Although many classes have worked to restructure their meetings (with the help of the Classis Renewal Ministry Team) to make them more fellowship oriented, there has not been a significant discussion about the identity and logic of the classis as an organizational entity of the CRC. What are the underlying reasons to keep classis going? In this paper, Craig Van Gelder examines the history and the current context of classes. He encourages the reader to take a look and begin to engage church polity as it interacts with classes.

By Craig Van Gelder, PhD, former professor of missions at Calvin Seminary and current professor at Luther Seminary in Minnesota. This paper was first written as a presentation given at the 2008 conference: “Classis & Presbytery in the 21st Century: Problem or Possibility?” at New Brunswick Theological Seminary. Used with permission.

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