Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Nov/91

Contributor - Jonathan Gerstner

Title - The Year of our Lord 1991

Topic - Providence

As we reflect on the way the Lord has watched over His world and His Church in the past year, we are struck with a sense of awe of His providential hand. At least two crises, the Gulf War and the Coup in the (then) Soviet Union, could so easily have exploded into global war. Our land, Canada, has come through the year in one piece, and with a new round of constitutional discussion launched. Still we must not forget the toll of human suffering in the world during the past year. Liberia and Ethiopia have seen regimes toppled through bloodshed, the townships of South Africa are in a state of constant bloody attacks and counterattack. Even as we praise our God for holding the nations back from doing more destruction to each other, we also pray for those who have suffered so intensely in the past year and those who are still refugees from these and other confrontations. May the Lord bless those who are trying so hard to reach them with a cup of cold water in Christ's name, and the Good News of eternal life in Him.

The past year has been a remarkable one for the Reformed Church in Canada as well. First services were held for Reformed Church ministries in Alberta (Athabasca, Red Deer), British Columbia (Powell River), and Ontario (Burlington, North York, Peterborough, Stevensville). (Four other congregations had just begun meeting as Reformed church congregations in the latter months of 1990.) God has blessed us richly with growth, and with a remarkable potential for future growth from sea to sea. We thank the Lord for the Rev. Gordon Ross and pray that the Lord's blessing will be upon him as he continues to minister with those transferring into our midst.

In 1991, the RCC saw one of its own, the Rev. Cornelius Kors, appointed to serve as director of the denominational Theological Education Agency, with responsibility for the oversight of all RCA ministerial students studying at seminaries not affiliated with the RCA. We as a family of churches need to follow our joy at Cor's appointment with continual prayer and financial support.

We see God's providential hand at last year's General Synod through which a debate initiated by those not overly sympathetic with transfer congregations from the UCC resulted in a resolution being accepted (after being raised from the floor) that publicly and officially welcomed our new pastors and congregations into our denomination. We look forward to the March 8, 1992, welcoming celebration in Ontario for our transfer congregations at which the Rev. Lou Lotz, the President of General Synod, will preside. This will fill a gap for our Ontario churches who have never had a celebration similar to the 1989 Nanaimo, B.C. celebration of what God is doing by leading these brothers and sisters into our midst.

Lastly 1991 saw concrete steps taken toward the formation of the Synod of Canada. A Task Force was formed to work out a feasible proposal for the new synod, and has already produced a mission statement and organizing principles. Many more discussions will need to be held and many more details worked out, to ensure that most of us share the vision of the new synod. However, in the opening paragraph we receive a taste of what, we trust, will characterize the entire statement:

"the regional Synod of Canada, RCA.... desires to present the good news of the Gospel (from a biblically sound Reformed perspective) to all the people of Canada." The Lord has done much for us in 1991. May we trust Him for the future and pray that He will unite us together and lead us to the destiny He has prepared for us.

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