Classis Michigan Classis Michigan
8th Meeting
Minutes Classis Michigan Classis Michigan
8th Meeting
Minutes| Chairman | Rev. Derrick Vander Meulen |
| Vice-Chairman | Rev. Phil Vos |
| Clerk | Rev. W. H. Oord |
| Treasurer | Mr. Clarence Kamstra |
Chairman Rev. D. Vander Meulen read from Isaiah 55, offered a brief meditation, and led the delegates in song and prayer. Psalter Hymnal Number 198, "Thou, O Lord, Art God Alone " was sung.
Presentation of Credentials and Roll Call of Delegates.
| Church | Minister | Elder |
| Allendale | Rev. Mark Zylstra | Mr. Gary Fisher |
| Alto - Grace | Rev. Peter Adams | Mr. Paul Webster |
| Byron Center - Covenant | Rev. Steve McGee | Mr. Sid Kuiper |
| Caledonia - Trinity | Rev. Brian Vos | Mr. George Jager |
| Dutton | Rev. Paul Murphy | Mr. Roger Snoeyink |
| Eastmanville | Rev. Steve De Boer | Mr. Marv Prins |
| Hudsonville - Cornerstone | Rev. Tim Perkins | Mr. Don Van Dyke |
| Jenison - Bethel | Rev. Derrick Vander Meulen | Mr. Gaylord Haan |
| Kalamazoo - Covenant | Rev. Phil Vos | Mr. Henry Visser |
| Olive Center - Faith | Rev. W. H. Oord | Mr. Jerry Kuyers |
| Walker | Rev. Joel Vander Kooi | Mr. Morris Versluis |
| Wyoming - Bethany | Rev. Casey Freswick | Mr. Rich Deppe |
Classis was declared constituted and first time delegates signed the Form of Subscription.
The Chairman welcomed guests and visitors, giving missionaries and emeritus ministers the privilege of the floor. Included were Rev. A. Besteman, Rev. F. Gunnink, Rev. E. Knott, Rev. J. Kruis, Rev. S. Poelman, Rev. S. Voortman, and Rev. C. Werkema. Other visitors included Mr. D. Vander Meer, youth director at Cornerstone URC, and Mr. Doug Barnes, reporter for the Christian Renewal.
The proposed time schedule was adopted.
The Chairman appointed the delegates from the Allendale URC to the Credentials Committee.
a. The oral report of the Clerk was received for information. The Clerk reminded the Chairman that the terms of both the Clerk and the Treasurer had ended.
b. AMMAS [a motion made and supported] to elect Rev. W. Oord to another three year term as Clerk. – Carried
a. The Treasurer's Report is received for information.
b. AMMAS to extend the position of Treasurer to Mr. C. Kamstra for an additional year. – Carried
a. Rev. A. Besteman reported on visits made to Grace URC in Alto, Bethany URC in Wyoming, Dutton URC, and Allendale URC.
b. Rev. E. Knott reported on visits made to Walker URC, Trinity URC in Caledonia, Eastmanville URC, Bethel URC in Jenison, and Covenant URC of Byron Center.
a. The following overture was read to classis, moved and supported:
The Council of the Bethany United Reformed Church of Wyoming, MI overtures Classis to overture Synod with the following:
The Clerk of the Federation shall give a quarterly report to each church with the news of the Federation. This quarterly report would include news about new churches that join the federation, pastors accepting calls, new building projects, changes of address of churches, retirement of pastors, pastors joining the URC from other denominations, men granted licensure, the results of candidacy and ordination exams, new missionaries called, federation financial update, special local congregational needs, etc. This information should be given to the clerk of each church.
Grounds:
1. This information would help accomplish one of the original intentions of the United Reformed Church of North America to encourage fellowship with other like-minded churches.
2. The growth of the Federation and the acceptance of Reformed pastors to serve in the Federation would be an encouragement to the families who, in some cases, left family and friends to join the Federation.
3. This knowledge would possibly encourage other churches who are having apprehensions about joining the Federation.
4. The Bible encourages us to pray for churches who are struggling in various ways and to rejoice with those who are honored. I Cor. 12:26.
