Monday, June 18

Synod began the day with devotions. Rev. R. Miersma led synod in singing Psalter Number 88; read Psalm 34:1-11 and opened in prayer.

Synod heard a letter of acceptance from Professor Gritters regarding the three year appointment that was previously approved by synod.

Synod then turned to the Board of Trustee’s report and approved the recommendations regarding some gifts given to the churches. Three estate gifts were received for the churches from the Rev. and Mrs. John Heys Estate for our Seminary, Domestic Missions, and Foreign Missions ($20,000); from an anonymous donor for our Seminary ($50,000); and, an unspecified gift from the Gertrude Hoeksema Estate ($43,899.10). The BOT recommended that the Gertrude Hoeksema Estate gift be divided between the Emeritus Fund and the Foreign Student Assistance Fund. Synod approved this division of the moneys on the grounds that these causes were among those suggested by the Trustee as being appropriate uses, based on his knowledge of his parents and their lifelong commitment to the PRCA and its various causes; and, the recommended funds both have needs to which synod has called special attention in recent years.

Synod treated some financial matters: emeritation support requests, subsidy requests from our smaller congregations, expenses for the meeting (totaled $6,112.18), and the 2007 budget, which was set at $823 per family for 2007 (a $73 or 9.8% increase over 2007).

Synod approved an exceptional financial request of Edgerton PRC to assist in the payment of her pastor, Rev. Lee’s remaining moving and immigration expenses from Singapore to the U.S.A.from the Needy Churches Fund ($15,190 estimated). Two grounds were given: There is precedence for the assistance of churches on subsidy with the immigration and moving expenses of their pastors. This will assist Edgerton PRC in their desire to remain free of yearly subsidy in the future.

Rev. Doug Kuiper brought two overtures to synod with the approval of his consistory and Classis West. The first overture asked synod to establish “a procedure for our consistories to follow when disciplining our baptized members.” The second overture asked synod to establish “a procedure for our consistories to follow when readmitting mature baptized members who were erased.” Synod decided to appoint a study committee to examine and review the overtures of Rev. Kuiper and bring recommendations to Synod 2008 on the ground that this matter is weighty, pertaining to one of the marks of the true church.

Synod treated the overture of Classis East regarding the decision of Synod 2006 in Articles 34, 36 pertaining to the instruction to Classis East to encourage Covenant PRC to disband. Synod declared that Synod 2006 erred in using a, b, c and f as grounds of its 2006 decision. Four grounds were given:

1.The first ground (a) asserts that Covenant PRC is not “a viable congregation with respect to its spiritual life,” because “four families and three individuals…cannot have an active, full congregational life.” This begs the question. Synod offers no proof for this assertion and we believe it should, especially since Classis East decided that it was a viable congregation.

2. The second ground (b) speaks of the “possibility” of future trouble, but a “possibility” cannot be a ground for disbanding. The presence of an excommunicated member who persists in attending worship services is not a ground for disbanding a church.

3.The third ground (c) for disbanding is the impossibility of a “diversified” consistory with “normal rotation.” In the case of the disbanding of Isabel, Pella, and Trinity (Houston) the issue was whether there were sufficient qualified men to serve in the offices, not whether there was the possibility of a rotation.

4. The sixth ground (f) is the fact that the amount of subsidy given to Covenant has increased on a per-family basis, followed by the statement: “Synod 2003 said, ‘It is not good stewardship of finances or pastors to continue to support congregations of this size to which God does not give growth.’” But in a time of general prosperity and when synodical subsidies are dropping, and Covenant PRC anticipates no longer needing subsidy when their property sells in a few months, such a ground is no longer valid. And further, Synod 2006 cannot speak of a stewardship of pastors in the sense Synod 2003 did, because in 2003 there were a number of vacancies, but Synod 2006 declared two men to be candidates for the ministry when there was only one vacancy (and now the churches are full and there is one candidate).

In a related matter, Synod did not sustain the protest of Rev. M. Vander Wal to the same synodical decision and directed him to the above decision in connection with his concerns with those grounds.

Synod elected men for its various standing committees (Catechism Book Committee, Contact Committee, Domestic Missions Committee, Emeritus Committee, Foreign Mission Committee, Student Aid Committee, Theological School Committee, Finance Committee, and the Board of Trustees).

Synod completed its work at 5:00 p.m. Rev. Slopsema made fitting remarks and closed the meeting of synod in a prayer of thanksgiving to God for the evident peace and unity in the churches and the many signs of His blessings.

Synod will convene next year, the Lord willing, at Hope Protestant Reformed Church in Walker, MI, on June 10, 2008, at 8:30 a.m.