Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1998 05:44:09 -0500 From: Darrell Todd Maurina Reply-To: Darrell128@aol.com Organization: Christian Renewal/United Reformed News Service Subject: NR 98108: Cl. Michigan Other Business NR #1998-108: Other Business: Zion URC Advised Regarding Continued Existence; Admission of Baptists to URC Membership Debated; Stated Clerk Paid $500 Annually; Newsletter Guidelines Adopted; Beverly URC Moves; Dale Van Dyke Candidacy Exam Zion URC, formerly known as the Christian Reformation Church, became the first group to leave the Christian Reformed Church when it seceded from Godwin Heights CRC in the Grand Rapids suburb of Wyoming in 1970. A number of families left the church after its former minister, Rev. Mark Scholten, accepted a call to a Presbyterian Church in America congregation in Connecticut. Reporting 115 members and 40 families in 1995, the church dropped to 73 members in 29 families by 1998 and now has only 50 members in ten families. Classis responded informally rather than formally to Zion URC's request for advice. ¥ Should United Reformed congregations allow Baptists in their membership? That question didn't get a formal answer at the October 6 session of Classis Michigan, but it did get a lot of informal debate after Rev. Steve de Boer of Eastmanville URC asked what it should do with a regularly attending couple which was removed from the membership rolls of their Baptist church due to Calvinistic beliefs, attended Seventh Reformed Church of Grand Rapids for a number of years without joining, and now want to join Eastmanville URC. ¥ The United Reformed Churches have a wide variety of practices on classical structure. While two classes refuse to even have a stated clerk and rotate the responsibility among their member pastors, Classis Michigan voted to pay its stated clerk $500 per year. ¥ Classis Michigan and its predecessor bodies, Classis Midwest and the Lake Michigan Regional Fellowship, have a history of publication. Classis Michigan later voted to produce a newsletter sharing news of member churches, which is currently a one-page photocopied sheet with brief paragraphs about each church. Now even that isn't working because churches aren't submitting articles. ¥ Beverly URC of Wyoming has a problem some property owners would envy: their church building sold too quickly. The church's building at 2019 Porter SW has been sold to another congregation that wants to move in by October 31 - but the new building isn't yet ready. Beverly URC told classis they weren't yet sure where they would meet but were glad to have the funds from the property sale. ¥ Classis voted to meet in special session on December 1 at Cornerstone URC of Hudsonville to examine Dale Van Dyke, a recent graduate of Westminster Theological Seminary in California, for ministerial candidacy. Van Dyke is a member of Cornerstone URC who wishes to enter the URC ministry but couldn't attend the October 6 meeting. NR #1998-108: For Immediate Release: Other Business: Zion URC Advised Regarding Continuing; Admission of Baptists to URC Membership Debated; Stated Clerk Paid $500 Annually; Newsletter Guidelines Adopted; Beverly URC Moves; Dale Van Dyke Candidacy Exam by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. (October 28, 1998) URNS - Classis Michigan received a report from Zion URC in Grand Rapids regarding the status of the church at its October 6 session. Zion URC, formerly known as the Christian Reformation Church, became the first group to leave the Christian Reformed Church when it seceded from Godwin Heights CRC in the Grand Rapids suburb of Wyoming in 1970. A number of families left the church after its former minister, Rev. Mark Scholten, accepted a call to a Presbyterian Church in America congregation in Connecticut. Reporting 115 members and 40 families in 1995, the church dropped to 73 members in 29 families by 1998. In a letter to classis, the church noted that "a number of families have left to join other churches (some in United Reformed churches)" and that "recently two more large families have left with the intent to find a church home elsewhere." "We hope to continue as a church and are in the process of seeking to extend a call to fill our pulpit, and would appreciate suggestions and/or advice from classis for our church," closed the letter from the church. Elder Claude Wierenga added in his oral report that the congregation currently has about fifty members in ten families three of which