Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Mar/95

Contributor - John Muller

Title - The Church of Christ: Trends and Troubles

Topic - Church In The World

"LIKE a mighty army moves the Church of God." Despite the efforts of liberals and their ilk it still moves forward. The events of the past year give us a perspective on what is happening over a broad Christian front.

Biomedical research continued in its efforts to clone human embryos. It has become necessary to raise moral and ethical questions. The Christian Farmer's Federation in Ontario is addressing these issues with a series of meetings and political activities.

Black Muslims like Louis Farrakhan continue to push for converts from Christianity while ranting against Jews and Christians.

Charles Swindoll, Evangelical Free pastor in Fullerton, California and prolific writer, became president of the Dallas, Texas Seminary.

Albania, long the most closed to the Gospel nation: has been opened. Evangelical Christians are increasing.

"Small groups" are growing in numbers in many church circles. They can be very helpful and have a very positive effect, but they also can play a part in adapting religion to the main currents of secular culture. They can easily become faddish or too psychologically oriented whenever they are not grounded in the authority of scripture.

Violence has continued to take its toll on many fronts. Even pro-life followers have sought to kill those involved in abortion.

Japan '94 was another successful Billy Graham Mission in Tokyo - in a nation where only some 1% are professing Christians.

"CHRISTY," based on Catherine Marshall's book about her mother, premiered on television and was well received.

Zapatistas rebelled against the Mexican government in Chiapas, the state where the R.C.A. has done aggressive mission work since 1925. Some of our properties were seized.

The last Dutch service was held in Grandville Avenue Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The BANNER announced that "this will be the first time in one hundred thirty-seven years that there will be no regularly scheduled Christian Reformed service in the United States in the Dutch language.

Early in the year U.S. Republicans began making gains in states such as Virginia and New York. By November they had made huge gains in the House, the Senate, and in governor's mansions. This was not only a conservative gain, but was heavily fueled by evangelical leaders. The Christian Coalition played a leading part in many Republican victories.

Protestantism is overtaking Roman Catholicism in Latin America. Brazil is noteworthy in this regard. During a recent period when seven hundred and ten Protestant churches were began in Greater Rio de Janeiro, only one new Catholic parish was registered. Most recent statistics on Protestantism in Latin America shows great growth in these Catholic countries - Porto Rico has 28%, Chile 27%, Haiti 26%, Guatemala 24%, Brazil 21%. This is a remarkable switch!

Megachurches are in the spotlight nowadays. A recent book, "DINING WITH THE DEVIL" by Os Guiness takes them to task. He comes close to saying that big is bad and implying that small is spiritual. Certainly our smaller churches do not have a corner on godliness.

A call to the evangelicals in the liberalized Anglican Church of Canada was given in Montreal in June at an Essential '94 Conference. They're concerned about the Anglican theological drift and its numerical decline. Some 700 attended and many were young people. Anglicans United is a renewal movement which decries homosexual priests, same-sex marriages, etc. while the Church of England ordained women priests in Bristol on March 12. Some of its priests are joining the Roman Catholics in protest.

A feminist enclave, called "ReImagining", which was held in Minneapolis, has had a tremendous fallout. It emphasized Sophia worship. They aimed to re-imagine a new god and a new road to salvation. They said that Sophia was with God at the Creation, and she is "the tree of life to those who lay hold of her". The Presbyterians (PCUSA) and the Methodists (UMC) received a huge number of protests that their denominations were involved. So also with the Evangelical Lutherans and the American Baptists. "The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, meeting in Wichita in June, received more overtures of protest over Re-Imagining than on any other topic in the denomination's 200-plus year history." Renewal groups represented by "THE PRESBYTERIAN LAYMAN" and the "GOOD NEWS" (Methodist) played a large part in awakening their people to the dangerous feminist and idolatrous theology involved.

Southern Sudan Christians have endured severe persecution, but the church is moving ahead fast. From a small minority they have grown to three-fourths of the population in a short time.

Despite intense political repression the Christian Church in Cuba is growing. Since 1990 the communist government has been less hostile toward the church. Revival is taking place, led by Cuban youth, despite their training in socialist ideology.

The Christian Church continues to grow around the world. Two-thirds of the globe's 1.8 billion Christians now live south of the equator.

The first Roman Catholic catechism since reformation days has just come out, and has evoked considerable debate. A. E. McGrath of Oxford and Regent analysis its strengths and its weaknesses. It is strong in its endorsement of orthodox Christian doctrine. It talks about salvation by grace through the work of Christ, but does not come to grips with Reformation issues. The Roman Catholics are still committed to the idea that indulgences may be obtained by the living for the faithful departed. It defends praying for the dead, and is weak on 1) The canon of Scripture, 2) The sufficiency of Scripture, 3) The role of Mary, and 4) The number and role of the sacraments.

Evangelicals and Roman Catholics are holding meetings about working together for common causes. The phrase used is 'Cooperation, not communion". Protestant leaders who signed a cooperative statement were Charles Colson, Pat Robertson, Bill Bright, and J.I. Packer. The Evangelical community seems split on this initiative with many pointing to the gulf that divides the two communities, the doctrine of justification. Are we in for another Reformation?

Legalized gambling is growing in many states and provinces and even on river boats. It doesn't live up to its promises of financial benefit to communities. Gamblers Anonymous (similar to AA) is helping people addicted to the habit and is reporting many casualties as a result of legalization.

Revival is certainly going on in China, despite persecution. The Chinese Christians are focusing on the centrality of the Gospel, and on obeying the Great Commission. A great spiritual hunger among the young followed Tiananmen Square.

