News from Classis Meetings
Two or three times each year, Christian Reformed churches send representatives to classis, a regional grouping of churches. Delegates at those meetings review and make decisions about their shared ministries and practice mutual accountability for their individual ministries. Here are the highlights from the winter classis meetings:
Student Funding
Classis Alberta North and Classis Lake Erie decided to provide financial aid to pre-seminary students as well as to seminary students.
New Ministries
Classis California South welcomed International Church of Praise in Chula Vista as an emerging church. Classis Central California approved new ministry starts in El Dorado Hills and Sacramento. Classis Columbia approved funding for a church plant in North Vancouver, Wash. Classis Lake Erie admitted Ann Arbor (Mich.) Rock Church, Hope Church in Ann Arbor, and All Nations in Toledo, Ohio, to the CRC.
Ministries Ended
Classis Quinte announced the closure of Real Life CRC in Oshawa, Ontario. Classis Lake Erie approved the disbanding of Immanual CRC in Roseville, Mich., and of Crosspoint CRC in Cincinnati.
Abuse Response
Classis Eastern Canada established an Abuse Response Team. Classis Muskegon appointed a Victim’s Advocate.
Membership
Classis Eastern Canada advised a congregation that a person cannot resign from the denomination while remaining a member of a local Christian Reformed church.
Cohabitation
Classis British Columbia North-West adopted a report on cohabitation for provisional use by the churches in the classis. Classis Alberta North received a report on common-law relationships but left it up to the churches to come up with a possible overture to synod.
—Banner News Correspondents
