Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - May/72

Contributor - J. Opmeer

Title - Canadian East-West Study Committee: Report Of Spring Meeting

Topic - Reformed Church In Canada

An important subject discussed at the Spring 1972 meeting of Classis Cascades was the report of the Canadian East-West Committee. Before the report was dealt with on the floor of Classis, it was thoroughly analyzed by the Canadian delegates. Rev. John J. Opmeer, one of the members of the study committee introduced the subject, and stressed its significance for the future direction of the work in Canada.

The present situation is that, because of the drastically reduced number of Dutch emigrants to Canada, voices have been raised to discontinue the Canadian Immigration Committee of the Reformed churches in Canada, with the office in Hamilton. However, if the Committee were to be discontinued as per the end of this year, without anything taking its place, the results would be serious. It would mean the disappearance of the only link between the Canadian churches existing on the supra-classical level, including the disappearance of the PIONEER, which is managed from the office in Hamilton, and operates at present with a thirty per cent subsidy from the Canadian Classes.

Rather than following this minimal course, which would seriously weaken the unity and program of the Reformed churches in Canada, the Study Committee has come up with the following ideas:

1. Discontinue the present Canadian Immigration Committee;

2. Create a new structure for Canadian affairs, a focus for national concerns and interests;

3. Continue PIONEER, but on a new basis.

The Committee has suggested to secure the services of a part-time coordinator for the Canadian Council of Reformed churches (or whatever the name of the new structure would be), and of a part-time editor for PIONEER. The PIONEER has never really had an editor, although the present manager, who is to retire in the near future, has always taken care of several editorial responsibilities. It is hoped that some of Mr. Warnaar's present duties can be performed by volunteer helpers under the new set-up.

The structure envisioned, with the requiring funding, will no longer be geared to the reception of immigrants, but to the building up of all-Canadian work. We do not want to become rather faceless churches within an American denomination. We definitely desire to be Canadian churches, with a Canadian outlook, identity and contribution, within a Reformed denomination. The only way to achieve that is to create some national structure, tying together our scattered churches. Since increasing regionalization within our denomination will prove to be to the disadvantage of all-Canadian work, the time is ripe for applying the regionalization concept to our Canadian churches.

As far as the Canadian churches are concerned, the report of the Study Committee is obviously, test-case. This is the time and the occasion to demonstrate how serious we are about our future as churches in Canada. If there is no vision for our work in Canada beyond the presence of a number of scattered congregations, it will be revealed now. If some form of a national structure is rejected by our own churches, we will lose whatever minimum has bound us together in the past (a Canadian Committee, office, and magazine) and we will drift apart, especially east-west. This will eventually fix these churches into a pattern of mere appendices to an American denomination. Given the already existing difficulty of operating in isolation, such an outlook may also cause a serious shortage of capable leadership for our churches.

Rev. Opmeer stressed that the maintenance of the present minimal structure, including the continued publication of PIONEER, during 1973 will be absolutely essential if a new Canadian structure is to begin operating by 1974. During the interim year 1973 it would be necessary to devise and build up the new structure, to secure the services of a part-time coordinator, and of a part-time editor for PIONEER.

The Canadian delegates were unanimous in supporting the direction suggested. They further expressed the desire that the new structure will be started before 1974.

On the floor of Classis it was evident that the international membership of Classis Cascades operates against making a decision on an all-Canadian subject. The majority of the delegates are from American churches, and are not familiar with the dynamics of the Canadian situation. Some of them expressed their opinion that they did not feel qualified to speak on the matter. However, a few of the American delegates, notably from the executive o f Classis, made a valiant effort to do justice to the importance of the vision expressed in the report of the Study Committee. As could be expected, discussion centered on the financing of the suggested new structure. At the present time, Classis Cascades graciously pays the $2.00 per Canadian member asking for the operation of the Can. Immigration Committee out of the General Fund of Classis. However, not all American churches in Classis would be prepared to continue to do this in the future, since the money is used for all-Canadian work. A suggestion was made to solve the problem by organizing all the Canadian churches within one Classis Canada. Others expressed concern about the suggestion made by the Rev. Opmeer that the Canadian churches finance the whole operation by using funds that now go into American program.

The conclusion of the discussion was that a motion was accepted to vote only on the principle of the matter, and to leave out of the recommendation any reference to the financing. The amended recommendation 1, as adopted by Classis Cascades, now reads:

"The adoption of the Committee's general trend of thinking with regard to the future of the Reformed churches in Canada, the principle of which is the establishment of a 'reformed' presence in Canada in which all churches participate, and of the consequences that issue from this decision, particularly as they apply to a structure."

The second recommendation was adopted as proposed

"The appointment of a Committee consisting of the East-West Committee members, members of the Can. Immigration. Committee, and others as needed, to work out a plan based on these general directives, and to 'be implemented by January, 1974. It was suggested that the new Committee include representatives of the Particular Synod of the West, and of the Particular Synod of Michigan.

Since Classis Ontario has also adopted the recommendations, the way is now open for the new East-West Committee, under the chairmanship of the Rev. J. P. Drost, to proceed with the work of setting up the new structure. If you have any suggestions or comments, please let us know.

Please click the "Back" button of your browser to return to previous page.