Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1999 12:11:41 -0500 From: Darrell Todd Maurina Subject: NR 99011: CRC's Classis Kalamazoo to Debate Ordaining Women, May Lose Church with Women Elders NR #1999-011: Christian Reformed Church's Classis Kalamazoo to Debate Ordaining Women; May Lose Congregation with Women Elders to Classis Holland Ordaining women has been a long-standing debate in Classis Kalamazoo of the Christian Reformed Church. A decade ago, Immanuel CRC of Kalamazoo became one of the first churches to violate denominational rules by ordaining women elders. The debate escalated in 1995 when the Christian Reformed synod voted to allow each of its 47 regional groups of churches to make its own decision on ordaining women. The classis has repeatedly voted on the matter since then, in most cases splitting almost evenly down the middle. Classis Kalamazoo's meeting tonight will try something new in an attempted compromise. Third CRC of Kalamazoo is asking synod to allow the ordination of women ministers "with the understanding that women ministers or elders shall not be permitted to serve as delegates to classis, nor to function on behalf of classis, until such time as classis approves such delegation or function, or until synodical action makes such approval unnecessary." That compromise isn't enough for one of the churches in classis. South Bend CRC announced last week at Classis Holland that it would ask Classis Kalamazoo to ask synod to let the church join Classis Holland, which does allow the ordination of women. NR #1999-011: For Immediate Release: Christian Reformed Church's Classis Kalamazoo to Debate Ordaining Women; May Lose Congregation with Women Elders to Classis Holland by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service (January 26, 1999) URNS - Ordaining women has been a long-standing debate in Classis Kalamazoo of the Christian Reformed Church. A decade ago, Immanuel CRC of Kalamazoo became one of the first churches to violate denominational rules by ordaining women elders. The debate escalated in 1995 when the Christian Reformed synod voted to allow each of its 47 regional groups of churches to make its own decision on ordaining women. The classis has repeatedly voted on the matter since then, in most cases splitting almost evenly down the middle. Classis Kalamazoo's meeting tonight will try something new in an attempted compromise. Third CRC of Kalamazoo is asking synod to allow the ordination of women ministers "with the understanding that women ministers or elders shall not be permitted to serve as delegates to classis, nor to function on behalf of classis, until such time as classis approves such delegation or function, or until synodical action makes such approval unnecessary." That compromise isn't enough for one of the churches in classis. South Bend CRC announced last week at Classis Holland that it would ask Classis Kalamazoo to ask synod to let the church join Classis Holland, which does allow the ordination of women. "We have women as elders and deacons, as do some of the churches here, and it has become an increasing embarrassment at our council meetings to say we cannot have women delegated to classis," said South Bend pastor Rev. Leonard Vander Zee at the January 21 meeting of Classis Holland. "Over the last four years we have overtured three times to allow women to be delegated to classis. When it became obvious that Classis Kalamazoo was not going to change its mind, we looked around and said, 'Could we really become part of Classis Holland?'" While the Third CRC compromise isn't enough for the South Bend church, the compromise seeks to persuade those who oppose women in office to allow some churches within the classis to have women ministers. "The churches of classis already have the freedom to ordain women as elders, and some have chosen to do so, since classis' approval is not required for such ordination," wrote Third CRC in its overture to Classis Kalamazoo. "However, churches may not ordain or install women as Minister of the Word without the action requested by this overture. It is this permission that the overture seeks to secure, while at the same time limiting the service of ordained women (ministers as well as elders) to the local church and its ministry." "Such a compromise decision respects the freedom and desire of those churches who wish to call women to serve as ordained ministers, while also respecting the sensitivities of those churches which do not feel that same freedom and which would take offense at the delegation of women (elders or ministers) at classis meetings or their assignment to classical functions," continued the church. Third CRC cited the precedent