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Response to the Address of Rev Madah Biha, by Rev PKA de Boer
on behalf of Synod
Monday 14th July 2003 - Synod Rockingham, Western Australia, 2003
Thankyou for the greetings you sent from your churches and the word of encouragement for synod to deal with all its matters according to God's Word as maintained in the adopted confessions. Although we may live far apart and in different economic conditions, it is a rich blessing to be joined together in the same bond of faith. You do well to direct us to remain firmly on this foundation. We live in the midst of a broken and crooked world with many temptations. We use modern technology and have many opportunities for high education. We continually need to remind ourselves to receive the word of our Lord with a child-like faith. We thank you for your prayers and ask that you continue to remember us in our prayers. Satan continues to attack and we need the Lord's help so that we may remain true to the faith.
We are very well aware of your financial situation and understand that it was not out carelessness or unwillingness that you send no delegate. We are thankful for how the Lord has planted His word in your hearts and pray that He will continue to strengthen you in your faith and grant you the courage to apply it in your daily life. We consider it a privilege that we may support Pila Njuka to study theology in Canada. We are thankful for his faithfulness, diligence and progress. Just recently we received a report of his work and he is doing well. It is our prayer that some day soon br. Njuka may be a blessing among the Indonesia Churches. You suggest that it may be helpful if we could help support a student to study in Korea. Our deputies have not yet had the time to fully consider this request. A number of questions arise in our mind, such as, would it not be better that the Indonesian students study in English rather than Korean?
We appreciate what you are doing in Sumba towards making the gospel known to the heathen. We encourage you to continue with this work. We pray that the Lord will bless it. You ask whether we will give financial support to this work. We cannot answer that question because we have not yet considered it. The churches here in Australia will have to consider well how this should be done; through synod deputies or by individual local churches.
We understand that those whom you send to do this work need good training. You also need faithful ministers to serve in your churches. For this reason theological training has been on your mind and consumed much time at your synods. Here too, we would like to encourage you and give help. We have already been helping by sending students to study theology overseas with the hope that they would eventually be able to starting teaching theology among you. Now that br. Njuka is nearing the completion of his studies, the question that arises in the minds of deputies here in Australia is whether the Australian churches should continue to send more students overseas or perhaps start looking at possibly supporting theological training in Indonesia. You have been considering several options; whether to continue the lower training in Sumba, set up higher training in Timor. We realize that among you the question of theological training in Timor has to do with your relation to the GGRC. We urge both you, the GGRI and the GGRC to remove any obstacles for working together as soon as possible. In fact, some time ago we were thankful for some indication that you were working towards forming one bond of churches. We continue you to urge you to work towards the aim of ecclesiastical unity to which the Lord calls us. We understand that it is not always easy to achieve this unity in the brokenness of this life.
We know very well how difficult it is to achieve true ecclesiastical unity. Your representative, Rev. Boersema, witnessed how we struggled again at this synod in a real desire to be faithful to the Lord in this matter. When emotions started to show among us while debating this matter, we realize among ourselves how close to our heart the desire to remain faithful to the Lord in inter-church relation really is. You urge us to reconsider our withdrawal from the ICRC. Our Dutch sister churches have also urged us. If you witnessed how we struggled at this synod concerning inter-church relations, perhaps you will understand how a previous synod could decide on the grounds of unrest amongst ourselves we have withdrawn from this organization.
We understand that Rev. Boersema, your representative, will be visiting you soon. We wish him the Lord's protection on his travels and through him extend our greetings to you. It is our prayer that the Lord continue to gather, defend and preserve His church all over the world, also in Indonesia. We know that we all during this age continue to suffer from many weaknesses caused by sin. Together with you and the church of all ages we look forward to the great and glorious day of our Lord.
Thankyou.
PKA de Boer
Convener, deputies FRCA
last updated 22 Jul 2003
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