CLASSIS ILLIANA of the CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH s1

CLASSIS ILLIANA of the CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH

144th Session Convening at Trinity Christian College, Palos Heights, IL.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013 8:30 am

Schedule: Morning – 8:30am – 9:30 am ; Afternoon -- 1:30 pm to 5:30 pm

Officers: President: Jerry Hoek; Vice-President: Joel Zuidema

Stated Clerk: Laryn Zoerhof;

First time delegates are asked to sign their agreement to the covenant for office-bearers when they arrive for this meeting of classis.

1. The President of the day, Jerry Hoek, welcomes the delegates to Classis. He reads from II Corinthians 13 and shares a devotion by James Schaap on living in peace. He leads us in our opening prayer.

2. The credentials are presented and the roll call of the churches indicates that the following have been delegated to attend this session of classis by their respective councils.

CHURCH MINISTERS ELDERS

Cedar Lake, IN Pathway Rob Knol Ryan Davids

Crown Point, IN - First Joel Sheeres Nels Vander Zee DeMotte, In - Bethel Rick Vanderwal Dave Werblo

DeMotte, IN - First Laryn Zoerhof Douglas Mulder

Gary, IN - Beacon Light John Hoffmaster James Groen Hammond, IN John Kostelyk Owen Bouma

Highland, IN - First Jason De Vries Keith Brusvoort Highland, IN – New Life Bill Sytsma Sam Kooistra Indianapolis, Hope Community not present Lafayette, IN Bernard Smit (elder) Stanley Poelstra Lafayette, IN - Sunrise Stanley Sturing (elder) Tony Vyn

Lansing, IL - Bethel Herm Schutt Ivan Van Essen Lansing, IL - New Hope Dan Roels Milt Van Drunen

Monee, IL - Family of Faith David Feddes Brian Boss

Munster, IN - First Jeff Bulthuis Doug Achterhof

Nashville, TN - Faith Jerry Hoek Howard Gorter

Peoria, IL - Family of Faith not present

Roselawn, IN - Community Ray Van Dyk (elder) Butch Zandstra Sauk Village, IL - Emmanuel Tim Koster Milt Mulder

Schererville, IN - Crossroads Com. (no credentials submitted) South Holland, IL - Cottage Grove Richard Zekveld Herb Potts

South Holland, IL - First Ben Tol Jim De Young

South Holland, IL - Peace Rick Stallinga (elder) Larry Van Drunen

3. First time delegates are requested to sign the covenant for office bearers if they have not done so before the meeting.

4. The President declares classis constituted, and welcomes first-time delegates and visitors to classis.

New pastors welcomed are Dan Roels at New Hope CRC and Jason De Vries at Faith Church –

Highland Campus. Ildefonso Torres and Joshua Dykstra are also present.

5. Appointments by President

A. Devotions: Opening of Afternoon Session by Rick Vanderwal

B. Credentials – Article 41 Committee – Delegates from Emmanuel, Sauk Village

C. Balloting Committee if needed

6. David Feddes, President of the March 5 meeting, reports that the transcribed minutes of the March

5, 2013 meeting of Classis Illiana are accurate. A motion to approve the transcribed minutes is

ADOPTED.

7. Nomination Committee Report and Elections

The following names are presented to classis for approval for three year terms:

Jo Janke for another term on the Roseland Christian Ministries Board

John Kostelyk for another term on the Student Fund Committee

Marj Kooy for another term on the Classical Home Missions Committee

Rick Vanderwal as an additional member for the Classical Interim Committee

A motion to approve these appointments is ADOPTED.

The position of Alternate Stated Clerk remains open.

