Date: Thu, 10 Jun 1999 08:07:19 +0000 From: Darrell Todd Maurina Organization: Christian Renewal/United Reformed News Service Subject: NR 99066: Protestant Reformed Synod Approves Closer Contact with United Reformed Churches NR #1999-066: Protestant Reformed Synod Approves Closer Contact with United Reformed Churches In a historic move, the synod of the Protestant Reformed Churches - a 6500-member denomination which seceded 75 years ago from the Christian Reformed Church - has approved closer contact and continued discussions with the United Reformed Churches, a 16,000-member denomination mostly composed of churches which seceded from the CRC within the past decade. The Protestant Reformed synodical report follows up on an April 27 conference between the Protestant Reformed Committee for Contact with Other Churches and the United Reformed Committee for Ecumenical Relations and Church Unity. In that conference, the Protestant Reformed participants presented three papers "explaining and defending our objections to the Three Points of Common Grace adopted by the Christian Reformed Church in 1924" and the United Reformed participants presented two papers. One paper "addressed the issue of the status of the doctrine of common grace in the URCNA" and the other presented an "unofficial response" to the "Protestant Reformed clarifications on the 'Three Points of Common Grace.'" The Protestant Reformed committee reported that it "was gratified" by the URC papers and subsequent discussion, noting that "we had on each point revealed a great deal of agreement between our committees on the issue of common grace and the general offer of the gospel." NR #1999-066: For Immediate Release: Protestant Reformed Synod Approves Closer Contact with United Reformed Churches by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service HOLLAND, MICH. (June 9, 1999) URNS - In a historic move, the synod of the Protestant Reformed Churches - a 6500-member denomination which seceded 75 years ago from the Christian Reformed Church - has approved closer contact and continued discussions with the United Reformed Churches, a 16,000-member denomination mostly composed of churches which seceded from the CRC within the past decade. The Protestant Reformed synodical report follows up on an April 27 conference between the Protestant Reformed Committee for Contact with Other Churches and the United Reformed Committee for Ecumenical Relations and Church Unity. In that conference, the Protestant Reformed participants presented three papers "explaining and defending our objections to the Three Points of Common Grace adopted by the Christian Reformed Church in 1924" and the United Reformed participants presented two papers. One paper "addressed the issue of the status of the doctrine of common grace in the URCNA" and the other presented an "unofficial response" to the "Protestant Reformed clarifications on the 'Three Points of Common Grace.'" The doctrine of "common grace" - addressing whether God has a favorable attitude toward those he does not choose to save, how to explain that non-Christians often receive worldly blessings in this life, and how to explain that non-Christians are not necessarily as bad as they could be - was the root cause behind the 1925 deposition of the founders of the Protestant Reformed Churches. Meeting that year in Kalamazoo, Synod 1924 of the Christian Reformed Church adopted three doctrinal statements known as the "Three Points of Common Grace" or the "Three Points of Kalamazoo"; the next year, Classis Grand Rapids East and Classis Grand Rapids West deposed Rev. Herman Hoeksema of Eastern Avenue CRC in Grand Rapids, Rev. George Ophoff of Hope CRC in Grandville, and Rev. Henry Danhof of First CRC in Kalamazoo. Hoeksema and Ophoff became the founders of the Protestant Reformed Churches shortly thereafter; Danhof founded an independent church which rejoined the CRC after his retirement two decades later. The Protestant Reformed committee reported that it "was gratified" by the URC papers and subsequent discussion, noting that "we had on each point revealed a great deal of agreement between our committees on the issue of common grace and the general offer of the gospel." The Protestant Reformed committee cited thirteen quotes from the URC papers, including that "it is equally clear that the 1924 CRC declaration concerning common grace as well as the subsequent blatantly hierarchical actions of deposing faithful consistories and ministers, and whatever other church order or doctrinal pronouncements there may have been, have no official place or standing in the United Reformed Churches." "From our vantage point, separated from these events by 75 years and a secession of our own, we want to begin by saying that we deeply regret the 1924 CRC decision on 'common grace' because it is poor theology not well grounded in the Scriptures or confessions, and it was, and continues to be, destructive of the unity of the church," continued the URC paper. The paper also noted that "we believe the terminology of 'common grace' is inappropriate," that because "neither Scripture nor the confessions use the word 'grace' to describe God's dealings with the reprobate," "neither should we," and that "we deeply regret the 1924 CRC decision on common grace because it has contributed greatly to the breaking down of the antithesis between the church and the world." After hearing the report of its Contact Committee, the Protestant Reformed synod voted to "mandate the Contact Committee to continue to discuss with the [URC interchurch committee] the issues that separate us" on the grounds that "our discussion on common grace has revealed a great degree of agreement with the committee of the URCNA" and that the meeting "revealed some important areas which require further discussion." Among the cited areas are that "although expressing regret over the decisions of the CRC in 1924 and 1926, the committee of the URCNA does not believe that their denomination bears responsibility for the actions and decisions of the CRC synods of 1924 and 1926," that "the status of common grace is by no means settled in their minds," that the URC committee members "tend to view common grace as a non-confessional matter and therefore are of the opinion that no statement on common grace, either for or against, ought to be made binding in either denomination" and that "God calls us to strive to manifest the unity of Christ's church based on the truth of Scripture as interpreted by the Three Forms of Unity." Elder Don Lotterman of Grace PRC in Standale, Mich., urged that the discussions between the Protestant Reformed and United Reformed receive widespread media attention in both denominations. "I think this is of such a nature that our people need to be kept informed of what is happening with these conferences," said Lotterman, urging that future meetings between the two denomination's interchurch committees be open to the public rather than closed. "Some of us retired guys have nothing better to do with our time than to attend these things," said Lotterman, leading to laughter from the delegates. Rev. Carl Haak of Bethel PRC in Itasca, Ill., concurred on the need for more information. "I think it is very important for us to be proactive in these things," said Haak. "Our people need to not only know that these conferences are being held but also what is being discussed so they can be kept informed. I'm grateful for the report in Christian Renewal by [URC minister] Rev. Ralph Pontier, and we need to be having articles like this in our own papers." Cross-References to Related Articles: [No related articles on file] Contact List: Rev. Ron Cammenga, Secretary, Protestant Reformed Committee for Contact with Other Churches 4895 Ivanrest Ave., Grandville, MI 49418 O: (616) 532-6876 * H: (616) 532-4846 * E-mail: 74631.2535@compuserve.com 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. Carl Haak, Pastor, Bethel Protestant Reformed Church of Itasca 1047 Florida Lane, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007 O: (847) 524-4676 * E-mail: 76021.1641@compuserve.com Rev. Ralph Pontier, Pastor, Redeemer United Reformed Church 4608 Jackson Ave., Orange City, IA 51041-7446 H/O/FAX: (712) 737-4901 * E-mail: rpontier@rconnect.com Rev. Richard Stienstra, Secretary, URC Committee for Ecumenical Relations and Church Unity 515 Broad Street West, Dunnville, ON N1A 1T6 H/O: (905) 774-1130 * FAX: (905) 774-5649 ---------------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/reformed/archive99: nr99-066.txt .