Classis East meets this coming Wednesday, Jan. 14, at First PRC in Holland, MI.

The main items of business are a protest against Classis' decision in October to allow congregations freedom to change their Prayer Day service from the traditional date, and choosing delegates for Synod 2015. At this meeting Classis also selects its church visitors and various standing committees.

Pray that the delegates may be given wisdom to treat the matters before Classis, for the good of the churches and for the glory of Christ, the Head of the church.

Update: The following is the official public report of the Stated Clerk of Classis East on this meeting (Jon Huisken) - also attached here in pdf form:

Report of Classis East

January 14, 2015

First Holland Protestant Reformed Church

Classis East met in regular session on Wednesday, January 14, 2015 at the First Protestant Reformed Church of Holland, MI. The churches were each represented by two delegates. Rev. Heath Bleyenberg served as chair for this session.

Classis received a protest from a brother against its decision taken at its September/October, 2014 session regarding the scheduling of Prayer Day services. The protestant argued that the way to make this change in the date for Prayer Day services would be through overture. Classis did not sustain this protest. The grounds given by classis (summarized): 1) Classis East’s decision did not make allowance for an individual consistory to determine for itself matters of the Church Order or that which belongs to the churches in common. Classis allowed only the change of the date of the service, not the elimination of the day. 2) The protest erroneously assumes that all common practices are of the same importance and therefore must be changed only by overture. 3) The protest is based on a fear that the change of the date on which Prayer Day is observed will lead to other changes. This fear is not a legitimate conclusion. 4) The protest claims that the decision of classis would establish precedent that would prove destructive to denominational unity. The protest, however, does not prove this point. 5) The protest does not respond to nor interact with any of the grounds classis gave for its decision.

Classis elected the following to serve as delegates to Synod 2015: MINISTERS:

Primi: G. Eriks, C. Haak, K. Koole, W. Langerak, R. VanOverloop; Secundi:

N. Decker, M. DeVries, D. Holstege, A. Spriensma, C. Spronk. ELDERS: Primi:

R. Drnek, D. Kregel, Gerald Kuiper, S. Miedema, H. Pastoor; Secundi: Brad Dykstra, J. Engelsma, Steve Kuiper, H. Langerak, J. Warner.

In other voting Rev. A. denHartog and Rev. M. DeVries were elected to serve three-year terms as primus and secundus terms respectively. Rev. W. Langerak was apponted to serve a three-year term on the Classical Committee, and Revs. Haak and Van Overloop were chosen as church visitors; Revs. Koole and DeVries will serve as alternates.

The church visitors reported that they found a spirit of peace and unity in the churches.

Report of Classis East

September 10, 2014 with a continued Session on October 15, 2014
Grandville Protestant Reformed Church

Classis East met in regular session on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 with a continued session on October 15, 2014.  All the churches were represented by two delegates.  Rev. R. VanOverloop was the chairman for these sessions.

What occasioned the continued session on October 15^th was the decision of the September 10^th session to place four protests against the decision of classis at its May, 2014 relative Article 67 of the Church Order.  At the May, 2014 meeting, an appeal of a consistory’s decision to change the date of its Prayer Day service was treated.  At the May meeting, classis upheld this appeal and decided that any change to the meeting date of the Prayer Day service should be sought by overture to the broader assemblies.  Four protests—three from consistories in Classis East and one from an individual in Classis West—were lodged at the September, 2014 meeting of classis against this decision.  Classis then placed these protests in the hands of a committee of pre-advise whose report was received at the continued session on October, 2014.

Classis received the majority and minority reports of this committee of pre-advice at the October continued session.  Classis adopted the advice of the majority report, namely, that classis uphold the protests received and therefore rescind its decision of May, 2014 that a decision to change the date of the annual Prayer Day service should be sought by way of overture to the broader assemblies.  The grounds (summarized):

1. 1)      The letter, spirit, and historical interpretation of Article 67 of the Church Order do not require the churches to celebrate Prayer Day together on a specific date.  Further, the consistory’s decision to change the date for its Prayer Day service does not constitute a substantial change to Article 67 of the Church Order
2. 2)      The consistory’s decision to change the date for its Prayer Day service does not violate Article 86 of Church Order as the May decision asserts since, as stated in Ground 1 above, the decision of the consistory did not substantially change Article 67 of the Church Order.

At its September session, Classis granted classical appointments to Faith PRC and First PRC.  At its October session, Classis granted a request from a consistory to increase censure to the second step for one of its members.

The expenses of both sessions amounted to $366.24.  Classis will meet next on Wednesday, January 14, 2015 at the First PRC of Holland, MI.

Respectfully submitted,

Jon J. Huisken, Stated Clerk