Main Index Table of Contents Article 1-50 Article 51-94 Article 95 -105 Article 106-130  Appendix I Appendix II Appendix III Appendix IV Appendix V Appendix VI Appendix VII Appendix VIII

SPEECHES

A. Opening Words

Rev. M. VanderWel welcomes the delegates with the following words:

Esteemed Brethren in the Lord,

On behalf of the convening church, the church at Abbotsford, I am pleased to extend a hearty welcome to all of you who have been delegated to General Synod 1995. Included in this welcome are, of course, those brothers who in an official capacity are visiting or will be visiting this Synod. Your presence will be well appreciated. We may thankfully note that all delegates and visitors, whether they came from far or near, have safely arrived in the city of Abbotsford. As convening church we consider it an honour to be hostess to this Synod, and we will try to accommodate you during this Synod as much as we can in the hope that, in spite of the strenuous work which has to be done, you may still feel at ease in "The Hub of the Fraser Valley."
 

I spoke of "strenuous work," because I have been told that lots of material has come in. Among this material there are a good number of Protests and Appeals against decisions of previous Synods; there are the regular Reports from various Committees, and there are also the issues regarding, what I now may generally call, our Ecumenical Outreach. If I just go by all the requests which have been directed to this Synod, I must conclude that much work, wisdom and discretion will be required of you as members of Synod. Well, it is with respect to the latter that I like to refer, for a moment, to the portion of Scripture from which we have read this morning.
 

In Micah 6 we also hear about a complaint, but then a complaint, a controversy, which the LORD has with his unfaithful and disobedient people. After the LORD, with the help of several examples taken from Israel's history, has pointed out how He on his part has been faithful to his covenant people, the prophet then lets the people ask by what means they might be able to please the LORD and to make up for their transgressions. Could it be done by bringing outrageous sacrifices to the LORD? The answer is: of course not! But Micah has put these foolish presumptions into the mouth of the people in order to emphasize what is truly required of them in their relationship with the LORD. So we hear the prophet say in verse 8: "He has showed you, o man, what is good;" (that is: what is pleasing in his sight). 'And what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" Brothers, now that an important and impressive task is awaiting you as members of Synod, I should like to give you these words of the prophet Micah along. There may be moments in your work in which you will ask yourselves: How much is actually required of us? Well, in some instances people may request from you more that you justifiably can grant them. It is however our sincere prayer that in all your deliberations, judgments and decisions you may be conscious of that which the LORD requires of you. Micah has mentioned important things: to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God!
 

Allow me to apply these requirements for a moment to the things which I have mentioned earlier as belonging to your task. In cases of an appeal Synod has to do justice. Now, doing justice is not: How can I satisfy both parties? But doing justice is: To act in accordance with God's good commandments, and to hold on to that which has been agreed upon in our Reformed Church Order. There are also matters pertaining to, what I briefly called, our ecumenical outreach. As you know, contacts have been made with other churches and with groups of believers outside of our federation. Consequently, Synod will be confronted with questions like: What should be our approach?, and: How are we to go further about it? I would not be surprised if someone would say: Look, in this regard we need this second requirement: to love kindness. I agree, that is, as long as the word "kindness" is not understood as a certain goody-goodiness in which we as churches should be prepared to make all kinds of concessions in order to meet those outside of our federation halfway, or just for the purpose of being nice to them. Unity of faith is not a matter of negotiating, but rather a matter of recognizing each other as true sheep of the Good Shepherd, and of growing together under the guidance of God's Word and Spirit. At this point we do well to bear in mind that the Church is not ours, but the Lord's! However, the Hebrew word which the prophet Micah uses for kindness indicates a show of love and friendliness which is born from the fellowship which we are allowed to have with each other as sister churches and a thankful acknowledgment of all that the Lord has done for his Church.
 

As Canadian (and American) Reformed Churches we have much to be thankful for. In the past week there was the commemoration of the Liberation of Holland, fifty years ago. This year it will be also fifty years ago that the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands could have their first General Synod in the city of Enschede after they had freed themselves from a synodical hierarchy and from binding decisions which went beyond Scripture and Confession. From these churches we have originated, and as Dutch immigrants we were allowed to take a rich blessing along. Since our own first General Synod, which was convened in 1954 at Carman, Manitoba and then called: the National Synod of Homewood, a lot of things have come into being within, the life of our Canadian and American Reformed Churches. This Synod will now be the fourteenth General Synod. I do not make these observations however, in order to boast in the achievements of men. His blessings were undeserved and out of mere grace. That gives us all reason, in accordance with Micah's words, to walk humbly with our God. That's why, we are to build further on the foundation which has been laid. Some of that humbleness should then also be found in the contacts which we may have with all those who have the sincere desire to build on this same foundation. That means, that in our way of approaching them we must not let ourselves be restrained by feelings of chauvinism or traditionalism. Rather we must be willing to share our riches with them in all humility. Also in this respect we do well to remember that the Church is not ours, but the Lord's. However, if we hold on to the foundation which the Lord himself has laid, then there is also the promise that the Lord will bless our endeavours. According to the words of the apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans (chapter 9:33; chapter 10:11), whoever builds his faith on this foundation, will not be ashamed. This promise also has value for our pursuit of the unity of faith with others.
 