AMMAS to amend the main motion by adding the words "or another qualified individual appointed by the Clerk. – Approved
a. The overture now reads:
The Clerk of the Federation or another qualified person shall give a quarterly report to each church with the news of the Federation. This quarterly report would include news about new churches that join the federation, pastors accepting calls, new building projects, changes of address of churches, retirement of pastors, pastors joining the URC from other denominations, men granted licensure, the results of candidacy and ordination exams, new missionaries called, federation financial update, special local congregational needs, etc. This information should be given to the clerk of each church.
Grounds:
1. This information would help accomplish one of the original intentions of the United Reformed Church of North America to encourage fellowship with other like-minded churches.
2. The growth of the Federation and the acceptance of Reformed pastors to serve in the Federation would be an encouragement to the families who, in some cases, left family and friends to join the Federation.
3. This knowledge would possibly encourage other churches who are having apprehensions about joining the Federation.
4. The Bible encourages us to pray for churches who are struggling in various ways and to rejoice with those who are honored. I Cor. 12:26.
b. The overture is – Approved
a. The following overture was read to classis, moved and supported:
The Council of Bethel United Reformed Church overtures Classis Michigan, meeting January 9, 2001, to overture Synod 2001 to add the following statement to the mandate for the Committee for Ecumenical Relations and Church Unity:
"When the committee is asked to present the theological position of the URCNA on a topic on which the URCNA has not officially formulated a position, the committee shall report the request to the following Synod and proceed according to Synod's instruction. The committee shall not present an "unofficial" position of the URCNA."
Grounds:
1. An "unofficial" position may in fact NOT be the position of the URCNA, thereby providing a false impression of our federation to others.
2. An "unofficial" position has little meaning. It is, therefore, of little use to a denomination that might be considering ecumenical relations with the URCNA.
3. Articulating a theological position of our federation belongs to the churches federatively or an ad hoc committee appointed by them to do so. Such work does not belong to standing committees.
b. The overture is – Approved.
The following overture was moved and supported:
The Consistory of the Allendale United Reformed Church respectfully overtures Classis Michigan to overture Synod to adopt the following statements regarding the interpretation of Scripture and more specifically, interpreting the creation account of Genesis:
1. Synod affirms and subscribes to the Bible as the inspired, inerrant and infallible Word of God. [Confession of Faith, Arts. 3,4,5] We therefore believe that the Scriptures, and more specifically, Genesis, gives an authentic, although not exhaustive, history of creation. We believe that the sovereign God created all things out of nothing by the Word of His Power, in the space of six days, and all very good. [Ps. 33:6, John 1:1-3, Hebrews 11:3, 2 Peter 3:5]
2. Synod affirms that the whole creation was accomplished in six ordinary days [Gen. 1:3–2:2, Ex. 20:11]. The creation days are clearly defined in Scripture as each being composed of a period of darkness and a period of light, and as each having evening and morning. [Gen. 1:5b, 8b, 13, 19, 23, 31b]
3. Synod affirms that all plants and animals and all living things were created "after their own kind." [Gen. 1:11, 12, 21, 24, 25] The body of man, the crown of creation, was formed immediately by God from the dust of the earth [Gen. 2:7, Eccl. 12:7], and the woman of the rib of man, "after the image and the likeness of God." [Gen. 1:26, 27; Belgic Confession Art. 14]
4. Synod affirms that the account of creation in the first chapter of Genesis is a straightforward, accurate and historical narrative showing the origin of all things including the human race, whereas the more specific focus of the account of creation in Chapter 2 of Genesis is the history of the first man and woman.
5. Synod rejects any method of Biblical interpretation that posits a contradiction between the account of creation in Genesis Chapter 1 and the account in Genesis Chapter 2.
6. Synod rejects any method of Biblical interpretation that views the creation account in Genesis 1 and 2 as a literary figure of speech or a poetic device providing a pedagogical framework for affirming that God created all things.
7. Synod reject any method of Biblical interpretation that espouses either a non-chronological or a non-historical view of the days mentioned in Genesis 1.
8. Synod reject any readings of the creation account that reinterprets the meaning of words from the "ordinary, natural sense" without weighty exegetical warrant.
Grounds:
1. Different methods of interpreting the creation account of Genesis challenge the view historically held by the churches. These differences among us imperil the peace and unity of the churches in the federation and therefore the matter must be addressed by the churches.
2. Any interpretation of Scripture that challenges or rejects the natural, ordinary meaning of the words of Scripture without weighty exegetical warrant minimizes our doctrine of the perspicuity of Scripture.
