Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Feb/94

Contributor - Jonathan N. Gerstner

Title - Moving Through Tradition to Mission

Topic - Reformed Church In Canada

I am happy to give credit for the title of my column this month to Rev. Harold Korver, our Vice President of General Synod. His challenging presentation on this theme inspired our 1993 All Canada Leadership Conference and helped launch our new Synod of Canada, which was born the following week, on the right foot.

When the opportunity came to write an article for this issue on the Dutch Reformed tradition, I approached the opportunity with some trepidation. Although steadily stressing our Reformed theology and its biblical basis, in the past years of ministry as executive secretary, I have been very cautious about overemphasizing the original ethnicity of the majority of our congregations. The "Come Grow with Us" publicity brochure intentionally avoided mention of the Dutch Reformed background, as did all my discussions of our denomination with the press.

But of course, I love the Dutch Reformed tradition and have studied and experienced it on three continents. Why was I so reticent to discuss this great tradition?

Simply because we never have had an appropriate forum in which to discuss it. This February issue was one such opportunity. The Dutch Reformed tradition was to be discussed as one of the many branches of tradition which the Lord has brought into the Reformed Church in Canada, where we stand together in our shared biblical faith as summarized in our confessions. Here discussed side by side with articles discussing the Chinese, Hispanic, New Church Development and United Church roots of our congregations, it is appropriate to tell the story of the Dutch Reformed tradition. For it is faithfulness to the Dutch Reformed tradition that has led us to seek to be a Canadian Reformed Witness and build a new tradition. In this discussion let us rejoice about one of the important branches in our new tradition.

In other words to the extent that we remain an ethnic Dutch denomination, we have not only denied the Reformed tradition in general, we have denied the Dutch Reformed tradition in particular, with its appreciation of insights from other cultures, and its national vision. Our most Dutch Reformed actions have been down-playing our distinctive ethnic characteristics and seeking to reach out to all of Canada, both new and old Canadians.

Through this tradition, we can move into mission in joy. Together we can form new traditions which help us reach out to all of our nation. And when some of us get together and reminisce about the Netherlands, we can thank the Lord that our church has kept the best of the tradition alive through reaching out to our new land with vision.

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