8. Laryn Zoerhof reports on his work on behalf of classis as stated clerk.

Since the last meeting of Classis Illiana, I have…

1. Prepared and sent minutes of the March 5, 2013 meeting of Classis Illiana to the churches and others on the mailing list.
2. Sent the names and addresses of the delegates to Synod to the Executive Director’s office.
3. Forwarded the minutes of the May Board of Trustees meeting to the churches of classis.
4. Sent a notice to the churches announcing this meeting of classis and the deadline for agenda items to be submitted.
5. Prepared the agenda for this meeting of Classis Illiana.
6. 2013 Ministers’ Compensation Survey and Ministry Shares, Minister’s Pension and Other Resources for 2014 can be found on the CRCNA website.
7. Received the Summer Report and Fall Report from the Ministry Agencies of the CRC and forwarded it to the churches of Classis Illiana.
8. Received and forwarded to the churches of classis a letter from Joel Boot informing us about the activities and plans of the Strategic Planning and Adaptive Challenge Team.
9. Received an overture from First South Holland and forwarded it on to the churches. This letter was received after the deadline for agenda, but addresses the same issue as the overture from Family of Faith Monee. Motion: That we declare the overture of First, South Holland to be part of our agenda for today, and consider it when we take up the Family of Faith Monee overture. This motion is ADOPTED.
10. A farewell letter from Heino Blaauw is shared with the delegates.
11. Handled correspondence on behalf of classis.

A motion to approve the work of the stated clerk is ADOPTED.

9. Laryn Zoerhof reports for the Classical Interim Committee

1. Church Visiting: Last fall we began a new model for church visiting in which almost all of the churches in our classis were visited by church visitors from a neighboring church. We want to thank our church visiting teams for taking the time to encourage the leaders of a neighboring church as they seek to faithfully carry out their ministry for Christ. This fall we are asking our church visiting teams to contact the church you visited last year and schedule a brief checkup visit between September and December. If your church is currently without a pastor, two elders are encouraged to make this visit to a neighboring church. The visit does not need to be long -- 15 to 30 minutes can be adequate to communicate your interest and concern for the healthy functioning of the church to which you have been assigned. We believe that shorter and more frequent visits are a more effective way to build the relationship between church visitors and their assigned church than lengthy sporadic visits. Here are a few model questions that you might want to consider for a checkup visit with your church:

1. What blessing have you experienced as a church during the past year?

2. What have been some of the most challenging/frustrating aspects of your work during the

past year?

3. Are there any creative or new ministries that you have initiated this past year?

4. What are some of the issues that we as church visitors can pray about with regard to your

church?

5. Do you have any ministry ideas that you would be willing to share with the churches of

classis?

Remind the church council that you are always available to consult with as the need arises, and offer a prayer for God’s blessing on the church and its varied ministries. Send ministry ideas to the stated clerk by the January agenda deadline for classis so that ministry ideas can be shared with the other churches of classis.

2. At our March 5 meeting of Classis Illiana, Lafayette CRC informed the delegates that they were considering extending a call to a husband and wife team to serve as co-pastors to their congregation. Recently they informed the interim committee that by a 94% vote on April 21, their congregation decided to call Candidate Mark Bonnes and Candidate Ashley Bonnes as a ministry team. Mark accepted their call on May 2, 2013. Ashley was declared a candidate by Synod 2013 and has also accepted a call to serve with her husband at Lafayette CRC.

Lafayette CRC asked the interim committee to begin preparations so Classis Illiana can examine both Mark and Ashley either before or at the meeting scheduled for September 18, 2013. They make this request based on the following supplement to Article 3 a. of the church order: “Every classis shall respect the prerogative of its constituent churches to call and ordain officebearers according to their own biblical convictions. No member of classis shall be required to participate against their convictions in a candidate’s examination or in processing ministerial credentials. The examination for ordination of a female candidate may then be conducted by a classis contracta consisting of delegates from churches that do not object. In the event that a quorum cannot be found, representatives from churches in a neighboring classis may be invited to achieve the equivalent of a quorum.” (2012 Church Order, p. 12).

Lafayette CRC and the classical interim committee agree that in the above supplement to Article 3 a. of the church order, Synod has already established a procedure to be followed in cases like this. All classes are to respect the convictions of a member church that desires to call a female pastor by conducting an examination. Classes are also to respect the convictions of delegates who do not wish to participate in the examination of a female candidate.

The supplement to Article 3 also says that classis may declare that women office-bearers may not be delegated to classis. That is the present position of Classis Illiana and the Lafayette Christian

Reformed Church promises that they will not delegate Ashley Bonnes to a classis meeting unless that position changes.

