Harry Boessenkool

It is the action in this comment that makes me nervous. Not renewing a contract sounds too easy. How old was this Pastor? How long had he been in this location? How long had he been a Pastor? If the rules of his engagement had changed (and that is possible) there could be labour law action that apply. Certainly in Canada this approach would not be simple.  

I just want to be assured that this Pastor was treated fairly regardless of the reason for termination.

What I do not understand is why folks who think like you do not leave the CRC and join churches that have already solved this problem. They are crying (dying) for members. Way back in the 1970/80's we had people that said Love is the "be all and end all".     But not in all places or situations.

"Sola scriptura, meaning by scripture alone, is a Christian theological doctrine held by some Protestant Christian denominations, in particular the Lutheran and Reformed traditions of Protestantism, that posits the Bible as the sole infallible source of authority for Christian faith and practice."

Notice the word "some".  Hence my first comment. At least up to some point the CRC was clearly in the Reformed tradition.

Your call is too late. This, like the same issue in the world, is unstoppable humanly speaking. You are probably not the only one that has not been consulted. All members in the CRC will be put into a position of having to make a decision in June, no matter what the Synod decides. I for one have made it already.  I can no longer handle the trauma of these situations. 

I have said it before, the method of assigning Synod reps this year will be a challenging (traumatic) one.  

Kathy raises a significant point. The members that make up a Synod can vote with their conscience. The problem is that they have often not made their own church council aware of that conscience. Here is where democracy can play havoc.   To send people to Synod who, when they can vote which ever way they "feel" at the time, leaves the rest of us in a quandary. So how a process "to have their own input as uniquely positioned stake holders..... respected" is an interesting way of putting this.  I am (a concerned outsider) trying to figure out how this will affect the denomination. Will a Pastor (Elders can at least not be fired) who comes back from Synod having voted a way that was not what the local Elders felt was appropriate be fired? What happens then to their "uniquely positioned shareholder stake"?

Like the RCA there are no easy answers. But they, at least, gave at least some "no win"  options. Sadly I can only posit the problems but not solutions. Scripture can but many can not fundamentally agree there either. I urge all those going to Synod to let their own congregations know where they stand and eliminate any surprises. Surely 10 years is enough to make up one's mind?

The first halve of the above is very valid.

Combining resources to achieve (certainly international and media ministries) mission outreach is something that should be thought through very carefully before being abandoned. The world is getting smaller is one side, the other is that people are becoming introverted (self absorbed). Having 20 independent missions in, say for example, Haiti, is not a wise use of resources of  20 organizations, all staffed with well paid managers.

What synod approved regarding the way the church wants to change the MS process will bring to the fore what people in the pew feel about the ministries they want to support. So the in `pledge` (whatever that really means) my congregation may state that they do not support any funds for OSJ or the Canadian equivalent. We might suggest cutting air travel and reduce the pledge for Synodical expenses.  I think the leadership has punted the membership and financial issues down to Classis and the churches and hope and pray the problem will be resolved.

Thanks Keith those are valid comments. I am treading on dangerous ground here, but I believe that the prayers in future synods done by selected persons may also lead to group think.