Posted on 11/01/2024 12:13:46 PM PDT by Morgana
The CRCNA (Christian Reformed Church in North America) is a historically conservative denomination in the process of being eaten alive by famished and bad-faith progressives, and they are barely fighting back. Like a wildebeest that quietly lets lions tear chunks out of its hindquarters with half-hearted resistance, so too has the CRCNA been being attacked and put upon by LGBTQ-loving liberals, slowly being drained of the lifeblood of Christ.
We saw this defeatism most evidently in 2022, when their flagship school, Calvin University, made a devil’s deal with gay-affirming staff and professors. The school’s board of trustees voted to allow pro-LGBTQ faulty members to dissent from having to uphold the denomination’s view of sexuality and purity, and instead hold to their sodomy-loving convictions while still retaining their teaching jobs.
* Calvin University Releases the Wokest Promo Ever: Reveals How Far the CRCNA has Gone
* “Reformed Christian” Rep. Hillary Scholten Quotes Jeremiah 1:5 To DEFEND Elective Abortion
* Cowards! Calvin University Caves to Pro-LGBTQ Faculty, Allows them to Affirm Sodomy and Sin
Rather than clean house and force every last lib out of there, the cancer was invited to remain and metastasize, and it’s only a matter of time before stage 4 is at the door.
This abdication of duty came months after the denomination took a step in the right direction and voted during their annual synod to elevate their opposition to homosexuality into becoming part of their confession, their very declaration of faith, with the motion passing 131-45.
This sounded great on the surface and gave reason to hope, but what good are legs and speed if you aren’t going to kick and run? The fact that a third of the people voted against the entrenchment against homosexuality, along with the compromise at Calvin, would suggest that while some may want a conservative resurgence, the wildebeest is too sick and defeated to escape, even though it may have the occasional burst of inspiration and will to live.
While the CRCNA is walking the same path the ELCA, PCUSA, and the UMC did decades ago, there is a remnant seeking to root out some of the worst perpetrators, which brings us to Church Of The Servant in Grand Rapids, MI.
This is a CRCNA church led by impastor Rev. Len Vander Zee and attended by gay-affirming professor and Jesus and John Wayne author Kristin Kobes Du Mez.
During last week’s sermon, Vander Zee shared that the church was in the process of “breaking up” with the denomination over the church’s insistence that they want to be gay-affirming NOW and not twenty years from now, all the while complaining that the denomination is forcing their hand and trying to get them to affirm biblical notions against homosexuality, which they definitely do not want to do. He explains:
The CRC denomination to which we belong, which we support, has recently been racked by disagreement regarding human sexuality and same-sex marriage. Three successive synods have been marked with strife over this issue. And it comes down to this: can we accept same-sex married Christians as full members of the church standing around the table of the Lord?
Our experience here, as well as in other congregations, has led us to say yes, yes, definitely yes. The CRC says “no.” And now (Church of the Servant) and other churches have been dealt an ultimatum. Either sign on to the denominational position or leave.
We can’t sign on.
Not just because we disagree with an idea, but because we have come to know LGBTQ siblings as devoted followers of Jesus Christ and dedicated to his church. Part of the tragedy of this breakup for us is that we don’t see it as unavoidable. There certainly are issues over which the church must diligently and boldly reject, even in our own time, issues like the idolatry of Christian nationalism, but we know that Christians are living together with differences over this issue, and they have for years, and they are right here.
Likening his church’s breakup with the CRCNA to Paul’s breakup with Barnabas, he continues:
And here’s the real painful thing for me, and I think for our congregation as well. As a minister in the Christian Reformed Church, I’ve been placed under limited suspension because I’ve advocated fpr the full inclusion of LGBTQ Christians. And that’s also true of many of our elders and deacons as well. And we’ve been told not just to agree with the point of view, but to repent.
Yes, that’s exactly the word. To repent of our belief in the conclusion of LGBTQ people, which is now regarded as sinful, a false teaching, and dangerous to the church.
God has an answer for sins against Him..... remember Sodom & Gomorrah?
’Come out of her, my people,’ so that you will not share in her sins,
so that you will not receive any of her plagues. — Rev 18:4
No. I have no idea who these people are.
While some of the more Bible based churches are growing.
What version of the Bible are they using?
I can tell with certainty which one they’re not using.
I’ve been delving back into the issue of manuscripts used for various translations, as most people are utterly clueless about it.
“What version of the Bible are they using?”
Are they even using the Bible?
AGREE! And co-opting the name of John Calvin to boot. How the HELL do they support abortion using Jeremiah 1:5? TOTAL APOSTACY!
They’re using the Totally Redacted American New Standard version.
At this point I’m not sure they are using toilet paper.
I grew up in the CRC. I used to get their magazine, “The Banner”. Probably over a decade ago, it seemed like they started going woke, with green specials, and “sins of the past” and worrying about minorities and things like that. I called and cancelled the subscription and told them why.
Have an uncle that was a pastor in the CRC. He said they were so liberal it made him sick, so he resigned.
The Mennonites 30 years ago the most conservative denomination in north America went this route few years ago.
What version of the Bible are they using?
Probably (some version of) the NIV. Way back in the day the CRC had a hand in its production.
That’s what I figured. I was asking somewhat rhetorically.
The “Nearly Inspired Version” has a host of problems.
I grew up in the CRC. I used to get their magazine, “The Banner”. Probably over a decade ago, it seemed like they started going woke, with green specials, and “sins of the past” and worrying about minorities and things like that. I called and cancelled the subscription and told them why.
Have an uncle that was a pastor in the CRC. He said they were so liberal it made him sick, so he resigned.
We were in through eighties. Actually 1977-91, moved away from that congregation before all the craziness ramped up. Sometime in the twenty-oughts The Banner found us again. (I suspect my wife is still officially on the roll.) It was really something to see.
Having grown up in a farming community in Iowa, it angers me so much that these elitists in Grand Rapids are stealing the tithes and offerings of congregants who work hard for what they have, and using it on leftist garbage.
I have relatives that used to be in the ELCA as well and left for the very same reasons.
Likening his church’s breakup with the CRCNA to Paul’s breakup with Barnabas, he continues:And here’s the real painful thing for me, and I think for our congregation as well. As a minister in the Christian Reformed Church, I’ve been placed under limited suspension because I’ve advocated fpr the full inclusion of LGBTQ Christians. And that’s also true of many of our elders and deacons as well. And we’ve been told not just to agree with the point of view, but to repent.
Yes, that’s exactly the word. To repent of our belief in the conclusion of LGBTQ people, which is now regarded as sinful, a false teaching, and dangerous to the church.
Revisiting a (slightly) older thread.
We got the usual Christmas time annual newsletter from the CRC we were a part of a third of a century ago now. My wife looked it over, and said "They're going liberal." That by itself would be no real surprise.
I read it. New congregational sexuality policy, full on alphabet soup affirming, only requiring fidelity. And likely exiting the denomination.
< sigh>. Sad. In retrospect our time there was a (relatively) short window in a long process. It's not like we were ever going to end up back in that city anyway.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.