Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Oct/86

Contributor - Arie Blok

Title - Maintaining our American - Canadian Bond

Topic - Church in Canada

In his farewell letter to the Classis, the Rev. Gordon Robinson has touched on an issue that concerns us all. That issue is the future of the Reformed Church in Canada and our relationship with the Reformed Church in America. On the one hand, the Reformed Church in America is the denomination of which we are a part. On the other hand, the relationship between the American and Canadian segments of our denomination are sometimes awkward and prone to misunderstanding.

Is the "Emerging Synod of Canada an independence movement?

As I understand it the proposed (or emerging) Synod of Canada is to be a particular Synod, not a General Synod yet many Americans, when they hear of the "Emerging Synod of Canada", think of it as an independence movement and therefore as disloyalty to the Reformed Church. Rev. Robinson seems to share in this confusion as to the character of the Canadian Synod.

Does the Particular Synod see its mission strictly within the borders of the U.S.A.?

As far as denominational structure is concerned, we are part of the Particular Synod of Michigan. The Particular Synod of Michigan treats us as equal with the other Classes and Churches of its jurisdiction in Michigan and Ohio- up to a point. That point comes when one looks at the Particular Synod's view of its mission. The Particular Synod sees its mission almost entirely in terms of activity within the borders of the U.S.A. The Particular Synod of Michigan has, for example, promoted and funded Campus Ministries at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, Grand Valley State College near Grand Rapids, at Ferris State College in Big Rapids, Michigan, and at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. These ministries, it is true, are funded for the greater part by the Classes and churches in their areas, yet the total expenditure by the Particular Synod for Campus Ministries amounted to $127,174 in 1986 and the amount budgeted for 1987 is $129,249 US. It is not that the Particular Synod of Michigan would be against establishing a Campus Ministry at a Canadian university, it is simply that it would never occur to the Particular Synod to do it.

On the other hand, the RCA Colleges and Seminaries in the U. S.A. have "leaned over backwards" to accommodate Canadian students. At Western Theological Seminary, Canadian dollars are accepted on par with U.S. dollars for payment of tuition, which is very generous treatment at today's exchange rates. Canadian students are also given opportunities for work on campus, since they are forbidden to accept gainful employment in the U.S.A.

The Canadian R.C.A. is only five percent of the whole denomination.

One of the problems of our relationship with the R-C.A. in the U. S. is that the Canadian R-C.A. membership is only five percent (5%) of the total R. C.A. membership. We are really an insignificant minority, and to the average member of the R- C. A., not a very visible minority. Not one member of the Headquarters staff at"475" is Canadian. At present, the R. C. A. is committed to a " Southern Strategy" of trying to penetrate into the large and growing population centre ' s of the American sun-belt. This is a wise move for the R-C.A. in the U.S. The problem for us is that this "Southern Strategy" makes it that much more difficult for our denominational leaders to see that the future of our denomination in Canada really requires a similar "Northern Strategy".

In Canada we require a Northern Strategy.

Meanwhile, on our side of the border, we do very little to improve the relationships with the large American segment of our denomination. Anti-America sounds are sometimes made even on the floor of Classis, and while American ears may generally be quite deaf to Canadian sounds, they always hear those kind of noises over-loud and over-clear.

Very few Canadian students are interested in taking advantage of our RCA. colleges, even when their financial aid packages are quite generous. It is simply a matter of thinking Canadian, rather than any bias against RCA. institutions. But the failure of our RCA. colleges to attract any sizeable number of Canadian students is seen again by the Americans as a desire of the Canadian segment of the R-C.A. to "be on its own".

Gordon Robinson suggests that "if there cannot ultimately be a Synod of Canada, there may be good reason for the RCA. in Canada to consider uniting with a Canadian church". At present uniting with a Canadian denomination would be abhorrent to many of our members. After all, we are Reformed by choice, not by necessity. I am sure that very few of us want to separate from the RCA. Let us not forget however, that we are the second existence of the RCA. in Canada, Prior to 1816 the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church (later RCA) had as many churches in Ontario as we do now, but in 1816 these churches united with the Presbyterians.

If our future lies with our present denominational affiliation, and I believe it does, it is very necessary that, on both sides of the border, due regard and attention be paid to the RCA Canadian-American relationship. To prosper andgrow in Canada, we need more active co-operation than we presently have. We are a bi-national denomination. We must either strengthen our bi-national bonds or they will eventually wither away.

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