Ecumenical Guests Address Synod 2019

Synod 2019 welcomed visitors from other denominations that have ecumenical relations with the Christian Reformed Church.

Denominations represented this year were the Christian Reformed Church of Myanmar, the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa, the Uniting Reformed Church of South Africa, the Reformed Church of Japan, the Canadian Council of Churches, and the Reformed Church of America.
 
Each ecumenical guest brought greetings to Synod 2019 and gave highlights about their current ministry contexts.  Here is a summary of what they shared.

Christian Reformed Church of Myanmar: Chan Thieng, general secretary of the Christian Reformed Church of Myanmar expressed thanks for the invitation to attend "as one of your friends from afar." Thieng shared some history of the CRCM and of the Reformed Theological College of Myanmar, where he also teaches. Thieng graduated from Calvin Theological Seminary in 1995. 

He described the context in which the CRCM ministers, being formed in a country where more than 80% of the population practices Buddhism and "generally speaking, Christians belong to ethnic minority groups."

At the current time, Christians are beginning to experience more freedom in worship and association than in the past 60 years. Thieng said the CRCM has 20 home missionaries, they've started a health clinic and their Reformed Theological College "trains youths for the ministries of the church." 

Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa:  Gustav Claassen, general secretary of the Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa, told synod, "We as reformed churches need one another." He spoke of challenges facing his South African church including effects of climate change on the land, political movements highlighting differences and divisions, and the need for scriptural responses to the prevalence of same-sex relationships. 

Claassen said the DRC sees itself as an African church, believing that it was established "355 years ago to serve our land in the way Jesus would." He said they need their sisters and brothers in different churches to persist in their prophetic witness together, referencing the prayer of Jesus in John 17 "for all believers to unite in their witness to renew the world."

Uniting Reformed Church of Southern Africa:  William Julius of the Uniting Reformed Church of Southern Africa centered his remarks on the Belhar Confession, urging the synod to adopt the Belhar as a full confession in the CRC. 

The Belhar came out of the churches of the Uniting Reformed Church when South Africa was governed by apartheid, the systematic separation of the races. The Belhar declares apartheid and the ideas behind it heretical, a violation of the fundamental teachings of the Christian faith.

Some Reformed churches in Africa and beyond have affirmed Belhar as an official confession of faith along with the Reformation confessions the Belgic Confession, Heidelberg Catechism, and Canons of Dort. The Christian Reformed Church, instead of including it among the Reformed confessions, initially put the Belhar in the category of “Ecumenical Declarations of Faith.” When other denominations found this confusing, the church placed the Belhar in a new category of faith documents called “Contemporary Testimony.” 

The burden of Julius’ remarks was that the CRC should rethink this decision and include Belhar among its confessions. He suggested the present time of division, disunity, and racial discord in our countries is “a kairos moment,” an auspicious time to reconsider the Belhar. 

“Belhar is not a political document,” he said. “It is based on the Word of God,” adding, it is a statement not for a certain period only, but for the church in all times and places. 

Reformed Church of Japan:  Hirotsugu Mochida greeted synod on behalf of the Reformed Church of Japan.

"We are grateful for seven decades of cooperation in mission, and the many people brought to the Lord through that mission," he said. He further thanked the denomination for World Renew's relief work after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.

Mochida described Japan as "a land of great spiritual darkness where only 1% of the people are Christians.

"We plead that you will send us more missionaries to assist us in the work of proclaiming the gospel to the other 99%," he said.

Mochida called himself a fruit of the CRC's work in Japan, since he became a Christian in response to hearing the gospel through Back to God Ministries at age 13.

Canadian Council of Churches:  Peter Noteboom, general secretary of the Canadian Council of Churches, highlighted the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the CCC.

CCC was born in the throes of World War II. Noteboom said, “The pursuit of peace is built into our DNA.” 

The churches that make up the CCC include 85% of Canadian Christians. The Christian Reformed Church is a member.

Part of the work of CCC is sponsoring conversations among churches and people. These “tables” include faith and witness, faith and life sciences, justice and peace, and others. Noteboom took special note of Project Plowshares which works for peace and disarmament in the world.

Modeling its pursuit of peace, CCC works by consensus. Before taking an action, they require all 26 member churches to agree.

Noteboom, who grew up in the Christian Reformed Church, noted that “this is the community that has shaped and formed me.” He cited Isaiah 54:2, which urges God’s people to “lengthen their cords and drive in their stakes farther,” urging the CRC to “extend [its] reach” and “deepen [its] roots.”

Reformed Church in America:  Both Eddy Aleman, general secretary, and Monica Schaap Pierce, ecumenical associate, brought greetings from the Reformed Church in America. 

This sister denomination of the CRCNA had its general synod last week. 

“It was a good meeting; it was also difficult — joyful and sad,” said Aleman, referring to the conversations that took place during their general synod as part of their Vision 2020 process.

“The RCA is at a crossroads,” Schaap Pierce told Synod 2019 delegates. “Our denomination will never be the same. And yet, this gives us the opportunity to write the next hopeful chapter with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.”

In her address, Schaap Pierce praised the close relationship between the two denominations.

“Our efforts in discipleship, leadership, and mission have been enlarged and made more effective and efficient because of our collaboration with the CRCNA,” she said.

She ended with a call for unity—a call that has resounded in her own denomination, she said. “May the unity that is our gift in Christ be strengthened for God’s mission to the world,” she said.

For continuous coverage of Synod 2019 including the live webcast, news, video recordings, photos, liveblog, social media links, and more visit www.crcna.org/synod.