Women in Office in the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (GKV)

I have been debating whether to write this post.  I don’t like to be the one who breaks bad news.  I don’t like to point out the failings and weaknesses in other churches.  Yet putting our collective heads in the sand does no one any favours either.  There is a need to be up front about what is happening among our sister churches and we need to speak up — because we care and because there is no guarantee that we will not head down the same road.

Een in Waarheid has a story here (rough English translation here) about a church planting project in the Netherlands that’s sponsored by the Reformed Churches (GKV) — those would be the sister churches of the Canadian Reformed Churches.  The work (“Stroom” — “Stream” or “Current” in English), in Amsterdam, is close to institution.  However, the GKV classis involved (Amsterdam/Leiden) is faced with a problem because Stroom already has a provisional council which includes female elders.  The church planter, Martijn Horsman, defends the practice.  As a church plant, Stroom comes from a different context and that needs to be taken into account.

What we have here is a blatantly unbiblical practice being smuggled into the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands under the cover of mission and church planting.  Forget about what the Bible teaches — that doesn’t even really figure into the equation.  Stroom is about the freedom of Jesus and finding new ways of bringing that into practice.

Thankfully, there are voices within the GKV protesting this.  The story reports how a GKV missionary in Ukraine, Rev. Henk Drost, has voiced his opposition.  He argues that this has do with disconnecting Reformed identity and the Reformed confessions from mission.  He is correct.  There are those who see being Reformed and being mission-oriented as being antithetical.  To be missionary churches, we have to give up our Reformed identity and therefore also our confessions.  This makes our Reformed identity more about culture than about confessing and holding to the truth of Scripture.  To be sure, there are certain aspects of our identity that are more culturally conditioned than we have previously recognized.  But is the restriction of the offices of the church to men only one of them?  If the GKV accept that argument it’s a dangerous step away from the authority of Scripture.  Let’s pray that the brothers in Classis Amsterdam/Leiden will have the wisdom to draw the line with Stroom and call Rev. Horsman and his fledgling congregation to repentance.

Report of Visit to RCUS Classis Covenant East

This report has been prepared for the upcoming Classis Ontario West of the CanRC, March 21, 2012.

I was asked to attend the RCUS Classis Covenant East meeting of March 5-7, 2012 held in Waymart, PA (a short distance from Scranton).  It was my distinct pleasure to do so.  I was warmly welcomed by our brothers and was again treated to their friendly fellowship.

Waymart Presbyterian Church building. Heritage RCUS rents the basement of this building. Classis Covenant East met on the main floor in the auditorium.

As is their tradition, there was a pre-classis meeting on the evening of Monday March 5.  The delegates gathered for a discussion on church planting.  This discussion was led by Rev. Ryan Kron, an RCUS church planter in the Minneapolis area.  The lively discussion was based on several chapters of Planting, Watering, Growing: Planting Confessionally Reformed Churches in the 21^st Century.

The next morning the classis was called to order and the business began.  Of special interest was the parochial reports from all the local churches in the classis.  This classis stretches from Pennsylvania to Minnesota and includes seven instituted churches.  This is up by one from last year – the church plant in north west Arkansas became an instituted church and Rev. Wes Brice was installed as their pastor.  In addition, there is one church plant in Minneapolis and another in Waymart, PA.  Also, Rev. Jay Fluck is working “out of bounds” in a congregation seeking affiliation with the RCUS in Gettysburg, PA.

Rev. Randall Klynsma (Kansas City) giving his parochial report.

From the parochial reports, it was readily evident that these churches are striving to be faithful to our Lord Jesus.  There are active efforts throughout to spread the gospel far and wide.  Some of the churches are making effective use of the Internet and especially social media such as Facebook for this purpose.  The parochial reports also gave updates on developments in some of the churches.  For instance, one church reversed a long standing decision to prohibit funerals in their church building when the deceased had committed suicide.  The church made a careful study of the matter and when the reversal of the decision was adopted, there was no dissent from the congregation.

I was given the opportunity to address the body on behalf of the churches in our classical region.  I extended greetings and informed the Classis of some recent developments in our churches.  I made special mention of the fact that our seminary is actively searching for a fifth professor and asked them to please inform us if they knew of any suitable men from within their midst.

Elders being asked the "constitutional questions" by the president of the classis. This is the RCUS equivalent of the Article 44 Question Period at a CanRC classis.