In closing, brothers, I express the wish that in the coming weeks you may work together in good harmony as brothers of the same House. It is our prayer that you may receive the clarity of mind and the wisdom from above in order to deal with the matters which will come before you in such a way, that the well-being of the churches and of their members is served by it. If that is given to you then your work will be for 'the good of Jerusalem'.
 

With these words I declare this assembly opened.

B. Address by the Fraternal Delegate of the RCN, Rev. A. DeJager

Brother Chairman, Esteemed Brothers

First of all I would like to thank you, also on behalf of Rev. VanVeen, for the welcome we received. We, in turn have appreciated the visit of your churches, in the person of the Rev. J. Visscher at our Synod in Ommen in 1993. We are thankful to the Lord of the Church that He makes it possible to have a good understanding with each other within our sister-church relations. This will undoubtedly stay as long as we stay on the road of His Word, and remain faithful to the Reformed Confession.
 

To be able to have such good relationships is a gift of God's grace. Recently we remembered the event of 50 years ago when the Liberation from synodical hierarchy in doctrinal binding beyond Scripture took place. The Lord set us free. This past week some 16,000 Canadians joined us in commemorating the liberation of our land and people from the Nazi regime. Again, the Lord set us free. Though both events on either side of the ocean caused sacrifices and pain, each in its own way, yet we rejoice in this freedom which the Lord gave us. We pay respect to all those who were instrumental in these blessings.
 
Personally, it is a pleasure to be in your midst again: I experienced first hand the inner workings of your ecclesiastical meetings, from the consistory level to Regional Synods. That I am now present at your General Synod and represent a whole church federation makes it even more joyful for me. It also adds to my responsibility.
 
In speaking on behalf of the churches in the Netherlands, let me start with the ecclesiastical relationships. You must have noticed the increase of our contacts over the last half decade. Several factors are at work. Firstly, the mandate of our deputies on relations is broader than yours. Secondly, in several instances we are called upon to help and support churches. Nowadays the concentration points are especially in countries like India, Brazil and African countries like Zaire, Benin and Ethiopia, where people are seeking help. Thirdly, we have a new phenomenon which is called the IRTC. Instead of sending people out to other countries, it is the intention to invite ministers and elders to the Netherlands so that they can be trained in Reformed theology for a number of weeks. Our traditional missionary work is slowly moving from sending missionaries to sending churchworkers and professors to develop stronger ties. We search for local churches to carry this out. During this assistance period, we often meet different churches (often Presbyterian) and try to find a successful responsible way to offer the right help in a united way. In this role the contact with the RCUS has flourished and contacts with the OPC are growing. We will discuss both of these a little later. Allow me to tell you that your deputies have clearly presented to us your concerns, and we take this matter to heart and wish to continue dialogue. Finally, the ICRC is a continuing stimulus for orientation in the field of relations.
 
With regard to the matter of relationships, we appreciate your attitude, contribution and participation wherever possible. After all, our relations are moving slowly from dealing with each other on a one to one basis to doing this together. In this light, your visit to the FRCA in Byford in 1994, meant a great deal to them and to us. We expect cooperation in reaching desirable work ethics in contact with the FCS. It is our deepest wish that our universities in Hamilton, Edinburgh, Belfast and Kampen will work closer together internationally.
 
We are also very pleased with the appointment of your deputies for the promotion of ecclesiastical unity and for their work and effort. Your ecclesiastical effort and openness on this North American continent have gained our respect and our prayers. I am referring to your contacts with the Orthodox and Independent Christian Reformed Churches. May the Lord bless you so that you may be fruitful as reformed churches in times of crises in and around the Christian Reformed Churches.
 
We also appreciate your thorough approach in the relationships with the RCUS and the OPC. Concerning our sister, the RCUS, we are appreciative of the fact that you are in discussion with them. We recognize that there are matters to be considered but we believe they need our love and encouragement above all. Therefore we wish you well in your discussions with them. Mind you, the FICUS was our first sister from a non-liberated mould, who pointed a loving but warning finger at us, concerning the women voting issue in Ommen. Her position within the ICRC is encouraging and the reserved attitude by NAPARC to take her in, is eye opening. We think it is of great importance to explain to her our reformed church government.
 
The direction of your relationship with the OPC is for us the most interesting matter at this moment. There is an increasing pressure from within our churches and from our deputies in general to formally establish contact with the OPC. In the above mentioned African countries we continually meet each other and there are good opportunities to coordinate the help. From the years of discussion in your churches we understand that also for you the relations with the OPC is an important matter. We also noticed that you do not take the easy way out. That is the reason why our section of deputies have been low key for the time being. Much depends on your decisions in this regard, as it will also concern us.
 
