Date: Thu, 10 Jun 1999 08:03:42 +0000 From: Darrell Todd Maurina Organization: Christian Renewal/United Reformed News Service Subject: NR 99065: Protestant Reformed Synod Convenes in Holland NR #1999-065: Protestant Reformed Synod Convenes in Holland Synod 1999 of the Protestant Reformed Churches convened yesterday at First Protestant Reformed Church of Holland, Michigan, and is expected to run approximately one week. All four of this year's officers pastor congregations in West Michigan. Rev. Ron Cammenga, pastor of Southwest Protestant Reformed Church of Grandville, will serve as president of the synod. Cammenga, who has served his current church since 1993 is also secretary of the PRC's interchurch relations committee. Cammenga previously pastored Hull (IA) PRC and Loveland (CO) PRC. Synod's vice-president will be Rev. Dale Kuiper of Southeast PRC of Grandville. Rev. Wilbur Bruinsma of Kalamazoo (MI) PRC will serve as first clerk of synod, assisted by second clerk Rev. Ronald Van Overloop. NR #1999-065: For Immediate Release: Protestant Reformed Synod Convenes in Holland by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service HOLLAND, MICH. (June 9, 1999) URNS - Synod 1999 of the Protestant Reformed Churches convened yesterday at First Protestant Reformed Church of Holland, Michigan, and is expected to run approximately one week. The first major act of the denomination's annual synod was to elect its officers - all of whom this year serve congregations in West Michigan. Rev. Ron Cammenga, pastor of Southwest Protestant Reformed Church of Grandville, will serve as president of the synod. Cammenga, who has served his current church since 1993 is also secretary of the PRC's interchurch relations committee. Cammenga previously pastored Hull (IA) PRC and Loveland (CO) PRC. Synod's vice-president will be Rev. Dale Kuiper of Southeast PRC of Grandville. Rev. Wilbur Bruinsma of Kalamazoo (MI) PRC will serve as first clerk of synod, assisted by second clerk Rev. Ronald Van Overloop. The longest item on the agenda of the synod will be the candidacy examination of Garrett Eriks. According to denominational rules, Protestant Reformed candidates for the ministry are first examined before the entire synod in a long and detailed exam on twelve subjects that runs a total of almost seven hours, in addition to questions from the floor after each section. If Eriks sustains his candidacy exam before synod and receives a call from a local Protestant Reformed church, he will then be examined again by his classis and ordained only if he sustains the classical examination. Other major items are expected to include the report of the Protestant Reformed interchurch relations committee on formal discussions with the United Reformed Churches and Orthodox Presbyterian Church, as well as on clarifying sister church relationships with groups affiliated with the Protestant Reformed Churches in Singapore, Australia, and Britain. Other matters are expected to arise from the report of the denominational home missions committee on closing a mission field in Colorado and beginning work with a group in metropolitan Pittsburgh and with a presently independent church in Spokane, Washington, as well as from the foreign missions committee report on missions in Ghana. A complex case that so far has been handled in closed session involves a difficult divorce in one of the churches: one elder and one minister are appealing a classical decision that a Protestant Reformed member may consent to a divorce petition by a spouse who is also a member of the denomination. The Protestant Reformed Churches hold that divorce is permissible only if one spouse commits adultery, and that even in that case remarriage is not permissible as long as both spouses are living. Cross-References to Related Articles: [No related articles on file] Contact List: Rev. Ron Cammenga, President, Synod 1999 of the Protestant Reformed Churches 4895 Ivanrest Ave., Grandville, MI 49418 O: (616) 532-6876 * H: (616) 532-4846 * E-mail: 74631.2535@compuserve.com Rev. Dale Kuiper, Vice-President, Synod 1999 of the Protestant Reformed Churches 1543 Cambridge Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506 H/O: (616) 452-7047 Rev. Wilbur Bruinsma, First Clerk, Synod 1999 of the Protestant Reformed Churches 2034 Skyline Dr., Kalamazoo, MI 49006 O: (616) 349-5364 * H: (616) 349-5202 * E-mail: billb43@juno.com Rev. Ronald Van Overloop, Second Clerk, Synod 1999 of the Protestant Reformed Churches 4510 Bridgeville Ct., Hudsonville, MI 49426 H/O: (616) 662-0257 * E-mail: rvo@iserv.net ---------------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/reformed/archive99: nr99-065.txt .