From: Darrell128 Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 17:20:01 EST Subject: NR 98001: Cl. GR East Lets Gay CRC Minister Keep His Credentials - For Now NR #1998-001: Classis Grand Rapids East Lets Gay Christian Reformed Minister Keep His Credentials - For Now Gay Christian Reformed minister Rev. Jim Lucas will keep his ordination - at least for the next four months. That's what Classis Grand Rapids East decided January 15 after the church where he is a member, Eastern Avenue CRC, refused to endorse his continued ministerial status but said it wouldn't object if another church wanted to call him to a part-time hospital chaplaincy post for which he has recently been hired. NR 1998-001: Classis Grand Rapids East Classis Grand Rapids East Lets Gay Christian Reformed Minister Keep His Credentials - For Now by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. (January 15, 1998) - Gay Christian Reformed minister Rev. Jim Lucas will keep his ordination - at least for the next four months. That's what Classis Grand Rapids East decided January 15 after the church where he is a member, Eastern Avenue CRC, refused to endorse his continued ministerial status but said it wouldn't object if another church wanted to call him. Lucas has been under fire since 1992 when he announced his homosexual orientation at Calvin College in Grand Rapids. He serves as chaplain of "As We Are," an interdenominational gay ministry meeting at Eastern Avenue CRC, but hasn't been formally called by the church to that or any other post. Lucas is celibate but refused for years to state his opinion about gay marriages. Last year, however, he announced that he believes "faithful, committed, permanent, same-sex unions can be an experience of God's grace and within God's will for those who find they are not able to maintain a life of celibacy." As We Are subsequently issued a similar statement. As a result, Lucas' church decided four days before last September's classis meeting that it could no longer endorse his ordination. Rather than letting Lucas' ordination automatically expire, classis postponed the decision until this week. The homosexual issue raised strong objections even among Lucas' supporters. "When I first heard this, I wanted to ask Jim if he had been misquoted or if he was out of his mind," said Grace CRC pastor Rev. Roger Van Harn, who despite his concerns urged classis to continue discussion with Lucas. Eastern Avenue CRC said part of the problem was that the church, which played a pivotal role in the ordination of women and has Rev. Mary Antonides as its pastor, didn't have the energy to take on another hot-button issue. "What happened was we couldn't handle it anymore," said Elder Phil Quist. "Mary doesn't need to be tainted, given a high profile on this issue." If Eastern Avenue won't deal with the issue, other churches might. Irene Oudyk-Suk of Sherman Street CRC indicated that her church might call Lucas to a part-time chaplaincy at Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids, thus allowing him to keep his ordination while still working with As We Are. When asked, Eastern Avenue delegates said they didn't think their church would be offended if another church called Lucas. After the classis vote, Lucas said he was disappointed by Eastern Avenue's decision but relieved that classis gave him until May to find a church willing to endorse his continued ordination. "I don't consider myself poisonous or toxic, and in the eyes of many people, Eastern Avenue's continued support of me had been a very positive action on the part of the church," said Lucas. Cross-References to Related Articles: #1993-017: Over 1200 Pack Calvin College Auditorium to Debate Gay Rights; Homosexual Activists Demand Equal Time for Views #1993-019: Anti-Gay Rights Speaker Triggers Uproar at Calvin College; Professor Renews Call for Ban on Outside Funding for College Republicans Lecture Series #1993-021: 3 Million Hear Noebel Counterattack Calvin College Regarding Gay Rights on National Christian Radio Program #1993-023: General Assembly of Presbyterian Church in America Calls Christian Reformed Church to "Repent of Its Sins"; Women in office, homosexuality, theistic evolution, deposition of conservative pastors cited as "departure from the Scriptures in its doctrine and practice" #1993-026: Children at the Lord's Table, Americans with Disabilities Act, Judicial Code Matters, Homosexuality Delay Synod Schedule #1993-031: More Churches Split Following Christian Reformed Synodical Vote Allowing Women Elders and Pastors; Alberta Seceders Protest Homosexuality Report by Classis Alberta North #1994-005: Christianity Today Lists Calvin Among Christian Colleges Strained by Homosexuals Pressing for Acceptance #1994-016: Midwest Classis Asks CRC Synod to Address Homosexuality, Calling God "She," Theistic Evolution, Ordination Process #1994-031: Christian Reformed Synod: Members May Not "Practice or Advocate Homosexualism"; Dr. David Engelhard Approved as CRC's Next General Secretary; Synod Rejects Proposal to End Funding Endorsement for Westminster Seminary #1994-037: Of Garages, Houses, and Women: Synod Keeps "Expounders" and Appoints Committee to Decide What "Expounding" Means; Synod Cites Legal Concerns in Modifying Abuse Committee Report; "Reaffirmation" of Past Decisions on Inerrancy, Creation, Homosexuality Declared Unnecessary by Synod #1994-048: Jim Lucas Hired as Chaplain of "As We Are" Gay Ministry; Ministerial Credentials Extended to Permit Call to Position; Classis Grand Rapids East of the Christian Reformed Denomination Expects Homosexuality Study Committee to Report to January Classis Meeting #1995-043: Committee Divides on Whether Gay Ministries Must Declare Homosexual Activity is Sin; Classis Grand Rapids East Refers Both Reports to Churches for Study #1995-084: Classis Wisconsin Overtures Christian Reformed Synod to Declare that Members who "Deny the Biblical Condemnation of All Homosexual Behavior" are Subject to Discipline #1995-085: Text of Classis Wisconsin Overture re. Homosexuality #1995-100: Grand Rapids East Attempts Compromise on Question of How to Minister to Christian Reformed Gays #1995-101: Text of Classis Grand Rapids East Study Committee Report on Ministry with Persons who are Homosexual #1995-113: Calvin Seminary Professors Urge Classis Grand Rapids East to Affirm CRC Synod's Ruling that Homosexual Practice is Sin #1995-114: Text of Calvin Seminary Faculty Letter on Homosexuality #1996-010: Classis Grand Rapids East Follows Calvin Seminary Faculty Urgings; Reaffirms 1973 CRC Position on Homosexuality #1996-081: Tempers Flare as Christian Reformed Synod Appoints Committee to Restudy Homosexuality #1996-122: Calvin Theological Seminary Terminates Pro-Gay Professor #1997-030: Calvin College Chimes Runs Four-Page Homosexuality Insert; Gay Alumni Group Denied Ad Space in Alumni Magazine #1997-041: Kalamazoo Christian "Releases" 30-Year Veteran Teacher for Supporting "Homosexual Monogamous Relationships" #1997-095: Eastern Avenue CRC Declines to Call Lucas to Gay Ministry Due to Disagreement with Synodical Position on Gay Marriage #1997-101: Eastern Avenue CRC Withdraws Endorsement of Gay Minister's Ordination; Classis Tables Issue Until January Contact List: Rev. Mary Antonides, Pastor, Eastern Avenue Christian Reformed Church 2514 Normandy Dr. SE, Apt. 210-C, Grand Rapids, MI 49506 O: (616) 454-4888 * H: (616) 248-8357 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. Jim Lucas, Chaplain, As We ARE PO Box 7824, Grand Rapids, MI 49510 O: (616) 456-6174 * E-Mail: JimLucas12@aol.com Dr. Philip R. Lucasse, Stated Clerk, Classis Grand Rapids East 3096 Old Kent Rd. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49512 O: (616) 957-6000 * H: (616) 942-1219 Rev. Roger Van Harn, Pastor, Grace Christian Reformed Church 1717 Morningside Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506 O: (616) 452-8920 * H: (616) 949-2993 ---------------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/reformed/archive98: nr98-001.txt .