Classis In The News

Classis Toronto Appeals to Synod Regarding Church Order Anomaly

By Sophie Vandenberg

In January Classis Toronto unanimously voted to approve a candidate for the ministry through Article 7 of the Church Order of the Christian Reformed Church.  When the synodical deputies did not agree, classis appealed to synod.

Article 7 provides an alternative path into the ministry, by way of exception when the need is great, for those who lack the prescribed theological training but are deemed to have the appropriate gifts.  In its appeal, Classis Toronto stated that a “strange anomaly” results when strictly applying Article 7: if two people possess exceptional gifts for ministry, the one without formal theological training might be exempt form further study and the one with a great deal of training might be obligated to pursue more.

“That’s CRC church order.  There are lots of anomalies, but we are trying to follow the guidelines that synod itself has set down,” said synodical deputy Rev. Bernard Bakker.  According to Bakker, synod recently reiterated that those with theological education may not be admitted to ministry through Article 7.  Bakker said that the synodical deputies disagreed with Classis Toronto because the 29-year-old candidate possesses a master’s degree in theology.  They encouraged him to pursue Calvin Theological Seminary’s Special Program for Ministerial Candidacy (SPMC), which orients master-of-divinity graduates from other seminaries to the history, church structure, and theology of the CRC.

This issue is not new.  In 1987 synod expressed concern that Article 7 not be used as a route to ordination for seminary graduates wishing to avoid the requirement of a Calvin Seminary experience.  Last summer, synod reiterated that this article not be used to avoid the SPMC.

Classis Toronto’s appeal noted that in this case there was no desire to circumvent the rules of synod and that the SPMC program is for those with master-of-divinity degrees.  Bakker said, “He’d only have to do a little more to get an M. Div.  Considering his age, we thought it would be beneficial for the denomination as a whole that he go through Calvin Seminary.”

“The synodical deputies were trying to follow synod’s urgings,” said Dirk Evans, pastor of Second Christian Reformed Church in Brampton, Ontario.  “We’ve got to be creative in developing other ways to affirm the gifts of many beyond the M. Div. And Article 7,” he said.

A study committee report on alternative routs to the ministry will be a major item on the agenda of Synod 2004.

From The Banner, April 2004.  Used by permission.