Brother chairman, my speaking here would not be complete if I did not tell you something about the developments in the churches at home. Instead of touching on all the details, it seems better to me, to give you a more overall view. I will make use of the themes of discussion, as one finds them in the ecclesiastical press. Within the framework of a reflection on church, tradition and culture an extensive discussion is taking place. This discussion is quite fundamental and leads here and there to some more or less radical changes.
 
The underlying thought is that people find that rationality always has been very important in the way we, "liberated" people think, work and believe. Nowadays they feel it is necessary to emphasize a strong personal belief together with a good christian association. Within the "Liberated" tradition, doctrine is strongly accentuated. People feel that the balance needs to be restored again. The central position of the doctrine should not be at the expense of the attention for personal and communal matters. It appears that the preaching of a sound doctrine does not, as a matter of course, lead to a sound life in faith, or to sound relations, or to a proper Christian attitude and conduct in society. It seems that sound preaching in itself does not lead to proper Christian action. Focussing on the creed does not necessarily result in shaping life around the creed. Because of the culture in which we live, or because of certain accents in theology, blind spots may appear. We have been taught to "handle" the doctrine in a rational manner, but have we learned to devote ourselves to God in trust? We have been taught to speak about the Bible and about prayer, but have we learned to use prayer as an answer to that Word and as a strength for our lives? We have been taught what the Bible says about sin, but have we learned to confess our sin to God and our neighbour? We have been taught to interpret Scripture, but did we learn to meditate on Scripture? People plead for a more personal approach to believing and for a better balance between the different dimensions of faith. In addition to this, people consider that our thinking might have gotten a one-sided effect after the forties. The question is whether typical "liberated" accents remain sufficiently integrated into the whole of life itself? A heavy emphasis on themes like, church, and the socalled "doorgaande reformatie" should not lead to one-sidedness and imbalance. The increasing influence of the secularization requires all hands on deck, especially also for our young people.
 
By means of these discussions people intend to arm against an apostate and godless culture in order to stay fully reformed. In this respect we experience a very challenging time as we again think through our positions as churches. Open questions will not be shunned. It is clear that the Reformed churches in the
 
Netherlands do not suffer from introvert conservatism. By the same token there is no urge for renewal just like that! In continually abiding by scripture and the reformed confession, we as churches are seeking the way which the Lord points out to us in the world of today, the direction to take to be the salt of the earth and a light to the world.
 
In conclusion we pass on our greetings in the Name of the Lord, on behalf of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands. We wish you the blessing of our God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit in all your synodical endeavours.
 
May the Lord grant that by your decisions His church gathering work may prosper and that the peace of Christ may be found amongst one another and in your churches.

Brother Chairman, I thank you for allowing me your time and attention.

Response by Rev. J. DeGelder:

Dear Rev. DeJager and Rev. VanVeen,

It is a privilege for me to welcome you here officially in the Fraser Valley, and to greet you on behalf of General Synod Abbotsford 1995. We are thankful that you have arrived safely earlier this week already, on Monday, and that you were able to participate in the work that is going on in some of our advisory committees.
 
Besides that it is also a matter of great joy for me personally to meet old friends again. It is not the first time that we meet each other within the framework of contacts with churches abroad.
 
For you, Rev. VanVeen, it is your first visit to Canada, but we all know how familiar Rev. DeJager is with our churches and with our church life. We do hope that you both feel at home among us this week.
 
For us as Canadian Reformed Churches the bond with our Dutch sister churches has always been a very special one, and... it still is! That is understandable of course, when you look at the history of our churches. But you might expect that this would change somewhat; that it gradually would decrease, or become weaker.
 
But this is not the case. The connections with the "old country" are still there, and for many of us they still mean a lot.
 
The celebration of 50 years liberation of Holland from the Nazi persecution, at the end of last week was not an ecclesiastical event, but it showed again the strong bonds between Canada and the Netherlands.
 
This colours the thankfulness in which many Dutch people in Canada, or Canadians with a Dutch background - also in our churches - have celebrated this liberation. This thankfulness is not limited only to our older brothers and sisters, it includes many young people among us.
 
At the same time, pointing at the special bonds between the Canadian Reformed Churches and the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, we realize quite well, that today the Canadian Reformed Churches are just one of the many contacts you have with various churches in this world. We follow your activities in this field with much interest, although not without concern sometimes. We are not always able to follow you literally on all your journeys, because of our limited resources.
 
Especially interesting are the developments as pictured by you, Rev. DeJager, concerning the increasing attention for what is going on in churches in third world countries. It helps us also more and more to realize that God's church is indeed gathered from every tribe and nation.
 
That means that in both our countries - in Canada as well as in Holland - we will be more and more confronted with the urgent question: how can we help and support each other in such a way, that this help indeed serves the strengthening of reformed church life. Here the contacts available via the ICRIC can play an important role too.
 
