The Aquila Report has received permission from the coordinator of the Web Log that is reporting on the URCNA synod now underway in London, Ontario, Canada on the campus of the University of Western Ontario.

Overture 5: This Overture sought to amend Arts. 44 and 45 of the Proposed Joint Church Order (what may be the Church Order if/when there is a URC/CanRC merger and if the PJCO is adopted).

The committee had struggled with this overture because of its lack of clear language and ultimately spoke with the elder delegate from the sending consistory as well as a delegate from the classis about the original intent of the overture. The consistory/classis brought the overture with the understanding that the PJCO was going to be adopted. Since the PJCO was not adopted but instead accepted for further study, the delegates were willing to have Overture 5 tabled indefinitely in order to have the opportunity to bring this overture to bear upon the current Church Order.

Rationale for this included grounds that who does missions, the definition/scope of missions, and who is the audience/recipient of missions needs further clarification. Therefore, the committee’s recommendation was to table indefinitely this overture. Tabling indefinitely basically means “to go away” without consequence. The consistory would be able to perfect the language and re-send the overture. The motion was adopted.

Overture 13: Overture 13, recall, sought to conclude the work of the Phase 3 Unity Committee (this is the committee that works with CanRC for church union).

Earlier in the week, Synod defeated the committee’s recommendations on Overture 13 and sent Overture 13 back to the committee for more work.

In accordance with the report of committee 10, Synod has, in principle, acceded to Overture 13, 3, c by concluding the work of the Theological Education Committee, so that part of Overture 13 need not be dealt with.

In accordance with a previous report of Committee 7, Synod continued the Joint Church Order committee, so that part of Overture 13 also need not be dealt with. This leaves only to deal with the Songbook Committee.

The committee’s recommendations were:

1. That Synod accede to Overture 13.3.a as follows: To conclude the mandate of the Songbook Committee to produce a common songbook for use in the united federation.

2. That Synod remind the Songbook Committee that they be in dialogue with the Canadian Reformed Churches in a manner consistent with Phase 2 relations.

3. That Synod declare that recommendations 1 and 2 above and the actions already taken by Synod regarding the Theological Education Committee and the Joint Church Order committee constitute its answer to Overture 13.

There was a motion to recommit this to the advisory committee for the purpose of adding grounds to their recommendations, and the motion was adopted. The committee will work on adding grounds this morning and bring it back to the body later today.

Overture 12: The advisory committee agreed with the sentiments of Overture 12 and offered their recommendations. With minor amendments, the language that was ultimately adopted was the following, with the understanding that despite a ratification by consistories of an amendment to the appendices in 2004, this Synod believed that ratification procedure to be in error:

1. Synod 2010 amend the procedure by which a man is declared to have sustained the candidacy and ordination exam, and the Colloquium Dictum as follows:

a. Following the completion of the entire exam, each specific area must receive a vote of approbation.

b. In the case of the candidacy exam the particular vote of approbation of each specific area will be given by both the consistory and by the delegates to classis.

c. In the case of the ordination exam, the particular vote of approbation of each specific area will be given by both the consistory and by the delegates to classis.

d. The classis shall determine the method by which the vote of approbation of each specific area will be taken.

e. An exam may only be declared as sustained after a particular vote of approbation of each specific area has been received by either this or a previous classis.

2. The committee recommends the following Church Order changes:

a. In Appendix 2.2 (Procedure) letter “d.” be renamed “e.” and a new letter “d.” be added which shall read, “A declaration by the consistory that the candidate has sustained the exam shall be made based upon each specific area of the exam having received a particular vote of approbation from the consistory along with the delegates to classis.”

b. In Appendix 3.2 (Procedure) letter “d.” be renamed “e.” and a new letter “d.” be added which shall read, “A determination that the candidate has sustained this exam shall be made based upon each specific area of the exam having received a particular vote of approbation from the delegates to classis.”

c. In Appendix 4.2 (Procedure) letter “c.” be renamed “d.” and a new letter “c.” be added which shall read, “A determination that the minister has sustained this exam shall be made based upon each specific area of the exam having received a particular vote of approbation from the delegates to classis.”

