Date: Thu, 18 Jun 1998 01:40:12 -0400 From: Darrell Todd Maurina Organization: Christian Renewal/United Reformed News Service Subject: NR 98060: Synod Votes Down "Honorable Release" for Vanden Heuvel... NR #1998-060: Synod Votes Down "Honorable Release" for Vanden Heuvel; Sends Report Back to Committee After Prayers, Tears When Outlook editor Rev. Tom Vanden Heuvel left First Christian Reformed Church of Byron Center, Michigan to accept a call as organizing pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church of Holland, Michigan, he avoided splitting the Byron Center congregation and received a declaration of "honorable release" from Classis Grandville to enter the ministry of the Presbyterian Church in America, at the time a denomination in fraternal relations with the CRC. Even after Synod 1997 sent the matter back to Classis Grandville on a technicality, the classis and the synodical deputies granted Vanden Heuvel a second "honorable release." The spirit seen in Classis Grandville wasn't present at the June 17 meeting of the Christian Reformed synod. Following an hour of acerbic debate, synod voted by a 104 to 74 margin not to approve the synodical deputy report granting Vanden Heuvel honorable release to the PCA. NR #1998-060: For Immediate Release: Synod Votes Down "Honorable Release" for Vanden Heuvel; Sends Report Back to Committee After Prayers, Tears by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. (June 17, 1998) URNS - For years, Outlook editor Rev. Tom Vanden Heuvel was regarded as one of the "nice" conservative leaders in the Christian Reformed Church. While criticized by some conservatives who accused him of being too moderate, Vanden Heuvel's three decades of ministerial service in the CRC and his reputation for avoiding viciousness led to significant respect within the Christian Reformed leadership. When Vanden Heuvel left First Christian Reformed Church of Byron Center, Michigan to accept a call as organizing pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church of Holland, Michigan, he avoided splitting the Byron Center congregation and received a declaration of "honorable release" from Classis Grandville to enter the ministry of the Presbyterian Church in America, at the time a denomination in fraternal relations with the CRC. Even after Synod 1997 sent the matter back to Classis Grandville on a technicality, the classis and the synodical deputies granted Vanden Heuvel a second "honorable release." The spirit seen in Classis Grandville wasn't present at the June 17 meeting of the Christian Reformed synod. Following an hour of acerbic debate, synod voted by a 104 to 74 margin not to approve the synodical deputy report granting Vanden Heuvel honorable release to the PCA. Rev. John Westra of Celebration Community CRC in Phoenix led off the discussion with an extended series of citations from Outlook magazine criticizing the CRC and advocating secession. "In Rev. Vanden Heuvel's case, we need to look at how the minister acted; he has left a trail in past year going all the way back to 1993," said Westra. "We know that not only did Rev. Vanden Heuvel say he would do this, but he did it, and he was one of the pot-stirrers," said Westra. "We are going to declare him 'honorably released?' That lacks truth and integrity, and I can't go along with that, brothers." After Westra's speech, Rev. Marvin Hofman of Graafschap CRC in Holland - one of the first four churches that seceded from the RCA in 1857 to form the RCA - cited Vanden Heuvel's advocacy of secession as a reason not to approve his honorable release and send the matter back to Classis Grandville. Hofman's motion led to a long litany of complaints and criticism of Vanden Heuvel. "It saddens me that we would give this man the same designation as that of a man who has faithfully served his entire life in the ministry," said Rev. Gerald Dykstra of Walnut (CA) CRC. "Sometimes the most loving thing you can do is to tell someone you are acting sinfully," said Rev. Paul Bakker of West Park CRC in Cleveland. "The most loving thing we could do would be to confront him with his own sin." Several conservative delegates came to Vanden Heuvel's defense, but not many. "The focus here has been on Rev. Vanden Heuvel, but the focus should be on the synodical deputies," said Rev. James Admiraal, pastor of First CRC of Prinsburg, Minnesota, and a writer for Outlook. "They are the ones who were there, they are the ones who approved, they know the situation best." Rev. Bernard Van Ee of Gallatin Gateway Community CRC in Bozeman, Montana, warned that other church assemblies taking action against reforming leaders had become known to history as persecutors of faithful men. "We