You probably know, brothers, how our churches are struggling, for many years now, with the questions regarding possible relations with presbyterian churches, and especially with the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. This matter is not only on the agenda of General Synod, but also on the minds of many brothers and sisters in our churches. We really appreciate that you realize this, and that you will take into account this vulnerable situation, in your own dealings with this church federation.
 
Brothers, that we are still strongly connected as sister-churches with the same roots, is the result of the ways of the LORD in your, as well as in our history. At the same time, we should use this connection, to help each other not to close our eyes for the very fact that the same LORD, with his same Word and through the power of the same Spirit, goes various ways in history, with various parts of his people. We do well not to forget the reality of what we believe and confess in Art. 27 B.C., that the Holy Church of Jesus Christ is spread and dispersed throughout the entire world, and yet joined and united by the power of faith.
 
Our strong bond with our Dutch brothers and sisters is also seen, when we closely try to follow the recent developments in the churches in the Netherlands. Especially the older brothers and sisters among us are still able to read the Dutch church magazines. It is impossible, however, to keep up with everything that is written. This always brings with it that danger that we are going to judge on the basis of limited information.
 
It is for that reason, Rev. DeJager, that we have listened with much interest to what you have told us about the developments in the church life of our Dutch sister churches. It is good for us to hear about these things, because we both are called to be faithful churches of the Lord Jesus Christ in a modern society, facing all the temptations and challenges of today's world. In many respects it is a rapidly changing world, and the penetrating power of the secularization is attacking permanently.
 
How important that you, in the Netherlands, and we, here in Canada, both in our own cultural and ecclesiastical circumstances abide by God's Holy Word as summarized in our Reformed Confessions.
 
No matter what might change in church and world - one thing will never change: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." This means that for the Church of Jesus Christ, wherever it has been established in this world, there is only one way of life. That is the way of faith and obedience, following Jesus Christ, the glorified King.
 
We pray, brothers, that our LORD may bless and protect the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, and that in His wonderful love, He may keep them close to Him and to his Holy Word.
 
Rev. DeJager and Rev. VanVeen, we ask you to convey our heartfelt greetings to our Dutch sister churches, which are so dear to our hearts. We thank you for being here with us; for participating in our discussions, and we wish you the blessing of our heavenly Father on your way home.

Thank you.

C. Address of Fraternal Delegate of the OPC, Rev. J.J. Peterson

Brothers in the Lord Jesus Christ,

It is a privilege to be with you again as the fraternal delegate of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, the OPC, to a synod of the Canadian Reformed Churches. This is my third time with you - first in 1983 at Cloverdale, then at Winnipeg in 1989 and the third time in Abbotsford in 1995. Yes, Texas Jack is back.
 
The OPC celebrates our 60th anniversary next year. In 1936 ecclesiastical trials were held for several ministers who were defrocked - removed from office. And their crime? Their sin? They preached the gospel of our Lord and insisted that the church faithfully proclaim that gospel and that Christ, faithful to the confessions of the church. On June 11, 1936 the first general assembly of the OPC was held in the New Century Club in downtown Philadelphia, and the OPC was born.
 
You see, we began as general assembly - a groups of 200 souls - ministers, elders and general office bearers. Yes a few congregations. Fully committed to the Word of God and the Westminster standards. Irregular? perhaps.
 
For many years we were looked on and treated as outcasts. We had left a socalled mainline church. We were and are very small. We were narrow - Only the Bible. Only the Reformed faith. You know, sola scriptura, sola gratia, sola fide, sola Christus.
 
We had few friends. And, by the way, and please try to understand, one of the very close friends in the '30s and '40s was the Christian Reformed Church in North America. They sent a telegram of encouragement to our First General Assembly. They encouraged us. We took some of their finest, Stonehouse in New Testament, Van Til in apologetics, R.B. Kuiper in systematics and practica. They sent fraternal delegates to our assemblies. We as church didn't even know about 1944 - only later. Please understand why we are willing to work patiently with that church.
 
How are we working with the CRCNA? I have distributed to you part of the report to our General Assembly of the Committee on Ecumenicity and Interchurch Relations dealing with the CRCNA. This will bring you up to date in that regard and, I hope, will show you that we are dealing forthrightly with that church, seeking to be faithful to our Lord and to them.
 
What's going on in the OPC? We are rejoicing that churches, groups of believers, individuals are coming to us for information, help, assistance, fellowship. And we rejoice. In home missions several congregations in our country have come to us seeking closer ties, and some have united with the OPC. In the area of foreign missions groups from all over the world are asking for our help. We have a full-time missionary/teacher at the Reformed Theological College, the school for training pastors of the Reformed Church of East Africa in Kenya. We have teacher training pastors and church workers in Ethiopia. We have requests for teachers in Nigeria, in Bulgaria. We have a missionary family now working in China across the border from North Korea. In Eritrea and China we are returning to fields we had to leave in 1987 (Eritrea) and in 1942 (China, then Mongolia or Manchuria). New fields include Uganda. And requests for help from Moscow and Kazakhstan, the Philippines, India, Mexico, Myanmar (formerly Burma), Peru, Trinidad and, yes, even Outer Mongolia, in Ulan Baton the capital city.
 