3. The committee recommends that the churches vote to ratify the above changes by March 15, 2011.

4. The committee recommends that the following example be placed in the Appendices of Church Order and the Acts of Synod.

EXAMPLE:
A. For Candidacy Examinations:

1. Following the examination and the decision of the man’s consistory, the delegates will enter executive session. The following motion will be made at the appropriate time: “We are satisfied that the examinee has sustained the ___ area of the examination.”

2. After discussion of each area, a vote will be taken by ballot. The ballots will be tallied after voting on all areas has been completed. If the delegates are satisfied with all of the areas, the man may continue the process toward admission to the Ministry of the word in the URCNA.

3. If the delegates are not satisfied with any particular area(s) of the examination, the examinee may return to classis within 13 months to be examined in that/those area(s) only. He need not undergo the entire examination again if he returns within that time period.

B. For Ordination Examinations and Colloquia Docta:

1. Following the examination, the delegates will enter executive session. The following motion will be made at the appropriate time: “We are satisfied that the examinee has sustained the ____ area of the examination.”

2. After discussion of each area, a vote will be taken by ballot. The ballots will be tallied after voting on all areas has been completed. If the delegates are satisfied with all of the areas, the man may continue the process toward admission to the Ministry of the Word in the URCNA.

3. If the delegates are not satisfied with any particular area(s) of the examination, the examinee may return to classis within 13 months to be examined in that/those area(s) only. He need not undergo the entire examination again if he returns within that time period.

C. In the event that a man does not sustain an entire examination at classis:

1. The classis shall remain in the Executive Session declared for the purpose of discussing and voting on the examinee’s performance in his examination.

2. A delegate from the examinee’s Consistory shall be sent to explain what is going to happen next (see #3 below), and accompany the examinee back into Executive Session and to the front of the assembly.

3. The Chairman, on behalf of Classis, shall acknowledge and give thanks to God for the examinee’s success by identifying that/those area(s) of the examination that he sustained; and encourage and instruct him in how he may proceed to pursue the goal of becoming a minister of the Word in the URCNA (e.g. returning, at the request of his Consistory, within 13 months to be examined in that/those area(s) of the examination which he did not sustain.)

4. The accompanying delegate from his Consistory shall offer a prayer of thanksgiving and supplication on behalf of the examinee.

5. The Chairman, before ending Executive Session, shall ask the examinee if he would prefer to remain as an observer when General Session is resumed, or be excused from the Classis before the General Session is resumed.

6. Upon resuming General Session, the Chairman shall announce the outcome of the examination and the broad outlines of the Classis’ dealings with the examinee (see #3 above).

4. The committee recommends that the chairman rule that this be considered Synod’s response to Overture 12.

Level of Doctrinal Commitment Report: This report deals with “the level of doctrinal commitment advisable for communicant membership in our churches.”: is it membership access with full assent? Or with stipulations? The study committee was divided on this issue and presented a report to Synod that was divided into two sections.

The advisory committee found neither report satisfactory because they were unclear and because the oral presentations by the authors of both reports did not fairly represent what the reports stated. The advisory committee did reach agreement on two recommendations:

1) That Synod grant the privilege of the floor to Rev. Tom Morrison, Dr. Nelson Kloosterman, Rev. Danny Hyde, and Rev. Mitchell Persaud.

2) That Synod declare that neither report on the two given positions is satisfactory as presented in order to provide guidance to the churches.

These recommendations were adopted by the Synod. There were a few procedural motions in regards to the majority and minority report, but ultimately, the Synod chose to recommit this work to the study committee for a more clear and representative report. This means that the next Synod will receive the reworked report from the study committee for voting.

After a short break, the representative from the reformed church in New Zealand addressed the assembly, cautioning the URCNA to be careful about where it looks for its identity and security. “That is what the Heidelberg calls comfort” and he issued a reminder that that can only be found in Christ.

(Editor’s Note: Next item handled by the Synod was the Report of the Study Committee on Justification/Federal Vision. That action was published in a separate article at: http://bit.ly/cKybsZ)

These are edited extracts from the Blog. For more details visit: http://urcnasynodreports.wordpress.com/