NR #1996-062: Reformed Ecumenical Council to Explore Continued Conversations with Seventh Day Adventists In his book "The Four Major Cults," deceased Calvin Seminary professor Dr. Anthony Hoekema listed the Seventh Day Adventists along with the Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Christian Scientists as a group outside the bounds of Christian orthodoxy. However, by a 25 to 15 vote, the Reformed Ecumenical Council has now adopted a recommendation "that the Assembly authorize the following Interim Committee to explore with SDA representatives possibilities for conversation meaningful to each party." Contacts between the Seventh Day Adventists and the Reformed Ecumenical Council date back to 1985. More recently, REC second clerk Rev. Charles Jansz attended the SDA General Conference held last year in the Netherlands as a representative of the Reformed Ecumenical Council, and the SDA has been invited to send an observer to the 1996 REC Assembly. Update Notice: Reformed Ecumenical Council Schedule Change: Uniqueness of Christ to Be Discussed on Thursday, June 13 The Reformed Ecumenical Council has amended its schedule. The report on the Uniqueness of Christ, originally scheduled to be debated on Wednesday morning, June 12, has been postponed to Thursday, June 13. On June 12, the REC adopted a recommendation from its advisory committee on theology that papers on the uniqueness of Christ written by Drs. Klaas Runia, Raymond Van Leeuwen, and Allan Harman "be published in the Theological Forum and be widely distributed" but the other recommendation was postponed until a different committee completed its work. NR #1996-062: For Immediate Release Reformed Ecumenical Council to Explore Continued Conversations with Seventh Day Adventists by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (June 12, 1996) URNS - In his book "The Four Major Cults," deceased Calvin Seminary professor Dr. Anthony Hoekema listed the Seventh Day Adventists along with the Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Christian Scientists as a group outside the bounds of Christian orthodoxy. However, the Reformed Ecumenical Council has now adopted a recommendation "that the Assembly authorize the following Interim Committee to explore with SDA representatives possibilities for conversation meaningful to each party." Contacts between the Seventh Day Adventists and the Reformed Ecumenical Council date back to 1985. More recently, REC second clerk Rev. Charles Jansz attended the SDA General Conference held last year in the Netherlands as a representative of the Reformed Ecumenical Council, and the SDA has been invited to send an observer to the 1996 REC Assembly. While the REC did adopt the recommendation of its advisory committee on ecumenical relations, the recommendation didn't escape debate. "We have some reservations about this contact because we disagree with the Seventh Day Adventists on some basic issues such as the deity of Christ and the nature of salvation," said Antonios Koulouris from the Greek Evangelical Church. "While they give some answers, I wonder if these answers are sufficient. Some of the REC delegates from Africa seconded Koulouris' concern. "My understanding is the Seventh Day Adventists and what they are trying to promote are contrary to the Reformed faith," said one African delegate. However, Jansz defended the contact with the Seventh Day Adventists. "Some people have raised the question of whether we have disagreements in theology," said Jansz. "If we have disagreements with them it is in the area of eschatology, the last things. I am not aware of any difference we have with them on the deity of Christ; they are one of the strongest supporters of Scripture distribution in the world." After further discussion, the REC voted by a 25 to 15 margin to continue its contacts with the Seventh Day Adventists. In other ecumenical business, the Reformed Ecumenical Council adopted recommendations to "continue contacts with the Word Council of Churches (WCC), Lutheran World Federation (LWF), and World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC), where considered appropriate by the Interim Committee." A separate recommendation authorized the Interim Committee and the General Secretary to continue participation in meetings of the secretaries of the Christian World Communions, a group of executives from 20 worldwide ecumenical groups representing various denominational traditions such as the Anglicans, Eastern Orthodox, and Seventh Day Adventists which meets annually for three days. A separate recommendation from the advisory committee on theology against beginning a study of convergence between the evangelical and Reformed traditions was referred back to committee by the Assembly and is expected to return to the floor on Thursday or Friday. The REC also adopted a slightly amended recommendation to confirm its "willingness to establish a joint committee with representatives of WARC to discuss issues of common interests, to notify WARC officially, and that members of REC who are members of WARC encourage WARC to respond positively to this request." Cross-References to Related Articles: [No related articles on file] Contact List: Dr. Bert Beach, Ecumenical Officer, Seventh Day Adventist Interchurch Relations Council 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Springs, MD 20904-6600 * (301) 680-6000 Dr. Henk de Waard, Moderator, Reformed Ecumenical Council 28 Broiga Crescent, Wandana Heights, Victoria 3216 AUSTRALIA * O: [61] (52) 412318 * FAX: [61] (52) 221263 Mrs. Claire Elgersma, First Clerk, Reformed Ecumenical Council 27 Homewood Ave., Kitchener, ON N2M 1X1 Dr. Kadarmanto Hardjowasito, Third Clerk, Reformed Ecumenical Council Jl Balai Pustaka Timur, Rawamangun, Jakarta 13220 INDONESIA Rev. Charles Jansz, Second Clerk, Reformed Ecumenical Council 2 Mudaliyar Ave., Kohuwela, Nugegoda, SRI LANKA * O: [94] 585861 Mr. Antonios Koulouris, Delegate, Greek Evangelical Church 25 Pythagoras Str., 155 62 Holargos, Athens GREECE Dr. Richard Van Houten, General Secretary, Reformed Ecumenical Council 2017 Eastern Avenue SE, Suite 201, Grand Rapids, MI 49507-3234 * O: (616) 241-4424 * E-Mail: RVHREC@aol.com Dr. Douwe Visser, Vice-Moderator, Reformed Ecumenical Council Dorpsstraat 41, NL-1721 BB Broek Op Langedijk NETHERLANDS ------------------------------------------------ file: /pub/resources/text/reformed: nr96-062.txt .