One tragedy, tragedy from our human perspective, was the murder of Rein Boerma, elder of your sister church in 's-Hertogenbosch, in Paramaribo, Suriname. He and his wife, Frans, had moved to Suriname from Holland to help with the Dutch-speaking work led by our missionary Karl Hubbenthal, who received some of his training at Kampen. Elder Boerma was murdered during an apparent burglary in their home.
 
Ecumenically speaking, we rejoice in being a member of the ICRC. The fellowship with churches who confess the Reformed faith is enriching and encouraging. We are recommending two churches for membership in the ICRC. We are anticipating ICRC Seoul 1997.
 
A two-man delegation visited, in August of 1994, the Reformed churches in New Zealand and Australia. Most of the congregations of the Reformed Churches in New Zealand were visited, meetings were held with representatives and/or interchurch relations committees of the RCNZ, the Free Reformed Churches of Australia, the Presbyterian Church of Australia and the Presbyterian Church of Easter Australia.
 
The OPC now has an official relationship of "Ecclesiastical Fellowship" with 11 churches. They are the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, the Christian Reformed Church of North America, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Ireland, the Free Church of Scotland, the Presbyterian Church in Korea (Kosin), the Presbyterian Church in America, the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland, the Reformed Church in Japan, the Reformed Churches of New Zealand, the Reformed Church in the United States and the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America. We view the relationship of "Ecclesiastical Fellowship" as an expression of the unity of the church demanded by the Lord and as a step toward organic union, or federation. Our "Biblical Principles of the Unity of the Church" state three things about unity in the section "Toward Perfecting Biblical Unity." They are *1. The unity of the church is in Christ and it is both a given reality and also a requirement. The unity of the faith is both a gift and a mandate. 2. The church is compelled to give expression to this reality and requirement, this gift and mandate, by actively seeking the promised gaol, namely, that of being one body which serves the Lord in perfect peace, purity, and unity. 3. The ultimate goal of the unity of the church is nothing less than one world-wide presbyterian/reformed church."
 
With reference to the conversations between your churches and ours we are happy that you are still willing to talk with us. It has been over 25 years of conversations. My first contacts were with deputies Bill Wildeboer and dominees Scholten, Selles, and Van Dooren. We rejoice in the decision of General Synod 1992 - only three divergencies left. The conversations have been an enriching experience for our church. There is a much greater understanding of and appreciation for the redemptive/historical approach to Scripture. Schilder's trilogy has always been on our book-shelves. Now, S.G. deGraaf's "Promise and Deliverance" is widely used and taught.
 
We have some concerns and they are on your table and you will be dealing with them.
 
We were encouraged that you have entered into ecclesiastical fellowship with the Free Church of Scotland and the Presbyterian Church in Korea (Kosin). That gives us hope that maybe we'll be next?? After 25 plus years you know us and we know you. Let's make a decision.
 
Just before I close, let me try to paint a picture of the world in which the OPC lives and labours. About half, somewhere around 100 of our congregations are the product of home missionary work. Home missionary work begins when a family moves into an area where there is no Reformed witness. A family or two. A home missionary is sent. Now three families. With whom do you work? Anyone. Everyone. One is converted out of paganism. Another family comes from the Baptist or Bible church because they are not fed in their church and they long for the preaching of the Word. And you work with them. New converts. An unhappy Baptist who has found a church home where he may be fed. And that repeats itself.
 
You see, do you say to that Baptist family when they say to you, 'We have found a church home. You feed us. We meet our Lord when you preach, we want to be part of this fellowship - we want to join this church." How do we respond? Do we say, we will work with you and teach you and in one, two, three, I've even heard five, years, we will welcome you into the church and to the sacraments. Do we? Brothers, no we don't. We, with Philip and the eunuch and Paul with the jailer,-- "then, immediately he and his family were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God - he and his whole family." Risky? You bet. Babes in Christ - first generation believers. The smell of the world, the smell of the Baptists cling to the clothing but they have taken the step of faith and united with a Reformed body of Christ, and they don't really know what they are getting into, and you don't know what the Lord has put in your way, but you move on in full trust of the Lord of the covenant - and you preach and you teach and you fellowship - and the Lord "gathers, defends and preserves for Himself, by His Word and Spirit, in the unity of the true faith, a church chosen to everlasting life."
 
