordained standing in the Reformed Episcopal Church at the time he joined the CRC several years ago. Unstated objections focussed on Horton's role as president of Christians United for Reformation and host of the nationally-broadcast "White Horse Inn" radio program, which have been known for a strongly conservative and sometimes biting critique of liberalism and liberalizing trends in evangelical theology. Rev. Andrew Cammenga, chairman of the October classis meeting and of the conservative Interclassical Conference, one reason the CRC finally decided to admit Horton was the growth rate of his church. "They see a church growing like this and they want to admit it to show they growing, just like they did with the Koreans so they could be proud of the growth," said Cammenga. Why admit Horton to the CRC at a time that many other conservatives are seceding and in which the denomination has lost 25,000 members during the past four years? "It's a good addition to the CRC," said Lankheet. "For those of us who are part of the confessional Reformed movement, Christ Reformed Church gives us a model. Conservatives have not been that good at church planting; we're status quo often, we're stand pat, and that mentality, which is good when it comes to matters of theology, is not the Great Commission." Horton was more modest about what he thought he could bring to his new denomination. "I sort of bristle at being a model for anything. We expect to make mistakes; we are not setting out to create a showroom to tour like Willow Creek," said Horton, referring to the Chicago megachurch founded by former CRC member Rev. Bill Hybels. Nevertheless, Horton said that conservative Reformed theology should be a model for church planting. "We believe in being faithful to the Scriptures as they are summarized in the Three Forms of Unity and by taking advantage of resources for outreach and worship," said Horton. "I'm delighted to be in the Christian Reformed Church and am looking forward to co-laboring with others who are interested not only in preserving but also advancing the cause of Reformed Christianity in North America." So far, Christ Reformed Church has been most successful in reaching people who have typically been difficult for the CRC to reach - unchurched or under-churched affluent young professionals. "It's really quite a yuppie congregation; it's basically made up of those between 20 and 45 years of age," said Lankheet. "When they opened their doors it only took a few weeks and they were weekly taking in about $2000 per week and they're currently up to $3200 to $3500 per week. Their annual budget is already up to $200,000, and that's where we are at Ontario CRC." While the 11-month-old new church start is already approaching the 68-year-old Ontario CRC in attendance, the membership numbers are lagging behind attendance, largely due to a rigorous discipleship program for new converts and transfers from a non-Reformed background. "They're now at 138 members, 94 professing, 44 nonprofessing," said Lankheet. "They've had to go to two morning worship services because the auditorium seats 175 to 200 and they were running out of space. Now they've also added an evening service where they have a seminarian from Westminster teaching on the catechism at night." "One of Michael's big visions is to speak to the broader evangelical community from the Reformed perspective and to speak in a way that is intellectually accurate, theologically precise, sometimes with a little bite, but rightly so," said Lankheet. "He's a good addition to the CRC if the CRC wants to remain confessionally Reformed. It it's interested in moving away from that heritage of course Michael won't fit in that well." What are Horton's long-term goals? "We just want to be a faithful Reformed church in Placentia," said Horton, noting that he wanted to become more familiar with the CRC and complete some post-doctoral study at Yale University before becoming more active in denominational activities outside the local church. Cross-References to Related Articles: #1996-040: Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals Announces Speakers #1996-048: Conference of Top Evangelical Leaders Calls Evangelical Movement to Repentance for Liberal Theological Drifts Contact List: 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 Rev. Peter Holwerda, Regional Director, S. Pacific, Christian Reformed Home Missions 15323 Eucalyptus, Bellflower, CA 90706 O: (310) 925-4023 * H: (310) 925-1443 * FAX: (310) 920-8187 Dr. Michael Scott Horton, President, Christians United for Reformation 2034 East Lincoln, No. 209, Anaheim, CA, 92806 O: (714) 956-2873 * F: (714) 956-5111 Rev. Randal Lankheet, Pastor, Ontario Christian Reformed Church 125 East Philadelphia St., Ontario, CA 91761 H/O: (909) 984-8201 To Reach United Reformed News Service Regional Office Staff, Contact: Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer [For news tips or content-related inquiries] Voice: (616) 674-8446 * FAX: (616) 674-8454 * E-Mail: Darrell128@AOL.com PO Box 691, Lawrence, MI 49064-0691 Greg Rickmar, Circulation Manager [For missing or back issues, subscription inquiries, or address changes] Voice: (616) 968-5110 * FAX: (616) 966-3659 * E-Mail: grickmar@msn.com Box 583, Battle Creek, MI 49016-0583 .c1.World Wide Web Site: "http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/reformed/reformed-home.html" ------------------------------------------------ file: /pub/resources/text/reformed: nr96-113.txt .