Grand Rapids, Michigan — There are many Christian Reformed congregations in northwest Iowa. The governing body for the denomination, Synod (2022) met at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Mich., from June 10-16.
This year’s CRC Synod voted to no longer require two services on Sundays. In 1995, Synod, facing the fact that many churches no longer held two services, decided to enter the word “ordinarily” into the Church Order, forming the rule, “The congregation shall assemble for worship, ordinarily twice on the Lord’s Day . . .” This year’s Synod voted to remove the words “ordinarily twice,” but at the same time, out of pastoral consideration for churches that still maintain a meaningful evening service, they said that it is important to include affirmation of this rich tradition in the Church Order.
This year, Synod voted to appoint a committee in loco and empower it to begin conversations with the Neland Avenue Christian Reformed Church of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and its Classis, Grand Rapids East after Neland Avenue elected a person in a same-sex marriage to the office of deacon. Neland was ordered to comply with the denomination’s position that “homosexual sex, though not the orientation, is incompatible with God’s will as revealed in Scripture,” according to the Christain Reformed Church’s magazine, The Banner.
Over 50 people, dressed in all black, gathered on Wednesday to lament the decisions made at Synod revolving around a human sexuality report.
Although gender and sexuality issues took first priority at this Synod, delegates discussed racial justice for more than an hour. They worked through a series of proposals as a response to Classis Greater Los Angeles’ overture to “oppose white supremacy and systemic racism.”
Synod also asked member churches to review a code of conduct that is being considered before Synod adopts it. The code is supposed to prevent an abuse of power.
(Contributions from The Banner (TheBanner.org) news staff — Thanks)