That's not far fetched. That's not unreal. That's the congregation in Bowie, Maryland and in Roswell, New Mexico and in Bath, Main - and in San Antonio, Texas. Twenty of the 100 who will gather for worship next Lord's day are Baptists. Four of the adults are members. But all of those families are teaching their children the Scriptures and even the catechism. And they are faithfully sitting under the preaching of the Word. And that Word is doing its work - our catechism says, "....the Spirit..... makes... the preaching of the word and effectual means of.... converting ......and building ......up in holiness and comfort...." (Shorter Catechism 89). And, we feel, we cannot, we must not, exclude them from the body of Christ and the sacraments.

Let me paint another picture. Next Lord's day you walk into the pulpit, and there are 20% more people in the congregation than usual. And they're back the next Sunday, and the next. And they are from the Baptist church down the street. And they are with you because they weren't being fed at their own church - and they rejoice in your preaching and your church. What do you do??? Do you wish that they would go away? Or, do you rejoice that the Lord has put you in touch with a gigantic opportunity to minister to those who have sought you out because in you church they come face to face with our Lord through his Word?
 
Brothers and sisters, we in the OPC love you. We have learned from you. Our understanding of the Word has grown through learning from you about the covenant and redemptive/historical understanding of the Scriptures. We want to walk with you and live with you in full ecclesiastical fellowship which will be step toward the full unity of the church which comes with organic union.
 
Brothers, and sisters, in the Lord, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church greets you. I thank you for you gracious hospitality and the warmth of the fellowship I enjoy when I am with you. We love you in the Lord.

"Danke well!"

Response by elder G.J. Nordeman:

Rev. Peterson, I have been asked to address you on behalf of the Canadian Reformed Churches. I believe that such an address should not take the form of an extension of our formal discussions as taking place between our respective committees for contact. My words to you are more to express our appreciation for your being with us as a fraternal delegate and to acknowledge your greetings.
 
The fact that you are attending your third General Synod of our churches, ranks you with the most "experienced" of the delegates present here. It is in particular a pleasure for me to address you because we have known each other for approximately 10 years. I have attended your General Assemblies and we have met on a regular basis as our committees got together over the years. It is clear that our contact has been mutually beneficial, also from a cultural perspective. You have enriched your vocabulary and are now greeting us each morning with a cheerful "Goede Morgen, brothers" while I had an opportunity to see the invisible church.
 
All joking aside, it must be said that throughout our relationship as churches, we have learned much about each other and from each other. Again tonight you drew our attention to 1936 and what happened in your churches. The ecclesiastical trials which were held and where ministers were removed from office because they insisted that the church faithfully proclaim the gospel. As you know the history of our churches in the Netherlands is remarkably similar when only a few years later, 1944, they had to struggle against the unlawful binding to unscriptural interpretations by Synods and other assemblies. It is ironic that the same Christian Reformed Church which so much helped the Orthodox Presbyterian Church during its difficult times, had no room for our people on the North American continent, and in spite of repeated pleas and warnings continue to go on the road of liberalism.
 
We understand very well why you are willing to work patiently with that church, and we also gratefully acknowledge the continued brotherly but firm warnings you have directed to the CRCNA.
 
From the report discussed this morning you may also have concluded that we acknowledge the commitment of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church to be faithful to the Scriptures and to defend the Reformed heritage. At the same time you will have understood the enormous task this General Synod has in arriving at a decision regarding our relationship with the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. It is the agenda item which has drawn by far the most reactions from the churches and individuals, covering a wide range of opinions and directions.
 
Past Synods have continued to express the desire of the Canadian Reformed Churches to come to full ecclesiastical unity with the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in the true faith. Our relationship which we may enter into must be meaningful to all involved, not only at broader ecclesiastical assembly levels or at the ICRC, but equally well at the level of the respective memberships.
 
We also ask for patience and understanding from the Orthodox Presbyterian Church as we deal with this matter. The concerns that we and the churches have as to what certain decisions might do to the unity within our own federation, are not taken lightly. And we believe that the Orthodox Presbyterian Church will understand this in view of its own recent experiences in the matter of "Joining and Receiving" with the Presbyterian Church in America.
 
It seems only such a short time ago that we could congratulate the Orthodox Presbyterian Church with its 50th anniversary, when we addressed the Rev. G.D. Jerrel at General Synod Burlington 1986. And now you remind us that, the Lord willing, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church will commemorate its 60th anniversary next year. It is our prayer that the Lord will continue to bless you and guide you as Reformed churches on this continent and in the missionary activities and ecumenical contacts you have undertaken around the world.
 
We thank you for being here with us. Your cheerful disposition and ready smile has had a positive influence on us. We thank you for your frank comments and advice and we trust that the few days in our midst have been pleasant and mutually upbuilding.
 
May all our efforts be directed to the honour and glory of our God and to the furtherance of His Kingdom.

