Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - June 1983

Contributor - Cor G. Bons

Title - Editorial

Topic - Editorial

The debate on "What it means to be Reformed" in some of the previous issues of Pioneer has revealed what many of us already knew for a long time. In the Reformed Church we are facing a great variety of viewpoints and forms of worship. The outreach ministry of the last few years has opened up the door for even more diversity, with people of different backgrounds, races and cultures joining the communicant membership of this denomination. Such matters as baptism of children and the participation of children in the celebration of the Lord's Supper have already become issues in some of our churches.

In many congregations a desire for renewal and more active participation in worship services has influenced the liturgy and the forms of worship. Therefore, it can easily happen that people who travel and visit other Reformed churches do not feel at home and wonder about the unity of the RCA.

Some people have come to the conclusion that our vision of a greater unity and more coordination of the work from east to west will never become a reality. They hesitate to give any support to the Canadian Church Growth Plan of cooperation in outreach work in the Canadian communities for all the reasons mentioned by me. They don't like this difference of opinion and are turned off by the disagreements expressed on the pages of Pioneer. They suspect our leaders of playing politics. They say, we are so far apart, not only in view of the distances between the churches in western Canada and Ontario, but more importantly in view of the ,theological conclusions, that it is much better not to cooperate. Let us keep the church pure according to our convictions and traditions which we feel comfortable with.

I do agree that we are facing tremendous difficulties iii the work of God's Kingdom. In the Spring Session of Classis Ontario I had the opportunity to address these problems. In that meeting I reminded the members and delegates of the distances in kilometers and in forms of worship and in viewpoints. But I reminded them also of the words of Jesus, who is Lord of the Church, and who rules His Church by the power of the Holy Spirit. At several occasions He spoke to His disciples, who were also facing tremendous difficulties. From the Gospel of Mark, chapter 11 vs. 22 and 23, I quoted these words of Jesus: "Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, Be taken up and cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him".

I believe that Jesus meant what He said, and that He still has the authority and the power to make it come true for His Church today.

For that reason I ask you, who also believe in Jesus' Word, to join me in prayer for His Church, that unity and cooperation may begin at home - in the Reformed Church as we find her in Western Canada and Ontario - and extend from there to the Universal Church.

Your prayer and your support is very necessary, if God is going to bless the RCA in Canada.

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