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Synod 2024
The following letters to the editor are referring to a variety of news articles published in the July/August 2024 issue about the decisions of Synod 2024:
The Banner July/August issue’s article “Resounding Words Synod 2024” describes our unfailing belief: marriage is between one man and one woman. Unity is most important (John 17:21) so that we can reason together and speak in truth when the LGBTQ+ community comes to church.
George Lieuwen // Langley, B.C.
Synod has now institutionalized hypocrisy in the Christian Reformed Church. On the one hand, it has legislated firm accountability for conformity to the confessional position on human sexuality. On the other hand, there is not even the tiniest bit of accountability concerning the human sexuality report's call to provide pastoral care and hospitality toward members of the LBGTQ+ community and their family/social networks. Synod has cherry-picked the HSR to suit its own tastes while ignoring major biblical callings. Imagine if the new accountability requirements given to classes included this one: “Once a year, every congregation will give a brief listing of the three most important practices it provides that offer pastoral care and hospitality to the LBGTQ+ community and their family/social networks.” This brief practice once per year per church would counter this hypocrisy. It seems simple and obvious. Instead we are left with an institutionalized hypocrisy that will bedevil our denomination for many years to come.
Syd Hielema // Ancaster, Ont.
In your article “Discipline for CRC Churches Acting Contrary to CRC Teachings,” you mention Classis Quinte delegate Greg Harnden’s remark “I don't want to see anyone leave, but as Abraham was willing to offer up Isaac in obedience to faith, I see this as an act of obedience to faith.” I had the synod webcast on at home at the time he spoke. Harnden contextualized his analogy by saying that someone had asked him how many churches he was willing to sacrifice. Two things are striking to me. First, Abraham was considered righteous because he was willing to sacrifice “his only son, whom he loved.” In this way Abraham is contrasted with the priests of Moloch, who sacrificed other people’s children. Second, in the end, God didn’t actually want human sacrifice. Harnden seems to be willing to sacrifice other people’s churches, but not his own. Where then is the proper place for him in his own analogy?
David Koene // Bowmanville, Ont.
I was a delegate to Synod 2024, and for the most part I found that sadness was noticeably absent. There was no lament to speak of in terms of empathy toward those in the CRC who will be disaffiliated from our denomination without choice. The experience of these people is painful and obvious. Those who are required to leave now face the hardship of grieving deeply. Seeing things differently has become costly. … The sense of being together as we face the challenges of bringing the gospel to our society has been taken away. Nevertheless, there was little sign of lament with the powers of the majority. I wonder what this means for the good and historical strength of the CRC in terms of her capacity to hold and carry differences of interpretation, always informed by a careful Reformed hermeneutic. Sometimes I am sad when people are not sad.
Ron Nydam // Denver, Colo.
Instead of worrying about homosexuality, the CRC should spend its time on more fundamental issues, such as why people should believe Christianity in the first place. Why should people believe in a creation account when science now presents a compelling alternative origin story for our world? Why should people believe that it is a human’s fault that we sin? … In the face of these fundamental and existential arguments about Christianity, the arguments about homosexuality seem almost trivial.
Paul Holtrop // Glen Arbor, Mich.
The Banner reporters seemed to do fair and balanced reporting in The Banner’s synod issue on the various actions synod took. But I was left disheartened and dejected by the decisions, (and) especially by some of the quotes from speakers at synod. One seemed to argue for works righteousness, and if what another said was true, no one would be in heaven. … After reading these articles I better understood what Jesus and the disciples went through before the Sanhedrin. Then I read the Today devotional of Aug. 6 discussing the meeting between Jesus and the woman at the well. Here in the richness of the gospel message we see the Savior’s love and grace to one of his fallen lambs. The Spirit fully revealed how we are to reach out in love to sinners who seek a richer life in Christ.
David Boersma // Tinley Park, Ill.
For all the insistence of the HSR and the majority of delegates at recent synods that the authority and demands of Scripture be faithfully upheld, there is one major theme of Paul’s letters that is being ignored. He insists that in the body of Christ, one part cannot say to another part, “I don’t need you.” And the result when that happens: “If one part suffers, all parts suffer with it” (1 Cor. 12:12-26). The actions of synod have denied that the parts of the body of Christ need each other. I feel there is a basic lack of servant humility at work here.
Doug Porter // Orillia, Ont.