There has been a good deal of discussion lately in some segments of the Reformed Church in America over concerns about a supposed “disproportionate representation” stemming from the reality that classes are different sizes (in terms of both numbers of churches and size of churches) but they each register a single vote on constitutional amendments. … More Of Classes and Congressional Districts
This is part of a series of posts about the items and topics before the General Synod 2017. Other posts in this series: Commissioned Pastors, Part 1: Foundations Commissioned Pastors, Part 2: Recommendations before General Synod *** An addition to the General Synod Workbook was recently released containing overtures from the regional synods. There are … More Reformed Church General Synod 2017: Overtures on Declarative Authority
In Part I, we laid a foundation for what representation means in the church. In Part II, we are going to look at how this exists in practice, particularly regarding the General Synod. The General Synod apportions delegates proportionally. Every classis is able to send two ministers and two elders, and larger classes are able to send … More Governance by Assembly and the Problem of Representation (Part II)
Few concepts cause more difficulty than the principle of representation and what this means in the church. This is particularly the case with those of us who are used to a representative democracy because similar terms are often used to address very different concepts. The Representative Principle. The power which Jesus Christ bestows upon his church … More Governance by Assembly and the Problem of Representation (Part I)
Church and Order 