Scripture or Feelings?
Originally posted on Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Not what I exactly had in mind for a first post...
I was working on giving some background information and history concerning myself so that anyone who stumbles onto my blog will know a little more about me and where I am coming from. Be that as it may, I abandoned that post in order to jump right into something that got me all bothered (you can judge for yourself if I am overreacting!). I am only going with the information given to me, and was not able to listen to the whole debate, but this is how the CRC decided to report the following matter.
Scripture or Feelings? The CRC goes with feelings.
From the CRC Synod News Release June 12, 2006:
Now this post is NOT going to be about the issue of women's ordination. The issue at stake here is what exactly is the standard for making decisions in matters of the church.
Calvin Seminary graduates women with an M.Div. degree and therefore they are acceptable candidates for the ministry. Unless these women are completely misinformed, they have to know that not everybody in their denomination is supportive of their call to the ministry. In Synods past delegates were able to approve individual candidates to the ministry (although this has jumped back and forth), so that they could not approve those candidates that their Scriptural convictions forced them not to approve. Of course those that approved the women also had their own Scriptural convicions, and were able to vote accordingly as well.
But it seems that the women in the group did not like being voted down - "it was hurtful to them and their families." COME ON!! They knew walking into the Synod that "the church was not of one mind on the issue" and that there were delegates who WOULD NOT approve them. They knew that, but yet in Synods past when the approval was done on an individual basis, they were still approved as candidates for the ministry were they not?
Again, this post is not about the validity of women's ordination. But I see another force at work here. The Scriptures are not being held as the standard for the church. Those that do not believe in the ordination of women, now HAVE to vote to not approve the whole lot of candidates in order to abide by those Scriptural convictions. Those Scriptural convictions were trumped by the feelings of the women candidates. If I am wrong, please tell me how, but I am pretty certain of this fact.
I am scared as to where this can (will?) lead to. How can you have proper church discipline if the feelings of the person being disciplined are taken over and above Scripture? How can you preach the Law of God if you are too concerned about how that might make the congregation ( *gasp* not to mention unbelievers) feel? What if there is a homosexual up for candidacy (Lord willing, they wouldn't get that far), but what if? Then what do you do? You don't want to hurt their feelings by voting against them.
I am sorry for the length of this post, but I really think this is a serious matter. One of the things I am going to do in this blog is to highlight some of the problems with American Evangelicalism because they are moving farther and farther away from Scripture and are leading their flocks down the wrong path. I did not think that my first post would be about the CRC going down similar, dangerous, paths.
Remember: Sola Scriptura!!
Sola Deo Gloria
Not what I exactly had in mind for a first post...
I was working on giving some background information and history concerning myself so that anyone who stumbles onto my blog will know a little more about me and where I am coming from. Be that as it may, I abandoned that post in order to jump right into something that got me all bothered (you can judge for yourself if I am overreacting!). I am only going with the information given to me, and was not able to listen to the whole debate, but this is how the CRC decided to report the following matter.
Scripture or Feelings? The CRC goes with feelings.
From the CRC Synod News Release June 12, 2006:
June 12, 2006, Grand Rapids, Mich.—Synod 2006 spent almost two hours on Monday night wrestling with the issue of women’s candidacy to be ministers of the Word in the Christian Reformed Church before voting to put the matter to rest.
After a passionate and often moving debate, synod decided that from now on, when candidates for ministry are brought before a synod, it should vote on their candidacy as a group. This decision is to be inserted into the Church Order Supplement.
During the past several years, synods have alternated between voting on candidates for ministry individually or in a group.
The issue arises from the decision by Synod 1995 to permit ordination of women in the CRC as a local option by classes and churches, while recognizing that the church was not of one mind on the issue.
Voting on candidates individually permits delegates who oppose the ordination of women to abstain from voting for female candidates. However, synod heard from others who said this process has been hurtful to female candidates and their families.
Emphasis added
After a passionate and often moving debate, synod decided that from now on, when candidates for ministry are brought before a synod, it should vote on their candidacy as a group. This decision is to be inserted into the Church Order Supplement.
During the past several years, synods have alternated between voting on candidates for ministry individually or in a group.
The issue arises from the decision by Synod 1995 to permit ordination of women in the CRC as a local option by classes and churches, while recognizing that the church was not of one mind on the issue.
Voting on candidates individually permits delegates who oppose the ordination of women to abstain from voting for female candidates. However, synod heard from others who said this process has been hurtful to female candidates and their families.
Emphasis added
Now this post is NOT going to be about the issue of women's ordination. The issue at stake here is what exactly is the standard for making decisions in matters of the church.
Calvin Seminary graduates women with an M.Div. degree and therefore they are acceptable candidates for the ministry. Unless these women are completely misinformed, they have to know that not everybody in their denomination is supportive of their call to the ministry. In Synods past delegates were able to approve individual candidates to the ministry (although this has jumped back and forth), so that they could not approve those candidates that their Scriptural convictions forced them not to approve. Of course those that approved the women also had their own Scriptural convicions, and were able to vote accordingly as well.
But it seems that the women in the group did not like being voted down - "it was hurtful to them and their families." COME ON!! They knew walking into the Synod that "the church was not of one mind on the issue" and that there were delegates who WOULD NOT approve them. They knew that, but yet in Synods past when the approval was done on an individual basis, they were still approved as candidates for the ministry were they not?
Again, this post is not about the validity of women's ordination. But I see another force at work here. The Scriptures are not being held as the standard for the church. Those that do not believe in the ordination of women, now HAVE to vote to not approve the whole lot of candidates in order to abide by those Scriptural convictions. Those Scriptural convictions were trumped by the feelings of the women candidates. If I am wrong, please tell me how, but I am pretty certain of this fact.
I am scared as to where this can (will?) lead to. How can you have proper church discipline if the feelings of the person being disciplined are taken over and above Scripture? How can you preach the Law of God if you are too concerned about how that might make the congregation ( *gasp* not to mention unbelievers) feel? What if there is a homosexual up for candidacy (Lord willing, they wouldn't get that far), but what if? Then what do you do? You don't want to hurt their feelings by voting against them.
I am sorry for the length of this post, but I really think this is a serious matter. One of the things I am going to do in this blog is to highlight some of the problems with American Evangelicalism because they are moving farther and farther away from Scripture and are leading their flocks down the wrong path. I did not think that my first post would be about the CRC going down similar, dangerous, paths.
Remember: Sola Scriptura!!
Sola Deo Gloria
posted by Mark Vander Pol at 6:05 AM
1 Comments:
Your *gasps* make me smile. :)
I agree with you I suppose but I don't really have the educational background to give a very definite answer.
I have been to a CRC church and used to attend one and you're right. I was a "teen" but I hated my church because I saw no point whatsoever. It was just a handful of people with power and money running the show how they wanted while they took everyone else along for the ride. No scripture...just what those people felt was the best thing to do for worship. I didn't even really learn any doctrine or ANYTHING (except from my parents)until I came to the Santee CURC. You probably could have asked me about the Apostle's Creed or something and I would have stared at you as though you had developed a second head. :)
It saddens me though because I believe it wasn't always like that....(but I could be wrong...*cough*not enough educational background*cough*)
But that's just me!
God's blessings!
~Fellow sister of Santee CURC~
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