Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Jan/75

Contributor - Rev. Henry VanEssen

Title - The Council of the Reformed Church in Canada: WASTE or WISDOM?

Topic - Reformed Church in Canada

From various sides I have been informed that people do not really understand what the C.R.C.C. is all about. What, for instance, is the difference between Classis Ontario and the C.R.C.C. ? Why do we have to have a C.R.C.C. ? Does is not make for more work and for duplication ?

The C.R.C.C. compared with Classis Ontario

In Ontario it is often not realized that one third of the congregations in Canada do not belong to Classis Ontario, namely Brockville and Kingsville in Ontario, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Calgary, Edmonton and Monarch in Alberta, and Abbotsford, Vancouver and Whalley in British Columbia. These nine churches belong to four different Classes; Brockville, Kingsville and Winnipeg are the only Canadian congregations in their respective U.S. Classes; the six in Alberta and B.C. form together with 10 U.S. congregations Classis Cascades.

These churches, particularly in the West, experience the difficulty that they have no contact with the other R.C.A. churches in Canada, while they precisely are similar in background and development to them. Organically, so to say, the R.C.A. churches in Canada belong together, but organizatonally they are spread over five different Classes and over three Particular Synods. This means that organizatonally speaking there is no provision for regular contact between the Canadian R.C.A. churches.

Is contact really necessary ?

The answer is "yes", for the following reason: a congregation functions and witnesses in a particular country and culture. A congregation which functions and witnesses in Canada finds itself more or less in a different culture than the U.S. churches. There are differences between these two countries, even though some may be difficult to define.

We in Canada have become quite nationalistic. The U.S. for years now has been occupied with integration problems, Vietnam War problems, Nixon-problems; and the churches there could not evade involvement. But here we were concerned with different matters. That's why we have Focus on Canada in PIONEER.

If the Reformed Churches in Canada are therefore to make an effort to witness and function in this Canadian culture, they will have to think issues through together! This is too much for one or a few churches. We will have to help each other and for that we need contact. The C.R.C.C. provides the structure for such contact.

How the contact is provided

The C.R.C.C. has an executive committee of seven members. Mr. Peter Geene (London church -president of the Council and ) is executive committee. The other executive members have each particular area of responsibility. a Rev. John Opmeer (Vancouver, B.C.) is vice-president and chair' man of the standing committee on National Issues and Common Church-concerns. In this he is to be assisted by Rev. John Moerman (Monarch, Alta.).

This committee will deal with national matters such as foreign policy, abortion, divorce, capital punishment, etc.; and also with the concerns which our churches share, for instance rebaptism, anything else that is particularly Canadian, or of common concern to the R.C.A. churches in Canada; anything in this field may be Presented to this committee to provide if possible guidelines or statements or positions appropriate to our Reformed theological convictions. (See remarks by Rev. J. Opmeer in his Focus on Canada, Pioneer December 1974 - Ed.)

Mrs. VanderSlikke (Stoney Creek church) is another member of the executive, who chairs the Mission and Evangelism committee.

For let's face it: the Canadian is different from the (U.S ) American. What works for the 'one does not work for the other. And the average immigrant church has far from fully shed its fledgling feathers. All this makes the question: how we are to fulfil our mission as churches in our communities and how we are to evangelize the people around us, a matter which must receive an answer from ourselves. Here too we must share and help each other and let our fellow-churches profit from our experiences, mistakes and victories.

Another executive committee member is Mr. J. Groenveld of the Whitby church. He chairs the Interchurch Relations Committee.

For we are not alone in Canada; and how are we to have contact with other denominations in Canada? Who speaks for the R.C.A. churches in Canada? Who represents all these churches? To whom can another denomination or agency talk if it wants to talk to the Reformed Church in Canada? Mr. Groenveld will be assisted by Rev. Peter Yff (Hamilton) who represents the C.R.C.C. at Inter denominational organizations.

In Winnipeg lives another member of the executive, Mr. Fred Algera, who being a junior high school principal, of course chairs the Education committee.

This is a vast territory and the work can be enormous. Yet we do have to pool and share our information on educational materials for all the ongoing work of education in our churches. And where would we go for evaluation of materials, who would organize possible production of some materials by Canadian R.C.A. people? And just think how difficult this would be if you had to do it alone, separated from other R.C.A. churches in Canada.

There is also, as ever, the financial side, and our treasurer, Mr. Al Visser (St. Catharines) chairs the Business Affairs and Finance committee.