There were also fraternal delegates in attendance from the URCNA (Rev. Kevin Hossink) and RPCNA (Rev. Paul Brace).  They also addressed the body and informed them of recent and upcoming developments in their churches.  Mr. Ray Schnabel was present on behalf of Heidelberg Theological Seminary.  He spoke a few words about the seminary and its labours for the RCUS.  As you may know, Heidelberg is affiliated with the RCUS.  They have a current enrollment of sixteen students, with eight in the M.Div. program.  The RCUS does have other men studying for the ministry at other institutions, most notably at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in South Carolina.

On the evening of March 6, a worship service was held.  All the members of the Waymart church were invited to attend and many, if not all, did.  Rev. Kyle Sorensen conducted the service and Rev. Jay Fluck preached a sermon on Hebrews 11:23-29.  The sermon was a faithful, Christ-centered exposition of God’s Word.

In informal conversation, I asked some of our RCUS brothers about the matter of Bible translation.  Most of their churches use either the NKJV or ESV.  The disappearance of the 1984 NIV is not a problem for their churches – it was never received very well among them.

In summary, I can report that God’s blessings continue to be in evidence among the RCUS churches of Classis Covenant East.  Moreover, the gospel continues to be faithfully preached, the sacraments are administered faithfully, and discipline is carried out according to the teachings of our Saviour.  We can praise God for the gracious work of his Spirit amongst them.

Submitted respectfully,

Rev. Wes Bredenhof

The Reformed Church is (Still) Alive in Ukraine

“The Reformed Church is Alive in Ukraine,” was the title of an article by J. Van Rietschoten in the July 9, 1999 issue of Clarion.  In that article from long ago, we learned of the mission work being doing in Ukraine by our Dutch sister churches.  Van Rietschoten told of how the Reformed church at Hattem had sent out two missionaries, Rev. Marten Nap and Rev. Jan Werkman.  They were working to assist the fledgling Evangelical Reformed Church of Ukraine.

Now flash ahead to today.  I recently had an opportunity to visit Ukraine and see some of the mission work first hand.  Rev. Nap and Rev. Werkman have repatriated, but others are carrying on the work.  How is the Reformed faith progressing in the largest country in Europe?  What kind of fruit has come from over a decade of work by the Dutch missionaries?

I was greeted at the Boryspil airport in Kiev by Rev. Jos Colijn.  He was mentioned in Van Rietschoten’s earlier article, but at that time was working in Hungary.  Since then he has moved to Kiev where he teaches church history and dogmatics at the Evangelical Reformed Seminary.  This institution provides theological training via a modular program.  The staff comes primarily from our Dutch sister churches as well as from the Presbyterian Church in America (who also have a number of missionaries working in Ukraine).  The students come from the Evangelical Reformed churches, as well as from the Presbyterian churches.

On the Lord’s Day, I worshipped with the Evangelical Reformed congregation in Kiev.  There were about 40-50 people in attendance, mostly made up of young people and families.  This church has its own modest building and pastor.  Interestingly, the service was conducted in a mixture of Ukrainian and Russian – not uncommon in Kiev.  After the service, the brothers and sisters spent time fellowshipping, just as they do in other parts of the world.

Evangelical Reformed Church building in Kiev, Ukraine

Later that afternoon, I joined my Dutch colleague as he taught a catechism lesson at a house church in another part of the city.  This church had been Pentecostal and was in the process of learning how to be Reformed.  The pastor and elder of the church had invited Rev. Colijn to teach them the Heidelberg Catechism.  In a room in a small apartment in a huge complex, there we sat with some ten people and Rev. Colijn taught the Reformed doctrine of the Lord’s Supper.  There were some questions and discussion afterwards, but from all appearances his teaching was well-received.

With Rev. Henk Drost (r) and Rev. Cor Harryvan (l), GKV missionaries in Ukraine

That weekend the other two Dutch missionaries (yes, there are now three!) were much further south in Ukraine.  Rev. Henk Drost and Rev. Cor Harryvan were assisting two of the Evangelical Reformed congregations near the Black Sea.  They returned to Kiev on Monday along with a group of men who were going to attend the conference scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday of that week.  Rev. Henk Drost lives in the city of Rivne, about 350 km west of Kiev.  From there he provides mentoring throughout Ukraine for the Evangelical Reformed Churches.  Rev. Cor Harryvan has the same task, but he is based in Kiev.

The reason I was in Ukraine was to speak at the All Reformed Conference.  This was held on Tuesday November 8 and Wednesday November 9.  I spoke on the subject of my doctoral dissertation, the missionary significance of the Belgic Confession.  The Conference was held at a Baptist retreat in a beautiful outlying area of Kiev.  Attending the conference were Reformed and Presbyterian elders, pastors, and missionaries from all over Ukraine.  There was also one brother who came from the neighbouring country to the north, Belarus.  In terms of the time travelled to reach the Conference, some of these men had given up far more than I had.  They spent many hours by train and bus to attend this time of learning and fellowship.  They appeared to be quite interested in the subject and we had some excellent discussions.  Of course, since I don’t know Russian or Ukrainian, all of that had to take place through a translator.  Sergey Nakul was always at my side (or slightly behind me) giving me the gift either of tongues or of understanding – he did excellent work!

All Reformed Conference. Pastors, elders, and missionaries attended from all over Ukraine and Belarus.

From the conference it became apparent that the Reformed faith is holding its own in Ukraine.  There is some modest growth, but there are also many challenges.  Some of those are cultural and have to do with the fact that Ukraine is a post-communist nation.  Communism fostered suspicion and a lack of trust that is still embedded in the psyche of Ukraine.  Some of the challenges are spiritual and have to do either with the atheism birthed by communism or false teachings masquerading as Christianity.  Other challenges are personal.  Slavic peoples admire strong men who dominate even to the point of tyranny.  In Reformed church leadership that approach rarely, if ever, ends well or really serves God’s people.  Despite these challenges, the Reformed churches in Ukraine are committed to the truth of God’s Word and to the life-changing power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  They continue to reach out to this dark world and, in small measures, God is blessing their efforts.

In the earlier article in Clarion, mention was made of the St. James Bible College.  Some United Reformed pastors had been involved with teaching the Heidelberg Catechism at this institution in Kiev.  Even though St. James was not Reformed, they had been invited and were welcomed to bring Reformed teaching.  Before I left for Ukraine, and after I returned, several people asked me about this.  I inquired about it while in Kiev.  This institution apparently changed direction in the last decade and is now hostile to the Reformed faith.  This is a sad turn of events, but the upside is that the Lord did bless the efforts of URC pastors such as Rev. Ray Sikkema.  Some of the current students at the Evangelical Reformed Seminary first heard and embraced the gospel of grace via this means.

These days there’s a lot of negative press about our Dutch sister churches.  To be sure, there are some reasons for concern.  But there in Ukraine I encountered some Dutch brothers who were deeply passionate about being confessionally Reformed and missional.  My time there was delightful, not only because of the cross-cultural experience (mmm…borscht!), but especially because I felt a real bond of fellowship with my Dutch colleagues.  I could enjoy their fantastic hospitality and some thought-provoking discussions on theological and missionary matters.  We can be thankful for the good work being doing by these men on behalf of our Dutch sister churches.  May God continue to richly bless their efforts for the gospel of our Saviour.

More information about the Dutch mission work in Ukraine can be found at the website of the Ukraine Committee (includes English content).

Federal Vision: A Canadian Reformed Pastor’s Perspective

You can find part one of my series for The Outlook online here.  The plan is to publish this material in a booklet format later this year or early next.  Stay tuned.

Foundational Statements of Reformed Church Government

Many of us are disappointed at the outcome of a decade of ecumenical efforts with the URCNA.  However, there were some good things coming from all the time and effort spent.  Some years ago, the URCNA developed a set of “Foundational Principles for Reformed Church Government.”  As ecumenical discussions proceeded, this document was imported into the Proposed Joint Church Order.  Along the way it was tweaked and improved.  Today it stands as an excellent summary of Reformed church polity.  I use it with my preconfession students to orient them to our basic understanding of how the church of Christ is to be governed.  Here’s the document as it appeared in the 2010 PJCO:

1. The church is the possession of Christ, who is the Mediator of the New Covenant.

Acts 20:28; Ephesians 5:25-27

2. As Mediator of the New Covenant, Christ is the Head of the church.

Ephesians 1:22-23; 5:23-24; Colossians 1:18

3. Because the church is Christ’s possession and He is its Head, the principles governing the church are determined not by human preference, but by biblical teaching.

Matthew 28:18-20; Colossians 1:18; 2 Timothy 3:16-17

4. The catholic or universal church possesses a spiritual unity in Christ and in the Holy Scriptures.

Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 2:20; I Timothy 3:15; II John 9

5. In its subjection to its heavenly Head, the universal church is governed by Christ from heaven, by means of His Word and Spirit, with the keys of the kingdom which He has given to the local church for that purpose.  Therefore, no church may lord it over another church.

Matthew 16:19; 23:8; John 20:22-23; Acts 14:23; 20:28-32

6. The offices of minister, elder, and deacon are local in authority and function.  The Lord gave no permanent universal, national, or regional offices to His church by which the churches are to be governed.  Therefore, no office bearer may lord it over another office bearer.

Acts 14:23; 16:4; 20:17, 28; Ephesians 4:11-16; Titus 1:5

7. In order to manifest our spiritual unity, churches should seek contact with other faithful, confessionally Reformed churches for their mutual edification and as an effective witness to the world.

John 17:21-23; Ephesians 4:1-6

8. The exercise of a federative relationship is possible only on the basis of unity in faith and in confession.

I Corinthians 10:14-22; Gal. 1:6-9; Ephesians 4:16-17

9. Although churches exist in certain circumstances without formal federative relationships, the well-being of the church requires that such relationships be entered wherever possible.  Entering into or remaining in such relationships should be voluntary; there is however a spiritual obligation to seek and maintain the federative unity of the churches by formal bonds of fellowship and cooperation.

Acts 11:22, 27-30; 15:22-35; Romans. 15:25-27; 1 Corinthians 16:1-3; Colossians 4:16; 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10; Revelation 1:11, 20

10. Member churches meet together in broader assemblies to manifest ecclesiastical unity,  to guard against human imperfections and to benefit from the wisdom of many counselors. The decisions of such assemblies are settled and binding among the churches unless they are contrary to Scripture, the Reformed Confessions, or the adopted Church Order.

Proverbs 11:14; Acts 15:1-35; I Corinthians 13:9-10; II Timothy 3:16-17

11. The church is mandated to exercise its ministry of reconciliation by proclaiming the gospel to the ends of the earth and by administering the sacraments in the congregation.

Matthew 26:26-30; 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; 2:38-39; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34; II Corinthians 5:18-21

12. Christ cares for and governs His church through the office bearers, namely, ministers, elders, and deacons, whom He chooses through the congregation.

Acts 1:23-26; 6:2-3; 14:23; I Timothy 3:1,8; 5:17

13. The Scriptures require that ministers, elders, and deacons be properly qualified for the suitable discharge of their respective offices.

I Timothy 3:2-9; 4:16; II Timothy 2:14-16; 3:14; 4:1-5

14. Being the chosen and redeemed people of God, the church, under the supervision of the consistory, is called to worship Him in reverence and awe according to the scriptural principles governing worship.

Leviticus 10:1-3; Deuteronomy 12:29-32; Psalm 95:1,2,6; Psalm 100:4; John 4:24; Hebrews 12:28-29; I Peter 2:9

15. Since the church is the pillar and ground of the truth, it is called through its teaching ministry to build up the people of God in faith.

Deuteronomy 11:19; Ephesians 4:11-16; I Timothy 4:6; II Timothy 2:2; 3:16-17

16. The church’s evangelistic and missionary calling consists of preaching and teaching the Word of God to the unconverted at home and abroad with the goal of establishing new churches or expanding existing churches.  This calling is fulfilled by ministers of the Word ordained to be missionaries, and by equipping the congregation to be the light of the world.

Matthew 5:14-16; 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 4:11-13; Philippians 2:14-16; 1 Peter 2:9-12; 3:15-16

17. Christian discipline, arising from God’s love for His people, is exercised in the church to correct and strengthen the people of God, to maintain the unity and the purity of the church of Christ, and thereby to bring honor and glory to God’s name.

I Timothy 5:20; Titus 1:13; Hebrews 12:7-11

18. The exercise of Christian discipline is first of all a personal duty of every church member, but when official discipline by the church, to whom the keys of the kingdom are entrusted, becomes necessary, it must be exercised by the consistory of the church.

Matthew 18:15-20; John 20:22-23; Acts 20:28; I Corinthians 5:13; I Peter 5:1-3