Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Oct/81

Contributor - Art Zeilstra

Title - The RCA In Canada

Topic - Church in Canada

Introduction

The majority of the RCA congregations in Canada have been in existence for about thirty years. Each of our Canadian churches have run on a different historical "track". There are differences because of being in the country as opposed to city, the diversity of church leadership, theological issues, and style of each congregation.

Our congregations can be divided in four tracks with the fifth as a possibility for the future. The chart and article is not to condemn but to enlighten us. I realize that no matter where we find our congregation, we all have people from other ethnic backgrounds, we all are involved in community ecumenical activities, we all advertise, we all support Canadian ministries, and all insist that the church is open to the Canadian. However, we all know the Canadian generally avoids our congregations. The following article may help us to understand some of the reasons from a sociological perspective.

"Dutch" Congregation

A "Dutch" congregation is a wonderful church to be part of because there is a feeling that on each Sunday "our people" are coming together. There is more loyalty to the Dutch culture than to the Christian faith. The majority of people are living out their faith as it was twenty-five years ago. The church building and the worship services are the most important aspects. Leadership is primarily exercised by the pastor and the consistory.

2. "Dutch-Canadian " Congregation

The "Dutch-Canadian" congregation has a family atmosphere. After Sunday morning worship (please no adult Sunday School!), the children and grandchildren visit the grandparents. The people in the congregation have become Canadians in many areas of life, but maintain a sense of stability by maintaining the faith in God that has carried them through World War 11 and the early years of immigration. There are three problems. First of all, that pastors have difficulties within this congregation, being unable to understand the congregation; secondly, there is a rapid falling away of young people from the church because neither being Dutch or Canadian enough, while they live in a Canadian culture; and thirdly, the overall church membership declines because *a larger number of people do not understand the distinctiveness of this congregation.

3. "Canadian-Dutch" Congregation

The "Canadian-Dutch" Congregation is continually faced with "creative tensions". There is an appreciation for the past strengths of the church but there is always a strong emphasis on the Great Commission (Matt. 28: 18-20). A congregation of this kind tends to have a pastor and consistory that is spiritually secure and desiring to take risks in new areas of ministry. This kind of congregation tends to have a strong emphasis on equipping the laity for ministry. There is strong emphasis on Bible Studies and evangelism, with a solid family educational program. An analysis of this church is that there is a choice between taking advantage of new opportunities to grow and mature; or become complacent and stagnant.

4. "Canadian" Congregation

A "Canadian" congregation has a strong call towards a daily walk with Jesus Christ, declaring that He is Lord of all. This congregation sees evangelism and visiting not as the sole responsibility of the pastor and the consistory, but as everyone's calling and responsibility. There is an opportunity to have creative and extremely visionary leadership. There is an emphasis that small Bible Study groups are as important as the Sunday morning worship services. The atmosphere is one of expectancy that God is going to move in the lives of the body of Christ. The opportunities for both internal and external growth are unlimited but the church could slip into becoming complacent unless there is a continued emphasis on multiplication through Bible Studies, evangelism and new ministries.

5. The Canadian Church in the 1980's

During this decade we should establish some traditional but many innovative models of new ministries. With the strong emphasis on the Lordship of Christ, creative worship services, Bible Studies that emphasize discipleship, and training and equipping in evangelism, there are numerous open doors for us. There will be wiser use of pastoral time and talents, stronger emphasis on the laity, and greater use of multi-purpose facilities. We definitely need to take some risks in attempting to reach the secular Canadian. In our time in history we are secure collectively as congregations to support various kinds of new ministries.

Conclusions

A number of our Canadian congregations have and will go through a great deal of frustration. All are part of the "growing pains" that the Lord allows us to experience for the new greater opportunities of tomorrow. In the past we have tended not to be candid as congregations in regards to the cultural dynamics. Many of us are very impatient for we see our denomination south of the border and conclude that in the Midwest U.S.A. it has taken 130 years to break through the ethnic barriers which we are trying to address in but thirty years. We do not like the limited appeal that our denomination has in a number of States, for the gospel of Jesus Christ is much greater and more powerful than the Dutch and German ethnicity.

Are we willing to change? This does not mean what you may think. It may simply mean to accept the present situation but aggressively build other communities of faith meeting the needs of the Canadian in the latter part of the 20th Century.

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