3. Any exegetical principles applied to interpreting the creation account must do justice to the grammatical/historical hermeneutic historically held and applied among us.
4. Any interpretation of Genesis 1 must adequately address the many specific historical details clearly revealed in that part of Scripture, for example:
a] that the creation was accomplished supernaturally by a series of divine "fiats", that is "by the word," not by way of a process but immediately;
b] that each of the "six days" is clearly distinguished by "evening and morning" as well as by its numbering.;
c] that each of the six days follow in the sequence of those numbers.
5. Any interpretation of Genesis must adequately address, and not contradict, the clear statement in Exodus 20 on the fourth commandment that God created the world in six days, and instituted the Sabbath day rest on the seventh.
a. AMMAS to amend statement one so that it becomes two statements as follows:
1. Synod affirms and subscribes to the Bible as the inspired, inerrant and infallible Word of God. [Confession of Faith, Arts. 3,4,5] We therefore believe that the Scriptures, and more specifically, Genesis, gives an authentic, although not exhaustive, history of creation.
2. Synod affirms that the sovereign God created all things out of nothing by the Word of His Power, in the space of six days, and all very good. [Ps. 33:6, John 1:1-3, Hebrews 11:3, 2 Peter 3:5]
b. The amendment – Carried
a. AMMAS to amend statement 2 of the original overture with these words: "...and are presented as following chronologically one after the other." and to include Exodus 20:19 with the Scriptural references.
b. The amendment – Carried
a. AMMAS to amend statement 6 of the original overture by adding the words "limited to being" so that the statement would read:
6. Synod rejects any method of Biblical interpretation that views the creation account in Genesis 1 and 2 as limited to being a literary figure of speech or a poetic device providing a pedagogical framework for affirming that God created all things.
b. The amendment – Carried
a. AMMAS to amend the grounds to include the first ground of the Covenant URC overture, excluding the words "prose which relates actual."
b. The amendment – Carried
The Overture now reads:
The Consistory of the Allendale United Reformed Church respectfully overtures Classis Michigan to overture Synod to adopt the following statements regarding the interpretation of Scripture and more specifically, interpreting the creation account of Genesis:
1. Synod affirms and subscribes to the Bible as the inspired, inerrant and infallible Word of God. [Confession of Faith, Arts. 3,4,5] We therefore believe that the Scriptures, and more specifically, Genesis, gives an authentic, although not exhaustive, history of creation.
2. Synod affirms that the sovereign God created all things out of nothing by the Word of His Power, in the space of six days, and all very good. [Ps. 33:6, John 1:1-3, Hebrews 11:3, 2 Peter 3:5]
3. Synod affirms that the whole creation was accomplished in six ordinary days [Gen. 1:3–2:2, Ex. 20:11]. The creation days are clearly defined in Scripture as each being composed of a period of darkness and a period of light, and as each having evening and morning and are presented as following chronologically one after the other. [Gen. 1:5b, 8b, 13, 19, 23, 31 b; Ex. 20:19]
4. Synod affirms that all plants and animals and all living things were created "after their own kind." [Gen. 1:11, 12, 21, 24, 25] The body of man, the crown of creation, was formed immediately by God from the dust of the earth [Gen. 2:7, Eccl. 12:7], and the woman of the rib of man, "after the image and the likeness of God." [Gen. 1:26, 27; Belgic Confession Art. 14]
5. Synod affirms that the account of creation in the first chapter of Genesis is a straightforward, accurate and historical narrative showing the origin of all things including the human race, whereas the more specific focus of the account of creation in Chapter 2 of Genesis is the history of the first man and woman.
6. Synod rejects any method of Biblical interpretation that posits a contradiction between the account of creation in Genesis 1 and the account in Genesis 2.
7. Synod rejects any method of Biblical interpretation that views the creation account in Genesis 1 and 2 as limited to being a literary figure of speech or a poetic device providing a pedagogical framework for affirming that God created all things.
8. Synod reject any method of Biblical interpretation that espouses either a non-chronological or a non-historical view of the days mentioned in Genesis 1.
9. Synod reject any readings of the creation account that reinterprets the meaning of words from the "ordinary, natural sense" without weighty exegetical warrant.
