From: Darrell128 Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 18:30:33 EST Mime-Version: 1.0 Subject: NR 98009: Proposed CRC Property Rules Lead to Preakness Secession NR #1998-009: Proposed Synodical Property Provisions Lead to Secession of Preakness Christian Reformed Church Synod 1997's decision to revise the recommended articles of incorporation for local churches led to questions by a number of conservative Christian Reformed churches about whether they would be able to leave the denomination with their property. After Preakness CRC of Wayne, New Jersey, tried and failed to get answers to their questions, the congregation voted by a 90% majority to secede from the denomination. NR 1998-009: For Immediate Release: Proposed Synodical Property Provisions Lead to Secession of Preakness Christian Reformed Church by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service RIDGEWOOD, N.J. (January 29, 1998) - Synod 1997's decision to revise the recommended articles of incorporation for local churches led to questions by a number of conservative Christian Reformed churches about whether they would be able to leave the denomination with their property. After Preakness CRC of Wayne, New Jersey, tried and failed to get answers to their questions, the congregation voted by a 90% majority to secede from the denomination. Preakness CRC had strongly opposed secession in the past and its membership includes a number of well-known figures. Preakness CRC pastor Rev. LeRoy Christoffels chairs the denomination's worship committee, sent an overture to the 1996 Interclassical Conference opposing secession, and at the January 28 classis meeting indicated that he still hasn't decided whether to follow his church out of the denomination. The denomination will be losing a longtime member of the Back to God Hour board, Mrs. Elsie ("Peter") Palmer, whose husband was general editor of the New International Version of the Bible before his death. Palmer told classis that she had decided to join her church's consistory in leaving the Christian Reformed Church for the United Reformed Churches. Despite the secession, Preakness CRC sent a number of observers to the classis meeting, indicated that it would continue to pay all denominational and classical ministry shares until the January 31 effective date of the secession, and even after the secession will continue to support the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, the Back to God Hour, and several other denominational agencies. Preakness' decision led to a flurry of complaints and criticisms at Classis Hudson - especially after the church claimed that neither CRC General Secretary Dr. David Engelhard nor Classis Hudson stated clerk Rev. Don Wisse had responded to their repeated requests for clarification on the 1997 property provisions. "It was suggested by some but not repeated in the meeting that perhaps Preakness CRC should leave soon before pressure was brought on them," church visitor Rev. Robert Steen told classis. "Wisse did talk directly to Engelhard, Engelhard was promising all kinds of answers to them." Wisse was vacationing and absent from classis, but according to alternate stated clerk Rev. John Hoogland, the associate pastor of Midland Park CRC in New Jersey, Preakness misunderstood the synodical proposal. "Let's describe what happened at Synod. Synod said they were not going to touch Preakness' property or that of Midland Park," said Hoogland. "Synod is not saying to Midland Park, Irving Park, Preakness, or anyone else who doesn't receive money that you've got to change your articles of incorporation. When a church like Preakness comes out and says to its congregation, hey, we've got to leave or we may lose our property,' it's just wrong." Elder Andrew Reitsma of Preakness CRC objected to Hoogland's argument. "We were told that we had to redo the incorporation papers so if our church disbands the denomination gets the property," said Reitsma. "We've just heard something that goes totally contrary to what we were told. We were promised answers, nobody got back to us, and we were left on our own. We haven't received the brotherly love we deserved." However, Reitsma made clear that the property issue wasn't the only reason Preakness seceded. "Another is that we can't anymore believe like a child that God in six days created the heavens and the earth, and I can't in good conscience remain a member of a denomination that can't believe that," said Reitsma, also noting problems with the denomination's Calvin College and divergent views on other Christian Reformed issues. Rev. Kenneth Verhulst didn't agree with Preakness' decision to leave, but said he could understand given their inability to get answers to their questions. "It's unconscionable, it seems to me, that if they are considering leaving because of a misunderstanding of a synodical decision, and they sought clarification on that, if they didn't get the information they wanted, they're right that this shows a lack of brotherly love." After Hoogland asked who told wrong information to the church, Preakness' pastor quoted the 1997 synodical decision requiring the church visitors to see if churches had changed their articles of incorporation. "No one at Preakness thinks synod could force us to change our articles of incorporation," said Christoffels. "What makes our council uneasy and was a catalyst in the whole matter is that these changes were to be incorporated in the church order as the right way to do your articles of incorporation." "This matter arose within our council. This information was read, there was not misinformation given, and I think everyone understand what was read," said Christoffels. "My council very strongly and unitedly believed that the time had come to leave the Christian Reformed Church and join the United Reformed Churches. I for one was extremely hesitant to make that decision, but I told them you have to have the freedom to make your decision and I want the freedom to make mine." "At the present time I do not feel I have to leave the Christian Reformed Church," said Christoffels. "I am wrestling with whether I should leave my congregation and stay in the Christian Reformed Church or whether I should leave the Christian Reformed Church and stay with my congregation." In light of questions about whether Preakness CRC had seceded based on wrong information and failure by the classis to communicate correct information, classis didn't deal with the secession directly but instead unanimously adopted a motion urging the church to reconsider its decision to withdraw. "The only people who have been giving information to the Preakness congregation for some time have been the Preakness council, who have for some time had an agenda to criticize the Christian Reformed Church," said Rev. Wesley Van Dyk of Faith Community CRC in Wyckoff, New Jersey. "Let's have some openness here. I'm very serious about our entreaty to Preakness CRC." Preakness representatives said the church would stand by its decision to join the United Reformed Churches despite the classical vote urging them to reconsider. Classis Hudson's next meeting will have to deal with the secession, and unless Christoffels decides to remain in the CRC, will also have to deal with a minister who opposed secession but decided to follow his church out of the CRC. Cross-References to Related Articles: #1997-063: Christian Reformed Synod 1997 Faces Crossroads Decision: Will Seceding Churches Keep Their Property? #1997-073: Synod Modifies Local Church Property Rights #1998-004: Classis Zeeland Rejects Lamont's Effort to Maintain Local Church Property Rights Contact List: Rev. LeRoy Christoffels, Pastor, Preakness (NJ) Christian Reformed Church 490 Valley Rd., Wayne, NJ 07470 O: (201) 628-1313 * H: (201) 694-1516 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. Jerome Julien, Stated Clerk, United Reformed Churches in North America 3646 - 193rd Pl., Lansing, IL 60438 H/O: (708) 418-5321 * FAX: (708) 418-5591 Rev. John Hoogland, Alternate Stated Clerk, Classis Hudson 90 Sea Girt Ave., Oceanport, NJ 07757 O: (201) 445-4260 * H: (732) 222-0075 * FAX: (201) 445-6424 Rev. Rev. Robert Steen, Pastor, Irving Park Christian Reformed Church 218 Irving St., Midland Park, NJ 07432 O: (201) 445-8280 * H: (201) 670-9428 Rev. Wesley Van Dyk, Pastor, Faith Community Christian Reformed Church 551 Franklin Lakes Rd., Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417-3002 O: (201) 891-7662 * H: (201) 847-0530 * FAX: (201) 891-6045 * E-Mail: wesvandyk@juno.com Rev. Kenneth Verhulst, Pastor, Christ Community Christian Reformed Church 8 Harwood Ave., East Islip, NY 11730 O: (516) 581-8188 * H: (516) 277-4334 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/archive98: nr98-009.txt .