The examination of Candidates Mark and Ashley Bonnes will be the final item of business at our September 18, 2013 meeting of Classis Illiana. They will be examined together, but those who do not

desire to participate in the examination of Ashley Bonnes will be able to abstain by ballot. Delegates

who will be abstaining are asked to contact the stated clerk, Laryn Zoerhof, as soon as possible. This request is necessary so that arrangements can be made for additional churches from Classis Chicago South (who conveniently are also meeting that day at Trinity College) to join us if that is required in order to reach a quorum.

Arrangements for the examination are as follows:

Practica: Bill Sytsma

Sermon Texts: Mark 2:1-12 and Mark 6:30-44

Sermon Critics: Rick Vanderwal and Russ Vander Molen; Joel Zuidema and Bob Jonkman

Biblical and Theological: Laryn Zoerhof

In response to objections that were raised about the scheduling of the examination of Ashley Bonnes as a minister of the Word in the Christian Reformed Church, the response of the Classical Interim Committee is read. The following motion is presented:

That we affirm the decision of the Classical Interim Committee to proceed with the examination of Mark and Ashley Bonnes for ordination as ministers of the Word in the CRC as requested by the Lafayette CRC. After a time of discussion, this motion is ADOPTED.

3. The ministerial credentials of Peter Oh were approved and forwarded to Classis Central California

where he will serve the Modesto CRC.

4. The ministerial credentials of Jeff Dephouse were transferred from Faith Nashville to the Hope

CRC of Indianapolis.

5. Heino Blaauw has accepted a position as chaplain for Providence Services in Downers Grove, IL.

He plans to serve under the chaplaincy program in the RCA.

6. The Home Missions Committee has raised questions about the need for continuing the Race

Relations Committee. This issue will be presented to the entire classis at our meeting today.

7. Remember Randy Bergsma and his family in prayer as they seek the Lord’s leading with regard to

to a new place of ministry. If Randy Bergsma does not receive a call and find a new place of

service by March 1, 2014, then the CIC will recommend that classis apply Article 17a of the

Church Order, with the understanding that he has already received the appropriate severance

agreement.

8. The ministerial credentials of Daniel Roels were received from Classis Holland, approved, and

forwarded to New Hope CRC of Lansing, IL.

9. We recommend that the license of John Klompmaker to exhort in the churches of Classis Illiana be

renewed for another year 10. Joshua Dykstra, a student at Mid-America, desires to be approved for a license to exhort in the

churches of Classis Illiana. Richard Zekveld will conduct the interview with Joshua, and

Ben Tol and an elder will evaluate the sermon, which will also be sent to the churches of classis.

11. Doug Pruim was released from active ministerial service at the Lafayette CRC under Article 17a

in 2010. Since then he has been working as a teaching assistant at Purdue University, and is

pursuing a Masters Degree in Communication there. He desires to be released from the office of

minister of the Word in order to pursue a non-ministerial calling according to Acticle 14c of the

Church Order. The approval of classis and the synodical deputies is required.

12. At the request of Beacon Light, Kris Vos was appointed to serve as their counselor.

13. Jerry De Vries has maintained the Classis Illiana website (classisilliana.org) for many years, but

he recently notified the CIC of his desire to resign from this task. The CIC has approved Kyle

Sanford as our new webmaster. The only cost for this site is $14.95 per year for the domain name

registration. We have a free web site host account at Dreamhost.com which provides this service

to non-profit organizations. We thank Jerry De Vries for his many years of faithful service as our

classis webmaster.

14. Swartz, Retson & Co. Certified Public Accountants reviewed the financial records of Classis

Illiana for the years 2011 and 2012. They write: “Based on our review, we are not aware of any

material modifications that should be made to the accompanying financial statements in order for

them to be in conformity with accounting standards generally accepted in the United States of

America.” (March 3, 2013)

15. John Hoffmaster meet with the Classical Interim Committee to share his plans for leadership at

Beacon Light. He is currently serving as an elder there, and the church has called him to serve as

a Temporary Interim Pastor. He will exhort twice a month and administer the sacraments under