NR #1996-028: For Immediate Release
List of Classis Decisions on Women in Office

Note: unless otherwise specified, the motion "adopted," "defeated,"
"postponed," or otherwise addressed was a motion to declare the word "male"
in Article 3a of the church order inoperative with the effect of allowing the
ordination of women as ministers, elders, and evangelists. Some classes
qualified this motion and qualifications are specified where known. Most
proposals to declare the church order inoperative had their own unique
grounds, in some cases quite lengthy, and no attempt has been made to
reproduce these grounds. Most classes took no action on the synodical option,
as indicated by "n/a." The word "male" remains operative by default in
classes which took no action or in which requests for action were defeated. A
few classes voted to declare the word male to be "operative" - this motion is
the opposite of and must not be confused with motions to declare the word
male to be "inoperative." Overture information is incomplete at the moment
and for that reason overtures to synod regarding women in office are listed
only when a classis has considered the option of declaring the word male to
be "inoperative."

Classis Alberta North:
 Fall 95: DEFEATED
 Winter 96: ADOPTED

Classis Alberta South:
 Fall 95: POSTPONED until March meeting
 Winter 96: DEFEATED. OVERTURE DEFEATED for synod to revise 1995 decision

Classis Atlantic Northeast:
 Fall 95: DEFEATED 13-11. OVERTURED synod to revise 1995 decision
 Winter 96: n/a

Classis Arizona:
 Fall 95: DEFEATED overtures to declare male "inoperative" and "operative"
 Winter 96: OVERTURED synod to revise 1995 decision

Classis British Columbia North-West:
 Fall 95: n/a
 Winter 96: n/a

Classis British Columbia South-East:
 Fall 95: n/a
 Winter 96: n/a

Classis California South:
 Fall 95: n/a
 Winter 96: OVERTURED synod to revise 1995 decision

Classis Central California:
 Fall 95: POSTPONED until March meeting
 Winter 96: POSTPONED until September 1998 meeting

Classis Chatham:
 Fall 95: DEFEATED
 Winter 96: OVERTURE DEFEATED for synod to revise 1995 decision

Classis Chicago South:
 Fall 95: WITHDRAWN on Hessel Park credential
 Winter 96: ADOPTED

Classis Columbia:
 Fall 95: n/a
 Winter 96: n/a

Classis Eastern Canada:
 Fall 95: n/a
 Winter 96: n/a

Classis Florida:
 Fall 95: POSTPONED action to March meeting
 Winter 96: ADOPTED

Classis Georgetown:
 Fall 95: n/a
 Winter 96: n/a

Classis Grand Rapids East:
 Fall 95: ADOPTED without dissent
 Winter 96: n/a

Classis Grand Rapids North:
 Fall 95: n/a
 Winter 96: n/a

Classis Grand Rapids South:
 Fall 95: n/a
 Winter 96: n/a

Classis Grandville:
 Fall 95: n/a
 Winter 96: NOT MOVED, received for information

Classis Greater Los Angeles:
 Fall 95: n/a
 Winter 96: n/a

Classis Hackensack:
 Fall 95: ADOPTED 
 Winter 96: n/a

Classis Hamilton:
 Fall 95: n/a
 Winter 96: DEFEATED

Classis Heartland:
 Fall 95: Word male "operative"
 Winter 96: n/a

Classis Holland:
 Fall 95: ADOPTED 29-25
 Winter 96: n/a

Classis Hudson:
 Fall 95: Word male "operative"
 Winter 96: n/a

Classis Huron:
 Fall 95: n/a
 Winter 96: ADOPTED 20-19. Subsequent motion adopted prohibiting delegation
of women to classis

Classis Iakota:
 Fall 95: n/a
 Winter 96: n/a

Classis Illiana:
 Fall 95: Declared "male" operative and reserved right to discipline churches
with women in office
 Winter 96: n/a

Classis Kalamazoo:
 Fall 95: RULED OUT OF ORDER
 Winter 96: DEFEATED 26-14; OVERTURE DEFEATED 24-16 for synod to revise 1995
decision

Classis Lake Erie:
 Fall 95: ADOPTED. Committee appointed to come to March meeting with study of
concerns on Synod 1995 restrictions on women in office
 Winter 96: OVERTURE ADOPTED for synod to appoint committee to receive
responses to 1995 decision

Classis Minnesota North:
 Fall 95: DEFEATED
 Winter 96: n/a

Classis Minnesota South:
 Fall 95: n/a
 Winter 96: n/a

Classis Muskegon:
 Fall 95: n/a
 Winter 96: ADOPTED 25-9

Classis Niagara:
 Fall 95: n/a
 Winter 96: DEFEATED

Classis Northcentral Iowa:
 Fall 95: n/a
 Winter 96: n/a

Classis Northern Illinois:
 Fall 95: n/a
 Winter 96: ADOPTED

Classis Northern Michigan:
 Fall 95: POSTPONED to March meeting
 Winter 96: DEFEATED

Classis Pacific Northwest:
 Fall 95: ADOPTED by one vote. Subsequent motion adopted prohibiting
delegation of women to classis
 Winter 96: NOT RESCINDED

Classis Pella:
 Fall 95: n/a
 Winter 96: n/a

Classis Quinte:
 Fall 95: WITHHELD ACTION
 Winter 96: POSTPONED to May meeting

Classis Red Mesa:
 Fall 95: APPOINTED COMMITTEE to come to January meeting with recommendation
 Winter 96: POSTPONED to May meeting

Classis Rocky Mountain:
 Fall 95: POSTPONED
 Winter 96: ADOPTED 20-16

Classis Thornapple Valley:
 Fall 95: n/a
 Winter 96: n/a

Classis Toronto:
 Fall 95: ADOPTED
 Winter 96: n/a

Classis Wisconsin:
 Fall 95: n/a
 Winter 96: n/a

Classis Yellowstone:
 Fall 95: n/a
 Winter 96: n/a

Classis Zeeland:
 Fall 95: n/a
 Winter 96: n/a





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