Grounds:
1. Genesis 1 is divinely inspired history. It is sufficiently clear and understandable, in the context of the book of Genesis and of the whole Scripture, to make the affirmations above.
2. Different methods of interpreting the creation account of Genesis challenge the view historically held by the churches. These differences among us imperil the peace and unity of the churches in the federation and therefore the matter must be addressed by the churches.
3. Any interpretation of Scripture that challenges or rejects the natural, ordinary meaning of the words of Scripture without weighty exegetical warrant minimizes our doctrine of the perspicuity of Scripture.
4. Any exegetical principles applied to interpreting the creation account must do justice to the grammatical/historical hermeneutic historically held and applied among us.
5. Any interpretation of Genesis 1 must adequately address the many specific historical details clearly revealed in that part of Scripture, for example:
a] that the creation was accomplished supernaturally by a series of divine "fiats", that is "by the word," not by way of a process but immediately;
b] that each of the "six days" is clearly distinguished by "evening and morning" as well as by its numbering.;
c] that each of the six days follow in the sequence of those numbers.
6. Any interpretation of Genesis must adequately address, and not contradict, the clear statement in Exodus 20 on the fourth commandment that God created the world in six days, and instituted the Sabbath day rest on the seventh.
The overture is – Adopted
AMMAS that the approval of the Overture from Allendale URC be Classis' answer to the overture from Covenant URC. – Approved
The Credentials Committee reported that all credentials were present, were examined, and were found to be in good order. It was also reported that six churches had brought matters to Classis by way of their credentials.
a. Dutton URC asked for advice in a procedural matter. Dutton asked how to bring a man for examination for ordination who has not received any formal seminary training.
b. Questions were asked regarding the person's age, education in the languages, informal education received, `need' within the federation, etc.
c. AMMAS that Classis ask Synod for advice on if/how to proceed with an examination for the ordination of a man who does not have a formal seminary education. – Carried
Grace URC of Alto informed the church of a church planting project taking place in the Fremont, Michigan area.
The Rev. P. Murphy informed the delegates of a Christian Worldview Conference to be held in the Grand Rapids area in July.
Classis moved into Executive Session.
a. Bethel URC of Jenison asked the classis for advice regarding the exclusion of two baptized members of the church.
b. AMMAS that Classis advise the Consistory of Bethel URC to proceed with the exclusion of the two baptized members. – Carried
a. Bethany URC of Wyoming asked classis for advice on proceeding to the second step of discipline concerning a member of their church.
b. AMMAS that the classis advise the Consistory of Bethany URC to proceed with discipline. – Carried
a. Faith URC sought advice on how to proceed with the exclusion of a baptized member.
b. AMMAS that Classis advise the consistory of Faith URC to proceed with exclusion of the baptized person. – Carried
a. Faith URC sought advice on if/how to receive a membership transfer when one of the members listed in the transfer is under discipline at the "sending" church.
b. Discussion centered upon which church's Elders would be responsible for the spiritual growth of the family and the continued supervision of the member under discipline.
c. AMMAS to advise the Consistory of the Faith URC to receive the family with the member under discipline into membership and to continue with the discipline. – Carried
a. Walker URC sought the advice of classis in a discipline matter.
b. AMMAS that Classis advise the Consistory of Walker URC to proceed to the second step of discipline. – Carried
Executive Session Ended
Concept Minutes were read and approved.
a. AMMAS that the next meeting be Tuesday, June 26, 2001. – Carried
b. The location of the next meeting will be Covenant URC in Kalamazoo.
a. The delegate from Eastmanville URC expressed his gratitude to the churches for the prayer and financial support shown to the seminarian from Eastmanville.
b. Rev. M. Zylstra gave the delegates an update on Corrie's condition. Prayers were requested for her continued treatment for cancer.
c. Rev. M. Zylstra also requested prayers for his daughter who needs complete bed rest for the duration of her pregnancy.
d. Blessings were extended to Rev. Poelman as he returns to the mission field.
e. Blessings were extended to Rev. P. Vos as he moves to California.
Rev. P. Vos thanked the host church for their hospitality and led the delegates in prayer.
The meeting adjourned, the delegates sang the Doxology.
Next meeting: Tuesday, June 26, 2001
Location: Covenant URC of Kalamazoo
Material should be in the hands of the Clerk by: May 1, 2001
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