Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Nov/89

Contributor - Corrie Strik

Title - Being There

Topic - Reformed Church in Canada

On Sunday, September 24th, a busload of people left Abbotsford, B.C. to go to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. On the three o'clock ferry they were joined by others from the Reformed Church's of Classis of Cascades. They were there to participate in a special celebration service to welcome four former United Church of Canada congregations into the Reformed Church in America.

The Lord blessed us with beautiful weather. The mountains and the ocean were just gorgeous. The trip on the ferry was enjoyable not only because of the weather, but because wherever you went there knew. There was a busload of people from Nooksack, First and Faith Lynden (Washington), the pastor and his wife from Oak Harbour, WA, Glen DeMaster, the Field Secretary of Synod of the West, representatives from Alberta, Ontario, and Winnipeg. The lower mainland churches were well represented with people from Vancouver, Langley, Burnaby, and Whalley.

The service started at 6:15 with lots of singing under the leadership of Randy Opmeer and friends. We had two choirs ministering to us: the Island Choir and the Chinese Fookien Choir. Both were excellent.

Dr. Jonathan Gerstner, our new Executive Secretary for the Emerging Synod of Canada was our preacher for the afternoon. He read from Psalm 118:21-29 and Matthew 19:27-30. His sermon title was 'This is the Day". He reflected on the stone the builders rejected -which has now become the cornerstone. His prayer and his message was: that with God's help and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit the ministers and congregations we were to receive in our midst would become cornerstones of the Reformed Church here in Canada.

Rev. David Hensley, President of Classis Cascades, and Rev. Alvin Wester, Stated Clerk of Classis Cascades led the remainder of the service. Six pastors and four congregations were accepted into Classis. A fifth congregation Christ the King Community Church, Kamloops, becomes part of our denomination in November.

By this time, several people started to look at their watches. Not because it was boring, but the last ferry for the mainland was leaving at nine o'clock. An offering was quickly taken, greetings brought and people started to run for their buses and cars. We made it in time for the last ferry.

This time there was not as much walking around and visiting. We just sat in groups with a cup of coffee and reflected on this major event in the- life of our denomination in Canada, and realised that history had been made.

The future looks very promising. Maybe in the not too distant future we will have our own Classis or perhaps our own Synod. Who knows what the Lord has in store for the Reformed Church in Canada.

Why did these United Churches choose to leave their own denomination? Let me quote Rev. Les Clark: "In the area of truth, integrity and freedom of speech we found ourselves at odds with the present political legal powers that control our denomination. Over the past ten years the study of human sexuality has raised the issue of scriptural authority and interpretation in theology. The issues of sexual practice and lifestyle in morality and the the issue of manipulation and oppressive power in the this decision.

Another reason for leaving the U.C.C. according to Pastor Clark was: 'The lack of integrity in the human sexuality study process where the whole truth of modem psychological evidence and healing has been subverted to the propaganda of the homosexual rights movement, and where ecumenical and Biblical exegesis has been bypassed in favour of the illogical arguments from science." Also according to Pastor Clark, "colleagues and congregations were marginalized in the name of justice, when their voices were raised in loyal concern."

Why did they chose the R.C.A.? According to Pastor Clark, "the R.C.A- has the closest ethos to the United Church and still has solid Biblical and theological roots in the Reformed tradition". What a testimony for our Reformed churches!

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