NR #1996-032: For Immediate Release Other Classis Votes on Women in Office by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service (April 15, 1996) URNS - At their spring meetings, several other classes also took action to allow or further promote women in office. Classis Alberta North, which surprised many observers by defeating women in office at its fall meeting, voted by a two-thirds margin to declare the word "male" inoperative at its spring meeting. Classis Florida, which had postponed the issue at its fall meeting, declared the word "male" inoperative at its spring meeting. Two classes refused to change their prior decisions: Classis Pacific Northwest rejected proposals to rescind its previous vote to become the first classis allowing women in office and Classis Alberta South rejected proposals to reverse its previous decision against allowing women in office. Classis Pacific Northwest also rejected an effort by Mill Creek Community CRC in Washington to ordain Eleanor Rietkerk, a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary, without requiring her to attend the ecclesiastical year at Calvin Seminary. The Mill Creek church sought to allow Rietkerk to be ordained via the route of Article 7, normally used for candidates who have not attended seminary, on the grounds of her age and current staff position at the church. However, another candidate met with a more favorable reception from her classis. Classis Toronto voted to call a special meeting shortly after Synod 1996 for the purpose of ordaining Ruth Hofman, who is a Calvin Seminary graduate and has applied to the Calvin Seminary board of trustees for ordination using the normal process. Hofman has served First CRC of Toronto since 1992 and would have been the first woman ordained in the Christian Reformed denomination if Synod 1992 had ratified the initial 1990 decision to allow the ordination of women. Cross-References to Related Articles: #1996-027: Total of Christian Reformed Classes Allowing Women's Ordination Reaches Thirteen [See related article list at cross-reference] Contact List: Rev. Harvey Brink, Stated Clerk, Classis Pacific Northwest 1221 - 148th Ave. NE, Bellevue, WA 98007 * (206) 747-5288 Mr. Dan Cooke, Stated Clerk, Classis Florida 3161 NW 68th Ct., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33309-1232 * H/FAX: (305) 979-3571 Mr. Durk De Jong, Stated Clerk, Classis Alberta South 133 Signature Close SW, Calgary, AB T3H 2V6 * H: (403) 242-4433 * O: (403) 228-4842 Mrs. Ruth Hofman, Expounder, First Christian Reformed Church 63-67 Taunton Rd., Toronto, ON M4S 2P2 * O: (416) 481-4912 Rev. Nicholas Knoppers, Stated Clerk, Classis Alberta North 10736 - 43 St., Edmonton, AB T6A 1V4 * H/O: (403) 469-2993 Mrs. Eleanor Rietkerk, Ministry Staff, Mill Creek Community Christian Reformed Church 16300 Mill Creek Blvd. #119B, Mill Creek, WA 98012 * H: (206) 363-6174 Rev. Ken Rip, Pastor, Mill Creek Community Christian Reformed Church 315 - 216th St. SE, Bothell, WA 98021 * O: (206) 745-2094 * O: (206) 483-9479 Rev. John Tenyenhuis, Stated Clerk, Classis Toronto 213 Mill Rd., Etobicoke, ON M9C 1Y1 * (416) 620-5548 ------------------------------------------------ file: /pub/resources/text/reformed: nr96-032.txt .