of Classis Pacific Northwest, which in September 1995 became the first Christian Reformed classis to allow the ordination of women. Classis Pacific Northwest was confronted with a similar situation to that of Classis Kalamazoo: the classis had already seen several churches split over the ordination of women and some of its members strongly opposed allowing women ministers or elders at classis meetings. The proposal succeeded by only a single vote, and was later used to allow one member church to ordain a female assistant pastor at Mill Creek Community CRC in the Seattle suburbs. The Pacific Northwest decision followed an unusual route, partly due to its reception of three mutually conflicting overtures from member churches. One from First CRC of Mt. Vernon, WA, asked classis to overture synod to revise its 1995 decision and return to the 1994 prohibition of women in office. Another from Bellevue (WA) CRC asked classis to appoint a committee to study local needs and bring recommendations back to the next meeting of classis. A third from the Mill Creek church asked classis to begin the process of examining its unordained associate pastor, Fuller Seminary graduate Eleanor Rietkerk, with the intent of ordaining her through Church Order Article 7, a process normally used for ordaining persons who have not graduated from seminary. Two days prior to classis, a committee of preadvice met and produced a report which went beyond the overtures of any of the three churches: that classis declare the word male inoperative on five grounds, including that "the request of Mill Creek CRC demonstrates that local needs and circumstances exist within our classis to declare the word 'male' in Article 3a inoperative," that "each congregation of classis should seek to respect the consciences of other congregations on the matter of the ordination of women," and that "committed Christians within our denomination are found on both sides of this issue." Whether that compromise will work in Classis Kalamazoo isn't certain. The January 26 session of classis is scheduled to convene at 6 p.m. at Northern Heights CRC, located at 1454 West "E" Avenue in Kalamazoo. Cross-References to Related Articles: #1994-043: Second Woman Pastor to Serve Christian Reformed Church; Mary-Lee Bouma to "teach, expound the Word of God, and provide pastoral care" as an unordained solo pastor of Trinity CRC, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan #1995-070: Christian Reformed Classes Permitted to Declare Church Order Ban on Women's Ordination "Inoperative"; Synod Decision Given Immediate Effect without Two-Year Ratification Process #1995-088: List of Classis Decisions on Women in Office #1995-089: Classis Pacific Northwest Makes Christian Reformed History by Declaring Word "Male" Inoperative #1996-024: CRC's Classis Muskegon Approves Women's Ordination #1996-051: Classis Holland Rejects Effort to Ban Women Delegates #1996-123: Pine Creek CRC Petitions to Leave Classis Holland for Zeeland #1997-008: Classis Zeeland Votes by 72% Margin to Receive Pine Creek Christian Reformed Church Pending Synodical Approval #1997-010: Classis Holland Acquiesces in Pine Creek Request to Transfer to Classis Zeeland Due to Opposition to Women in Office #1997-029: Classis Muskegon Admits Trinity CRC of Mt. Pleasant; Vote Allows Ordination of Mary-Lee Bouma as Third Christian Reformed Woman Pastor #1999-007: Classis Zeeland Rejects Denomination-Wide Women's Ordination by 86% Majority #1999-009: CRC's Classis Holland Votes to Accept Indiana Church with Women Elders Pending Votes by Classis Kalamazoo and Synod Contact List: Rev. Ken Baker, Pastor, Third Christian Reformed Church 2400 Winchell Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49008 O: (616) 343-2400 * H: (616) 375-3871 * FAX: (616) 342-2505 * E-Mail: revbaker@juno.com Dr. Ronald De Young, Stated Clerk, Classis Holland 3596 - 47th St., Hamilton, MI 49419 O: (616) 751-8487 * H: (616) 751-6901 * FAX: (616) 751-7389 * E-Mail: hcrc@accn.org Dr. David Engelhard, General Secretary, Christian Reformed Church in North America 2850 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49560 O: (616) 224-0744 * H: (616) 243-2418 * FAX: (616) 224-5895 * E-Mail: engelhad@crcna.org Rev. Neal Rylaarsdam, Stated Clerk, Classis Kalamazoo 5828 Cheshire St., Portage, MI, 49002-2220 O: (616) 327-4206 * H: (616) 669-9876 * FAX: (616) 327-0128 * E-Mail: REV123@aol.com Rev. Leonard Vander Zee, Pastor, South Bend Christian Reformed Church 1855 North Hickory Rd., South Bend, IN 46635 O/FAX: (219) 272-8424 * H: (219) 233-2044 * E-Mail: lenvz@michiana.org ---------------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/reformed/archive99: nr99-011.txt .