The Roman Catholic Church, always strong in Poland, is seeking to flex its political muscles there. The Concordat is an agreement between the Vatican and Poland. Protestants -ire pressing for the inclusion of a clause that stipulates that all denominations are equal before the law. The pastor of Warsaw's Reformed Church says: "The Catholic hierarchy remains convinced they possess the moral truth, and that this moral truth needs to be transformed into state law."

Richard Nixon, who resigned as U.S. President under fire in 1974, died in April of 1994. Billy Graham preached the funeral sermon. He said of Nixon: "His courage, his vision, and his dedication to duty often in the face of great adversity impressed all who knew him." The Nixons were Quakers.

Pro-family activists in Canada are regrouping after the landslide election in 1993. Canada's homosexual community is pressing hard for early changes. Churches are slowly learning how to identify and tackle issues.

Mel White, who was a known Mission Covenant pastor in Pasadena, California and a ghost-writer for evangelical leaders, published "To Be Gay And Christian In America." He left his wife. and children after a 35 year struggle against homosexuality, and fell in love (or lust) with a man. He now is dean of a large homosexual "church" in Dallas. Unbelievable!!!

India lists some 900 million residents. Some 80% are Hindu.

The May 7 "WORLD" criticizes the Canadian health-care system. People like footballer Tom Mueke and his wife are quoted: "I know it's being talked about a lot in the States, but I don't really think Americans would like this system very much." That has not been our experience. (JHM)

The apartheid system was dealt its final blow with the election in South Africa. Michael Cassidy, an evangelical leader, stated that the church has a special role to play in building a democratic culture. Cassidy believes that the church must preach the gospel "so that society will begin to internalize a set of positive values that will ultimately impact the behaviour of people toward one another."

Dr. Jack Kevorkian, the "death doctor," was acquitted of breaking the law by a Michigan jury. Joni Erickson Tada, 27-years a wheelchair patient, gives a vibrant testimony against such taking of life. The issue in Canada was brought to a head with the events surrounding Sue Rodriguez.

Harold Camping of Family Radio wrote a book predicting Christ's return in September 1994. He wasn't a typical "fringe-nut case". He was a prominent Christian Reformed Church member until six years ago. Of course, his prediction went sour, just like all the others.

J.G. Stackhouse of Winnipeg wrote an essay in the July 18 "CHRISTIANITY TODAY" on "Confronting Canada's Secular Slide". Canadian evangelicals live and witness in a chillier cultural climate than Americans. The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Canadian evangelicalism is more than a hybrid of British and American influences. Canada is a big country. Yet ninety percent of Canada's 26 million citizen's are huddled within 100 miles of the American border. B.C. is Canada's most secular province, but has a significant evangelical presence. Regent College plays a part, as do Asian immigrants. Large churches are built by Mennonites, Christian Missionary Alliance and others. Alberta has a strong Anglican, United and Lutheran presence. Manitoba and Saskatchewan are religiously conservative. Quebec is nominally Catholic, but has rapidly secularized. Ontario is ethnically diverse. In the nineteenth century evangelicals dominated Ontario culture, but they no longer run the show. Redeemer College and the Institute for Christian Studies are in Ontario, as are the Ontario Bible College and Seminary. Protestant evangelicals in Canada may number only 10%.

Roman Catholics, Anglican and the United Church claim the largest numbers, but Mennonites, Lutherans, Reformed and Pentecostal groups are sizeable, and usually well attended.

"Evangelicalism in Canada continues to grow in numbers, networks, and sophistication. Whether or not Canada's slide toward secularization bottoms out, evangelicals will continue to attract new seekers."

The Christian Reformed Church reversed itself on the issue of women's ordination at the June General Synod. The 1994 CRC YEARBOOK reports that about 10,000 have left over this issue. "The churches in Canada mourn the loss of almost five percent of their members...... "Three matters bring about a negative response - homosexuality, the question of the admission of women to all the offices of the church, and referring to God with feminine pronouns."

Jim Henry of Orlando, Florida was elected president of the 14,000,000 member Southern Baptist Convention. He made it clear that he was on the side of those who believe in the inerrancey of the Bible.

Large numbers of Christian teens are taking a stand for chastity and virtue. Some 200,000 have signed pledge cards. Sponsored by the Southern Baptists, it has mushroomed to include other Protestant and Catholic teens. "True-Love Waits" is their theme.

Tensions of long standing between "Protestants" and "Catholics" of Ulster (North Ireland) are easing. They are more political divisions than religious, but they have been tragic, and have caused violence.

Jean-Bertrand Aristide (former Roman Catholic priest) was reinstated as the president of Haiti, with the help of U.S. troops. There was no bloodshed necessary.

Holland now allows lawful killing of the terminally ill. The Vatican labeled the permissive Dutch law a"monstrous aberration". "WORLD" calls it "Suicide for hire". The Dutch minister of health okayed free heroin for about 100 of the country's worst hard-core junkies. Germans come across the border at Arnhem to buy drugs. Marijuana is allowed to be sold openly in cafes and bars known as "coffee shops". Sad facts for many PIONEER readers!!!

The Vineyard (John Wimber's Signs and Wonders Church) has moved into Toronto and other Canadian cities. A manifestation of the movement is "holy laughter".

Most church members fell on the floor "laughing, rolling, and carrying on" when the Airport Vineyard opened on January 20. Some attack it as self-centred and evil, and others defend it as a real renewal and revival. Some people roar like lions and bark like dogs. Most of the visitors who attend the Toronto Airport Vineyard are not from Toronto.

Pentecostals are trying to renounce racism by uniting a major white group with a major black group into Pentecostal Charismatic Churches of North America. It is a step in the direction of eradicating racism among Pentecostals, but there is still much of it. Jack Hayford of California said: "We are dealing with blind spots that only God can help us see."

1994 is gone. It was an eventful year. Despite opponents, secularists, and the mistakes of men, the gates of hell cannot prevail against His Church.

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