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Response to Address of Rev Dr Flinn, by Elder L van Burgel
on behalf of Synod
Thursday 10th July 2003 - Synod Rockingham, Western Australia, 2003
Dear Rev Dr Flinn, Chairman and delegates of Synod, brothers and sisters.
Once again a hearty welcome to you and our let me again express our joy to again have you address us on behalf of the Reformed Churches of New Zealand. It was only 12 months ago that Rev Veldman and myself visited your synod and was made most welcome by your churches. We still have fond memories of that stay in your beautiful country and the city of Christchurch.
It was our hope that our visit to New Zealand and the others that have preceded it would lead to a better understanding of each other. The same applies to visit by your delegates to our synods. For this reason we rejoice when we can welcome each others delegates each time again, although this exposes you to fact that we are not all agreed in the way the FRCA is to move forward in our relations with you. What we have learned in our visits, and we trust you will experience this also, is that we share much in common. You acknowledged that in your greetings to us yesterday. We together desire to stand on common basis of the Reformed faith. The way we approach some issues may differ, but we nevertheless with you want to profess God's Name and to serve Him according to His Word. We wholehearted endorse and echo your words of yesterday that the truths we profess are a great heritage … they are a citadel from which we must advance and as church we also would like to stand shoulder to shoulder with you in defence of that truth and in service to our King.
We rejoice with you when we hear of the growth in your congregations and hear of your endeavours in home and overseas mission work. As with your synod, this synod will deal with the practical issues associated with this work as the churches wrestle with the challenges of working within differing cultural environments. Also in this we can learn from each other.
Our deputies have reported that your synod expressed thanks for our acknowledgement of the RCNZ as true and faithful churches of the Lord Jesus Christ. You noted in your speech that you now realise that this was based on a misconception of what the decision of Synod West Albany entailed. Whether that was indeed a misconception remains to be seen. As you can read in the variety of submissions presented to this synod regarding that decision, there are others who had trouble coming to grips with what the decision really meant. Deputies also wondered whether one can "in principle" recognise a church as "true and faithful", although they do not debate the issue, leaving that for this synod to clarify. Misconception or not, the message that respective synods have strongly conveyed to you is our gratitude "for the faithfulness which deputies have found in the Reformed Churches in New Zealand". This was the clear message of Synod Kelmscott 1996, Synod Launceston 1998 and Synod West Albany 2001. However, the FRCA in the past has held back from official declarations regarding "true and faithful" until this can be accompanied by the exercise of the responsibilities and privileges which this recognition gives. You have a different approach, and we accept and appreciate that. We are humbled by the fact that you remain patient with us and that also your last synod held open the offer of sister relations when the FRCA are ready for that step.
This leads us to reason why this step of offering sister relations has not (yet) been taken, that is: the impediment of the triangular relations with the CRCA to which you referred extensively in your speech. Your synod before last (1998) rightly recognised that there is more than one way to solve the triangular problem and therefore encouraged us to work diligently to remove obstacles that separate the FRCA from the CRCA.
(When we as Australian delegates arrived at your 2002 synod, we soon realised how serious you were about this. In finding our places amongst the 58 delegates, to our left were the delegates of the CRCA whilst to our right were seated the delegates of the RTC in Geelong. I will add that our discussions did progress beyond pass the peppermint stage!)
In the meantime our synods have encouraged you to exercise sisterly admonitions over the CRCA where needed. We are appreciative that you indeed do continue to use your sister relations with the CRCA in the way that you do. Your last synod expressed concerns regarding "decisions on women as deacons, children at the Lord's Supper and worship practises in the CRCA" and you have enlightened us what the reaction of the CRCA is to your concerns. The decisions of the last CRCA synod, judging from your comments and from press releases continue to leave us great cause for concern at the ongoing developments. Concerns, especially those regarding ordination of women as deacons which you also share. We note that the CRCA synod also made other decisions which leave us dismayed. I refer for example to the situation regarding Rev. FJ van Hulst, deposed from our churches on the grounds of false teachings. The CRCA Synod supported the actions of Classis Tasmania who examined Rev. van Hulst as to his soundness in doctrine and concluded that his doctrinal commitment to Scripture and Confession were beyond reproach and on that basis gave him licence to preach and teach.
Not only do we deplore that decision, it is an example of the difficulties a triangular relationship could bring us. You also expressed regret that the discussions between us and the CRCA have broken down. In our deputies report you can read the reasons for this. Not only have the CRCA tended to minimise the differences between us and failed to address our concerns, the previous synod of the CRCA instructed their deputies to submit an appeal to us regarding our view of the church. It was one of the reasons our last synod re-appointed deputies contact CRCA. However this appeal failed to materialise.
Although your relations with the CRCA remains an impediment for us, we are heartened by your principled approach to your interchurch relations. We encourage you to continue to address your sister where needed. We still hope and pray that the CRCA will heed admonitions and return to a historical Reformed way. Nevertheless as was pointed out by Rev Veldman in his address to your synod "we understand the ties you have with the CRCA will not be easily broken, but at the same time appeals make only sense when in the end we will also enforce the consequences.
In conclusion, we thank you Rev Flinn, and through you the Reformed Churches of New Zealand, for the good wishes extended to us. It is our earnest prayer that our churches may continue to seek and defend the truth of God's Word. May you as a Christ's church fulfil your calling in New Zealand and abroad so also be a witness to the people of New Zealand to the salvation of many. May in all this God's Name be exalted and glorified.
L. van Burgel
Secretary Deputies Relations Reformed Churches (Other)
last updated 22 Jul 2003
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