won't enter into what it is to be schismatic, but I wonder if the Roman Catholic Church would have called Luther schismatic, or if the Presbyterian Church would have called J. Gresham Machen schismatic?" asked Van Ee. A few people who opposed Vanden Heuvel's theology urged compromise, including Rev. Duane Kelderman of Neland Avenue CRC in Grand Rapids who sought unsuccessfully to have synod declare Vanden Heuvel "released" instead of "honorably released." "That would send a message, it would say something, but it would all be over," said Kelderman. "You can bet that we will get more bullets by sending this back to classis." Kelderman's motion was ruled out of order on procedural grounds by synod president Dr. Howard Vanderwell, who made clear he was reluctant to do so. "This has far-reaching implications; I want to call for a caucus of the officers," said Vanderwell, before coming back with a report that synod had no choice but to vote in favor of or against Hofman's motion to reject the synodical deputy report. After a series of further procedural motions, the whole Vanden Heuvel matter was sent back to committee and will come up again Thursday. Vanderwell and other delegates were visibly in tears by the end of the debate, which raged over an hour, leading Vanderwell to close the Wednesday session with a half hour of public prayer. "I don't know how you felt about what we did tonight; we're functioning as a family that has been hurt very badly, broken very badly," said Vanderwell. "We're trying to figure out how you deal with that, we're trying to figure out how to handle that pain. In the final analysis this has been a season of grief." "When we came here last Saturday so many comments were made about this being a synod that is going to have to do a process of healing," said Vanderwell in his concluding comments before leading the delegates in an extended prayer session. After prayers, Vanderwell announced that the synod will reconvene half an hour late at 8:30 am rather than 8:00 am because the officers will have extra work before the synod convenes. Cross-References to Related Articles: #1996-115: Outlook Editor Vanden Heuvel Leaves CRC to Plant Presbyterian Church in America Congregation in Holland #1997-018: Outlook Editor Vanden Heuvel Granted Honorable Release by CRC's Classis Grandville to Presbyterian Church in America; Vanden Heuvel's New Church in Holland Over 100 Attenders on First Sunday #1997-074: Severance of Ties, Dealing with Seceders Dominate CRC Agenda #1998-033: Three Reformed Denominations to Hold General Assemblies or Synods this Year in West Michigan #1998-055: Christian Reformed Synod Begins; $11.5 Million Fund Loss Among Hot Topics at Annual Denominational Assembly Contact List: Rev. James Admiraal, Pastor, First Christian Reformed Church PO Box 237, Prinsburg, MN 56281 O: (320) 978-4323 * H: (320) 978-8975 Rev. Paul Ed. Bakker, Pastor, West Park Christian Reformed Church 3606 West 148th St., Cleveland, OH 44111 O: (216) 251-0782 * H: (216) 252-2261 Rev. Gerard Dykstra, Pastor, Walnut Creek Christian Reformed Church 860 Bancroft Rd., Walnut Creek, CA 94598 O: (510) 934-2099 * H: (510) 934-5161 * FAX: (510) 934-7203 * E-Mail: jdykstra@sj.bigger.net 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. John Gorter, Interim Committee Secretary, Classis Grandville 7588 Byron Center Ave., Byron Center, MI 49315 O: (616) 878-1221 * H: (616) 878-1097 Rev. Marvin Hofman, Pastor, Graafschap Christian Reformed Church A622 Church St., Holland, MI 49423 O: (616) 396-3166 * H: (616) 396-8158 * FAX: (616) 396-3258 * E-Mail: m.hof@juno.com Rev. Duane Kelderman, Pastor, Neland Avenue Christian Reformed Church 1705 Hiawatha Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49507 O: (616) 452-4899 * H: (616) 452-3002 * FAX: (616) 245-0680 * E-Mail: dkelderm@calvin.edu Rev. Thomas and Mrs. Laurie Vanden Heuvel, Co-Editors, The Outlook 2242 Tony Drive, Fennville, MI 49408 H/O: (616) 561-5165 * E-Mail: TomLaur@aol.com Dr. Howard Vanderwell, President, Synod 1998 of the Christian Reformed Church 5694 Marlin, Hudsonville, MI 49426 O: (616) 669-1460 * H: (616) 669-6444 * FAX: (616) 669-6556 * E-Mail: handevan@iserv.net Rev. Bernard Van Ee, Pastor, Gallatin Gateway Community Christian Reformed Church 77000 Gallatin Rd., Bozeman, MT 59718 O: (406) 763-4468 * H: (406) 763-4110 Rev. John Westra, Church Planter, Celebration Community Christian Reformed Church 1314 East Utopia Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85024 O: (602) 971-4080 * H: (602) 516-1736 * FAX: (602) 867-2385 * E-Mail: westrajon@juno.com ---------------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/reformed/archive98: nr98-060.txt (minor correction 980618) .