This is not just for the internal financial and business aspect of the Council, such as expenses and the publication of Pioneer. Being part of a mainly oriented U.S. denomination makes for complications with Canadian laws, as for instance in the case of pension arrangements for R.C.A. ministers in Canada. Canadian laws require matters of policy which are not necessary in the U.S. and why should the U.S. R.C.A. pension set-up follow Canadian laws possibly they have their own requirements. But it means a special setup in Canada; much and hard work has been done by a special committee of Classis Ontario. But where does this leave the other R.C.A. ministers and churches in Canada? Thus the special committee has asked the C.R.C.C. to look after all this. We are fortunate to have a chartered accountant as our treasurer.

Finally there is the Structure, Planning and Development committee. This includes the area of traditional Mission Work on/in a certain field.

As secretary I will be responsible for this, while Rev. Schultz is asked to give his attention to the Mission part. It ought to be clear to everybody that the R.C.A churches in Canada cannot afford to handle three or four large projects at the same time. If we are to have a mission project in Canada, toward which part of our mission giving can go, then it should be a project developed and supported by all R.C.A. churches in Canada.

But how can this be organized, if there is no contact, and no structure such as the C.R.C.C.?

Another matter is helping existing churches or starting a new one. Winnipeg church at present definitely needs our help and prayer. They have always been isolated from other Canadian churches, while the closest R.C.A. church in the U.S. is 350 miles away. They have found it increasingly difficult to make themselves understood in their U.S. Classis. The C.R.C.C. is presently quite involved in the future of the Winnipeg church, by functioning as in-between-man, contacting the various Classes. and Particular Synods involved, and R.C.A. headquarters in New York.

But who in Canada would go to bat if there were no C.R.C.C.? It would be one or more individuals speaking for themselves, which in church courts does not cut much ice ...

All these executive members meet at least twice a year, and report for their committee. These chair (wo)men will try to find resource people to assist them, in their own area R.C.A. churches; but they may also engage others farther away by correspondence. This way we expect to have eventually the best equipped people in our churches working together in the various fields designated by the committees. That way we will be sharing our talents; insights and experiences, while strengthening each other. How could we do that, if there were not an overall national organization of R.C.A. churcnes in Canada, such as the C.R.C.C. seeks to be?

Immigration

A totally different matter is our responsibility in the matter of ongoing immigration from The Netherlands. Granted, at present it is very little; but remember how many of us were taken care of? That was because a central office in Hamilton, Ont. was in contact with all R.C.A. churches and groups in Canada. Who is going to take care of this now, since the New York R.C.A. headquarters handed this responsibility to the R.C.A. churches in Canada? Is it not the responsibility of us all to continue to be ready to help any immigrants where help is needed? And who will be the contact address for people, organizations and churches in The Netherlands when they want help, information or contact with our churches?

Pioneer

Furthermore, there is our Christian Monthly. Have you ever given thought to who or what organization publishes it? It is read in all R.C.A. churches in Canada; therefore the responsibility for it should be shared by all. It should be a national publication, but how shall this be done if one third of our churches have no way to share in policy-setting and overall responsibility? The C.R.C.C. publishes PIONEER. The editor and the editorial committee are appointed by the C.R.C.-C. and responsible to it. In this way people duly elected by representatives from all R.C.A. churches in Canada make the final decisions.

Relation to the U.S. R.C.A.

The purpose of the C.R.C.C. is to remain within the R.C.A. Yet matters may arise within the R.C.A. which call for the R.C.A. churches in Canada to speak with one voice. This is possible through the C.R.C.C.

Because of all the reasons mentioned here, the pre-amble of the Constitution of the C.R.C.C. reads, "We, the Churches of the R.C.A. in Canada, in seeking to establish a unified presence in the Dominion of Canada, accept the calling and affirm the need of mutual consultation, supportive fellowship and joint programming. In order to carry out this common calling we establish a representative Council." And in order to make clear the difference between a Classis and the C.R.C.C. we read in the same constitution, "The authority of this Council is derived from the Consistories of the local Churches through their Classes. Its jurisdiction shall be limited to those matters which are of common concern in the Reformed Church in Canada, and which cannot be dealt with adequately either by the local church of by the Classes. The Council shall not be an ecclesiastical court."

By now you realize, I hope, that the C.R.C.C. has a real purpose and a good reason for its existence. It only wishes to exist for positive reasons and for a positive purpose: to function and witness better in this great land of ours as churches standing firmly in the Reformed faith, as part of the R.C.A. There are many areas which are and always will be solely the business of the Classes. There are also many areas which are or at least should be the responsibility of the local churches. The C.R.C.C. is brought into existence to do that which cannot be properly done by either Classis or local church.

Finances

But does all this not cost a great deal in money and time? The financial cost is $2.50 per communicant member. And the cost of time must be judged in the light of how much time each of the various churches otherwise would spend doing the things separately, which the C.R.C.C. now seeks to do for all.

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