have children. According to Wierenga, the church currently has an outreach to its community with 29 children attending and a special Sunday School class for six Vietnamese children. Elder Al Veurink noted that unlike many URC congregations, Zion URC draws its members from a wide geographic area since for nearly two decades it was alone as the only ex-CRC congregation in metropolitan Grand Rapids. "Our situation is a bit different because at the first we were pretty much alone, and we draw people from far and wide," said Veurink. "We're not a community church like most of them are." Classis responded informally rather than formally to Zion URC's request for advice. "The Lord has placed Zion URC in an area where it is not difficult to find pulpit supply, and in an area where there is opportunity for outreach," said Rev. Art Besteman of Beverly CRC in Wyoming. "I would say there are not many of our churches which have 29 children from the community in Bible study or have six children from the community who require a special Sunday School class. The Lord does not count faithfulness in terms of numbers." ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ Should United Reformed congregations allow Baptists in their membership? That question didn't get a formal answer at the October 6 session of Classis Michigan, but it did get a lot of informal debate after Rev. Steve de Boer of Eastmanville URC asked what it should do with a regularly attending couple which was removed from the membership rolls of their Baptist church due to Calvinistic beliefs, attended Seventh Reformed Church of Grand Rapids for a number of years without joining, and now want to join Eastmanville URC. De Boer said his church was bringing the matter to classis for advice due to the theological issues involved but emphasized that the couple involved didn't want to cause problems. "We are concerned about precedent; we are not so concerned about this couple, that they would create disturbances," said de Boer. "It's difficult when they plead with you, 'We want to be members of your church,' but we do not undervalue their mistake in doctrine." Rev. Peter Adams of Grace URC in Alto urged Eastmanville URC not to admit the Baptist couple until they come to accept the URC position on infant baptism. "How can we accept complete discipline of doctrine if we allow people to become members who disagree without doctrine?" asked Adams, who noted that his church had a similar situation with an attending Baptist couple who have not been allowed to join. "We welcome them, we make them feel welcome, by decision of our consistory we allow them to take Communion." Rev. Derrick Vander Meulen, Eastmanville URC's former pastor who now serves Bethel URC of Jenison, thought otherwise. "I would be very reluctant to withhold membership on this matter," said Vander Meulen. "I think you can tell them they cannot teach or hold office but they may be members. Pastorally, what does it mean to not allow a family to become members of the church of Jesus Christ? I struggle with that." Rev. Joel Vander Kooi of Walker URC concurred. "You always have to think, 'What is the effect on the members of the church?' said Vander Kooi. "I think the whole decision could rest on their attitude toward the church. If they're going to be proud, they're going to be disruptive." However, Adams quoted the official URC form for profession of faith and said the question was one of obedience to church order, not pastoral sensitivity. "In our federation we are required by our church order to use the words of the form for profession of faith," said Adams. "I cannot imagine asking these Baptist to perjure themselves by saying they agree with the doctrine taught in your church when they don't." Rev. Jay Wesseling, a retired pastor who serves part-time on the Cornerstone URC staff, reminded classis that the matter had already been dealt with in the CRC which uses the same form for profession of faith as the URC. "I think we need to remember that in our former denomination, we had enough of these people that we had an exception made, not by changing the church order, but by synodical decision, that these people would be allowed in our churches but could not teach or hold office," said Wesseling. Classis ended its discussion with no formal advice to the Eastmanville URC, which will now need to make its own decision. ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ The United Reformed Churches have a wide variety of practices on classical structure. While two classes refuse to even have a stated clerk and rotate the responsibility among their member pastors, Classis Michigan voted to pay its stated clerk. When one delegate moved to pay Rev. Wybren Oord $500 per year, other delegates objected - not to the idea of paying a stated clerk but that the amount should be higher. "I think that amount is a little too low and could easily be doubled," said Rev. Steve de Boer of Eastmanville URC. In return for paying Oord, classis asked him to report his time to classis. "We don't want you to punch every fifteen minute increment, but I think it would be useful for us to have some estimates of hours so we know what is appropriate to pay," said Rev. Peter Adams of Grace URC of Alto. ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ Classis Michigan and its predecessor bodies, Classis Midwest and the Lake Michigan Regional Fellowship, have a history of publication. The Lake Michigan Regional Fellowship turned a bulletin exchange between the churches into a formal committee publishing a glossy multi-color official newsletter known as "The Reformed Trumpet." After the Lake Michigan Regional Fellowship failed to join the URC and its URC member congregations withdrew to become Classis Midwest, the Reformed Trumpet's publication committee first became independent and then shut down after failing to gain the support of Classis Midwest for an overture to synod to make it the official United Reformed publication. Classis Michigan later voted to produce a newsletter sharing news of member churches, which is currently a one-page photocopied sheet with brief paragraphs about each church. Now even that isn't working because churches aren't submitting articles. "We simply need to get these items in; I'm not going to pull them out of a hat," said newsletter editor Rev. Steve de Boer. "I think if we're going to have this newsletter, we're going to have to have churches submit them, or we're not going to have a newsletter." ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ Beverly URC of Wyoming has a problem some property owners would envy: their church building sold too quickly. The church's building at 2019 Porter SW has been sold to another congregation that wants to move in by October 31 - but the new building isn't yet ready. Beverly URC told classis they weren't yet sure where they would meet but were glad to have the funds from the property sale. ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ Classis voted to meet in special session on December 1 at Cornerstone URC of Hudsonville to examine Dale Van Dyke, a recent graduate of Westminster Theological Seminary in California, for ministerial candidacy. Van Dyke is a member of Cornerstone URC who wishes to enter the URC ministry but couldn't attend the October 6 meeting. Cross-References to Related Articles: #1995-107: Trumpeting, Families, and Federating Headline Michigander Meeting of Independent Reformed Churches #1998-014: United Reformed Classis Michigan to Consider Official Classical Newsletter #1998-016: Classis Michigan Approves Official Classis Newsletter #1998-086: Four of Six United Reformed Classes to Meet in October Contact List: Rev. Peter Adams, Pastor, Grace United Reformed Church 9658 -60th St. SE, Alto, MI 49302 O: (616) 891-8440 ¥ H: (616) 868-2068 Rev. Art Besteman, Pastor, Beverly United Reformed Church 2420 Avon Ave. SW, Wyoming, MI 49509 O: (616) 532-1708 Rev. Steve DeBoer, Pastor, Eastmanville Reformed Bible Church 16353 - 68th Ave., Coopersville, MI 49404 O: (616) 837-9554 Rev. Wybren Oord, Stated Clerk, Classis Michigan (URC) 12191 Polk St., Holland, MI 49424 H/O: (616) 875-4654 Rev. Joel Vander Kooi, Pastor, Walker United Reformed Church 1985 Randall Ave. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504-2136 O: (616) 453-8101 ¥ H: (616) 453-5767 ¥ E-Mail: RevJoelvdK@aol.com Rev. Derrick Vander Meulen, Pastor, Bethel United Reformed Church 1950 Cedar Brook Dr., Jenison, MI 49428 O: (616) 457-4001 ¥ H: (616) 457-9652 ¥ E-Mail: derrickvm@juno.com Rev. Jay Wesseling, Administrative Pastor, Cornerstone Church of Hudsonville 6442 - 36th Ave., Hudsonville, MI 49426 O: (616) 669-2190 ¥ H: (616) 662-2029 ¥ FAX: (616) 669-4321 ¥ E-Mail: domine@iserv.net Elder Claude Wierenga, Vice-President, Zion United Reformed Church of Grand Rapids 6150 Hanna Lake Road, Caledonia, MI 49316 H: (616) 698-6262 ---------------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/reformed/archive98: nr98-108.txt .