The CRC allows congregations to make their own decisions about whether to ordain women. In addition, each classis is allowed to decide whether women officeholders from individual congregations may be delegates to classis.

Opposition to women’s ordination has prompted a local church to pull away from a regional church group in its denomination.

Second Reformed Church of Kalamazoo is seeking to withdraw officially from the CRC Classis Kalamazoo and join the like-minded CRC Classis Minnetonka, a group of 15 Christian Reformed churches in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Classis Kalamazoo approved the transfer request in January, and the national ruling body of the denomination, the Synod, is expected to make a final decision on the matter in June.

“We’re trying to be obedient to how we read scripture,” the Rev. Wayne Lammers, of Second CRC, told the Kalamazoo Gazette last week. But he also said he didn’t really want to comment on the matter and would prefer no publicity on it.

“Other churches have been struggling with this,” said Lammers, who noted that it was his church’s council, of which he is president, that made the decision to withdraw from Classis Kalamazoo. “The church councils have to lead. We’re going to see what the Lord says.”

Another church, Trinity CRC of Sparta, Michigan, has requested a similar transfer to Classis Minnetonka that was approved by Classis Grand Rapids North, according to a report in the May edition of the CRC denominational magazine, The Banner.

Read More: http://www.mlive.com/living/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2010/05/second_reformed_church_in_kala.html