Thank You

D. Address by Fraternal Delegate from the Free Church of Scotland, Rev. K. Stewart, to General Synod Abbotsford 1996

Chairman and Brethren,

It gives me great pleasure to bring you greetings from the Free Church of Scotland. My sense of honour and privilege is heightened by the fact that I am the first Free Church delegate to address your Synod since our sister church relation was established in 1993. For this reason, I think it is useful for me briefly to introduce the Free Church of Scotland to you.
 
Our separate existence as the "Free" Church of Scotland dates from 1843. In that year, after a decade of struggle, our forefathers were constrained to sever their connection with the state in order to protect the church from increasing and unbiblical state interference. This event became known as the "Disruption." Although the intention was not to divide the church, this was the unfortunate outcome. This happened because many ministers and people, in effect, chose to compromise the spiritual liberty of the church by retaining their connection with the state. The Disruption church claimed - and we still claim - to be the Church of Scotland, Free.
 
Despite intense suffering and persecution, the Free Church flourished remarkably: Within a few years, the church had built hundreds of churches and manses, the impressive "New College" in Edinburgh, teacher training colleges and, within ten years of its existence, nearly six hundred schools. It is worth noting that the entire missionary effort allied itself with the Disruption church. However, within thirty years, the church had become leavened with the principles of Biblical Criticism developed in Germany. The ultimate result of this was the decimation of the church in 1900 when the overwhelming majority of ministers and members united with another body, leaving the Free Church of Scotland reduced to a fraction of its original strength.
 
The Free Church today, then, has been shaped by the result of battles with the state and with liberalism. Today, our church is remarkably to your own in composition: We have around six thousand members and perhaps four times as many baptized members. We have more ministers (around 150) and congregations (around 160) although your congregations tend to be much larger than ours. We have a well established Reformed College with five full-time professors and approximately thirty students, some of which are private students. The church is involved in mission work in Africa, Central India and Peru, which provide for educational and medical as well as theological needs. We also produce a youth magazine (possibly two by the end of this year) and, organize around twenty-five camps for your people each year, attended by nearly seven hundred young people - many of them with no ecclesiastical background. The church is also involved in various social programmes to help the needy, such as the terminally ill or elderly.
 
Now, when I bring the greetings of our church, 1 do so sincerely: Our appreciation of the Dutch spiritual heritage is deep rooted and of long standing - and all that is best in it, we see in yourselves, the Canadian Reformed Churches. Let me mention three things in particular.
 
First your Standards . The Belgic Confession, The Heidelberg Catechism and the Canons of Dort are all viewed by us as excellent Reformed Symbols. They all predate our own Westminster Confession by nearly one hundred years and I think it is useful to point out that those hundred years were a period of intense theological activity on the Continent of Europe, and all the Westminster delegates were intimately familiar with Continental Reformed Dogmatics.
 
Second, your history. Like ourselves you were born in trial and forged in a fiery furnace. You have had your encounter with the state which resulted in the Secession of 1834 - just reverse the last two digits to remember our "Disruption" - and you also have fought with liberalism. More recently, your churches suffered the trauma of the Liberation of 1944. Needless to say, we admire a church that is prepared to suffer for the truth.
 
Third, your theological emphases. Your ethos is similar to our own. You stress the centrality of the covenant, the need for personal holiness and the importance of family religion. You are also committed to unity - along with ourselves, you were founder members of the ICRC. You are a shining example in the way in which you retain your young people and, doubtless, this contributes to your growth rate of around one new church per year since 1950.

In spite of our our relation, there are, of course, differences - particularly in the areas of worship, confessional membership and the fencing of the Lord's Table - which require much prayerful discussion. Let these, however, be "in-house" or 'family" discussions, marked by sensitivity to our different national histories and ecclesiastical traditions. In this way, and with much prayer, we can hope to resolves these differences, at least to some degree.
 
Let me conclude by expressing our desire for God's blessing to rest upon you, so that you may continue to grow, and our deep desire that our relation be strengthened to the praise of God and the furtherance of his Kingdom. Finally, my sincere gratitude to you for your hospitality, comfort and fellowship over the last four days.

Response by elder H.A. Berends:

Rev. Stewart, the chairman of General Synod has given me the privilege to address you for a moment as one of our esteemed guests.
 
For us this is an historic moment. It is the first time in the life of our federation that we may welcome a representative of the Free Church of Scotland at one of our General Synods. It is also the first time that we welcome someone from our sister church in Scotland. It is therefore a great privilege to welcome you here.
 
Rev. Stewart it is good to have you among us. We were of course a little surprised that the Free Church of Scotland did not send a real MacLeod, however, a genuine Scottish Stewart will do as well.
 
Brother Stewart you may have noticed during the last couple days that at times we do things differently that I am sure they do in Scotland. Dr. Visscher, chairman of our Committee for Relations with Churches Abroad reported the fact that voting in your General Assembly is simply done by stomping feet on the wooden floor. Somehow your moderator is able to discern from that whether a matter is adopted or rejected. Now we learn that your moderator is usually one of the oldest and more experienced ministers. They probably have a fine and sensitive ear. Well, Reverend Stewart, I can tell you that at times members in this assembly stomp their feet also, however, our chairman thus far steadfastly refuses to draw any conclusions.
 
Rev. Stewart you will also have noticed that we have much in common, we confess the same faith, we hold fast to the same word, we may belong to the same Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. In Him we may together recognize the Ruler of the Church.
 
Rev. Stewart as minster of the Free Church of Scotland in Toronto you have met several of our members and attended our Classis Ontario North. We hope that also these meetings can be used to further our knowledge of each other. And that the bonds between our respective local churches may grow and mature.
 
Rev. Stewart we have learned to appreciate you already. Your presence and participation at our General Synod expresses the unity of faith we share, the unity of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
 
We learn that soon you will attend the General Assembly at Edinburgh, Scotland. Please pass on our greetings and best wishes. May the Lord bless you and the work that is being done there. May we all make decisions that are pleasing in God's sight and for the benefit of His church, so that also these labours will be used to perfect His Kingdom. May we all be faithful tools in our Father's hands to the glory of our great and gracious God.

Thank You

E. Closing Words of the Chairman.

Brothers,

Driving towards this church building every morning during the last two weeks, I have thought many times of Psalm 121:"I lift up my eyes to the hills from whence does my help come?"
What a beautifui country. Wherever you drive in the Valley, you see the hilis and the mountains. They show the greatness and the power of the Creator, the LORD who made heaven and earth. You feel, with the author of Psalm 121: "my help comes from Him, and from Him alone." And you realize how dependent we are on his grace and mercy - also as General Synod.

General Synod Abbotsford 1995 has almost come to an end now, and looking back we confess that this was indeed the most significant reality: that the LORD has enabled us to do our work completely dependent on Him.

Brothers, with gratitude we may look back on a General Synod in which we were able to work together in an open and brotherly fashion. In the committees, as well as in the plenary sessions we could notice a good and fruitful cooperation. I am sure that this has also proven to be beneficial for the work we were called to do.

When we were delegated we did not know of course how much time it would take. We were guessing; three weeks, maybe four weeks even. An when we came here, and we saw the second binder with recently received material, it looked even worse.

And now we may close after a little more than two weeks, and all the matters have been dealt with. Almost all the recommendations became decisions.

This brotherly and encouraging atmosphere has made it quite easy for me to act as your chairman, brothers. Actually, I am still a bit perplexed that you elected me as your chairman, but I have to say: you did not make it hard for me to lead us together to this moment. I have appreciated that very much.

You have also made my task a lot easier by electing as other members of the executive, brothers who were able to contribute much wisdom and expertise. I want to express my great appreciation and thankfulness for their input. Without your help, advice and comments Rev. Aasman, Rev. Agema and Rev. Visscher it would have been impossible for me to chair this Synod. We would have been stuck several times.

There are others who also deserve our gratitude and appreciation. I think of the queens of the kitchen, sr. Marian Nienhuis and sr. Jane Driegen. I know that many more ladies were involved and we honour them all when we mention these two names. Sisters, we all loved your nutritious and healthy meals, and if it was just for the food, we might stay in Abbotsford for I don't know how long.

These words concerning the manner in which we were looked after during these weeks, may reflect also our appreciation for the warm hospitality we enjoyed here in Abbotsford, as well as in the homes of many church members in the Valley.

The preparation committee of the Abbotsford Church had done a lot of work before Synod was constituted, but they did not quit their job right after the constitution. No, they have continued to show their most appreciated willingness to give all the necessary support and assistance.

And then, every day after 9 o'clock - there was sr. Dijkstra with her crew, armed with garbage bags and vacuum cleaners. Indeed, no matter how messy it was when we left, every morning we found the place cleaned up.
Summarizing: it was good to be here. At the same time: it is good to leave again.

After all: general synods have only a temporary existence. Within a few minutes there will be no General Synod Abbotsford any more. And that is how it is supposed to be.
What will be left are the decisions.

I am, of course, tempted to reflect on at least some of these decisions. I will not do so. The work, entrusted to us by the churches is finished, and the churches will find the decisions in the Acts, and then, according to Art. 31 C.O., the responsibility is with the churches.

In his openings speech the Rev. VanderWel stressed that Synod was called to do justice. It was also mentioned several times during the discussions we have had. I am convinced that this is what we all have tried to do: justice in the eyes of the LORD. Therefore we entrust the results of all our labour to the judgment of our heavenly Father - of the LORD who made heaven and earth.

Brothers, we did our work, so to speak, in the shadow of Mount Baker. But above all in the shadow of the wings of the Almighty One, who, according to his promise, faithfully gathers, defends and preserves his church from the beginning of the world to its end.

These weeks we have read Paul's letter to the Ephesians, with its emphasis on this church gathering work of Jesus Christ. Let me read you, before we depart, the final passage of this letter.

The chairman reads Ephesians 6: 10 - 24, and continues: