From: Darrell128@aol.com Date: Sun, 3 Nov 1996 00:33:52 -0500 (EST) NR #1996-110: Appeal Stalls Settlement Agreement on Rev. Richard Rhem; Protests Greet Upcoming Rhem Keynote Speech for RCA Regional Synod of the Mid-Atlantics on "The Church in Conflict... Can Non-Believers be Saved?" When the Reformed Church in America's Muskegon Classis met on October 1 and approved a tentative separation agreement between the classis and controversial minister Rev. Richard Rhem, nearly everyone on all sides thought the yearlong controversy surrounding Rhem's belief that salvation is possible apart from Jesus Christ was over. Subsequent events not only proved that the controversy is far from over but also broadened the conflict far beyond Muskegon. Rhem's case has been appealed to the regional synod and in the meantime he has accepted an invitation to be the keynote speaker for the RCA's Regional Synod of the Mid-Atlantics on the topic of "The Church in Conflict... Can Non-Believers Be Saved?" The keynote invitation has prompted protests in both New Jersey and Michigan, and one of the RCA's most prominent conservatives warns of more to come. NR #1996-110: For Immediate Release Appeal Stalls Separation Settlement on Rev. Richard Rhem * Protests Greet Upcoming Rhem Keynote Speech for RCA Regional Synod of the Mid-Atlantics on "The Church in Conflict... Can Non-Believers Be Saved?" by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service (October 28, 1996) URNS - When the Reformed Church in America's Muskegon Classis met on October 1 and approved a tentative separation agreement between the classis and controversial minister Rev. Richard Rhem, nearly everyone on all sides thought the yearlong controversy surrounding Rhem's belief that salvation is possible apart from Jesus Christ was over. Subsequent events not only proved that the controversy is far from over but also broadened the conflict far beyond Muskegon. Four days after the classis meeting, attorneys for a former member of the Christ Community Church music staff filed an appeal with the Regional Synod of the Great Lakes against the Muskegon Classis' determination not to adjudicate charges of a personal nature against Rhem, effectively stalling any settlement at least until the regional synod meets. In a related development, Rev. Don Van Hoeven, retired RCA campus chaplain at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, filed notification of intent to appeal to the regional synod against the Classis of Southwest Michigan's decision to rebuke him for sharing and supporting Rhem's views on salvation apart from Christ. Unless the regional synod calls a special meeting, both the Rhem separation agreement and the Van Hoeven discipline case will be on hold until May 5 of next year. That doesn't mean Rhem is staying quiet while his case is on hold. In a bold-print ad in the Grand Rapids Press, Rhem urged readers to buy a six-tape series of sermons preached at his church on the topic "Exclusivism is Over!" - sermons explaining his view that belief in Christ is not necessary for salvation. Rhem has also accepted an invitation to be the keynote speaker for the RCA's Regional Synod of the Mid-Atlantics on the topic of "The Church in Conflict... Can Non-Believers Be Saved?" Other panel members at the symposium will be Dr. Paul Fries, professor of theology at the RCA's New Brunswick Theological Seminary, Rev. Taylor Holbrook, pastor of Middlebrook RCA in Somerset, NJ, and Rev. Charles Austin, pastor of Christ Lutheran Church and religion columnist for the New York Times and the Record. Regional synod organizers said the November 9 symposium at Ramapo Ridge Middle School in Mahwah, NJ, was advertised to over 300 RCA congregations in the metro New York City area and is expected to attract 250 to 300 people as well as reporters for the New York Times and other major media in New York City and New Jersey. The symposium has also attracted less sympathetic attention from others in New Jersey and far beyond the borders of the regional synod. "I take this as being like a minister being defrocked by one classis for sexual abuse being asked to be a keynote speaker in another regional synod on the topic of sexual abuse," said Dr. Jonathan Gerstner, former synod minister for the RCA's Regional Synod of Canada and currently professor at Knox Theological Seminary in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Gerstner minced no words in his condemnation of the regional synod's actions in inviting Rhem to be its keynote speaker. "The RCA is reaching a point where you have regional synods that are still Christian and other regional synods that are almost on the brink of apostasy," said Gerstner. "I've never seen anything like it in any other Reformed or Presbyterian denomination," said Gerstner. "It's like having a church which is a single body, half of which is alive and the other half is dead and rotting. You have to cut off the dead and rotting legs or the whole body is going to die." Gerstner, whose leadership brought many of the denomination's 41 Canadian churches out of the United Church of Canada and into the RCA, noted that the Canadian churches had seceded from the United Church of Canada when that denomination approved homosexual marriages and thought the Reformed Church in America was an evangelical denomination when they joined. "What is going on in the Synod of the Mid-Atlantics affects me and my personal integrity as an RCA minister," said Gerstner. "I can't just go up and encourage churches to join the RCA but not say anything about this big crisis we're dealing with." Symposium organizer David Cole of Wyckoff (NJ) RCA said the regional synod had intended to relieve problems, not compound them, when it invited Rhem to be its keynote speaker. "I think the purpose is to create awareness, to make people aware that the folks who perhaps may be in agreement with Dick Rhem are not devils, they are good Christian people with consciences, and trying to accomplish some broadening of this discussion," said Cole. "The idea germinated with one church in our synod," said Cole. "There was a faction within the congregation that felt it should not be dealt with at all. We then called the then-synod executive, [Rev.] Peter Paulson, and asked if they would be willing to take it on and sponsor it. He went to [regional synod president Rev.] Mark Kraai and the executive committee and they said that it would be important to have this conversation." According to Cole, the widespread discussion of Rhem merited a discussion about his views with him present. "I think the key to what we're attempting to do is to provide an opportunity, as we say, for a conversation within the Reformed Church family," said Cole. "It did hit the New York Times in our area and we feel we should provide an opportunity for us all to sit down and talk about it." The regional synod's invitation letter to the symposium clearly stated that "this symposium is offered not as an endorsement of Mr. Rhem's position but as a forum in which his questions can be discussed." Nevertheless, Cole said he was not surprised by the strong reaction of Rhem's theological opponents to the regional synod's decision to invite Rhem to be its keynote speaker. "I would have to say that in our endeavor here those responses are not unusual," said Cole. "We are aware of that and used to that. The answer I give to that for myself, commenting on the feelings and thinking of most of the people on the more liberal side, is I am a committed Christian, I accept totally Christian doctrine, but I feel I cannot either arbitrarily draw the line that encloses the extent of God's grace. That's my answer." That answer won't be sufficient for Gerstner and others who are considering filing charges against the regional synod. "Everyone was very hidden about their heresies, but now it seems that many are being brazen about their views and we need to deal with it as public sin," said Gerstner. "We are a church with an unrepentantly adulterous spouse. There has to be a divorce where we go on as a Christian church and they go on to be United Church of Christ or Unitarians or whatever they want to be." Gerstner emphasized that he had no intention of leaving the RCA. "If they don't believe the gospel, we should let them go to the United Church of Christ, let them leave with their property, and not continue to confuse the world about what the RCA believes," said Gerstner. "They should be treated the way the Classis of Muskegon has treated Dick Rhem." Gerstner did say that the regional synod's decision to invite Rhem did have one redeeming feature. "The Dick Rhem case has been used by our sovereign God to make clear what was always there, and those who believe another gospel need to be lovingly and patiently told that if they don't repent they need to take a hike," said Gerstner. Cross-References to Related Articles: #1996-013: Special Meeting of RCA's Muskegon Classis Discusses Homosexuality, Scripture, Salvation Apart from Christ #1996-023: Muskegon RCA Classis: No Room for Pastor Questioning Salvation Apart from Christ, Authority of Scripture #1996-086: Muskegon Classis Rebukes Rhem for "Heretical" Views, Restarts Negotiations "to Reach a Mutually Acceptable Separation Agreement" with Christ Community Church #1996-091: Rhem Conflict Leads to Homosexuality Debate in Muskegon #1996-092: Back to the Drawing Board: Muskegon Classis Tables Proposed Settlement with Pastor of RCA's Fourth-Largest Church #1996-093: Dr. Jonathan Gerstner on Rhem: "Tragedy is the Only Word" #1996-094: Second RCA Minister Faces Discipline for Theological Views #1996-103: Classis Muskegon Averts Heresy Trial, Completes Separation Agreement with Richard Rhem, Christ Community Church Contact List: David Cole, Symposium Organizer 1202 Hilltop Rd., Mahwah, NJ 07430 O: (201) 818-8575 Dr. Paul Fries, Professor, New Brunswick Theological Seminary 17 Seminary Place, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 O: (908) 247-5241 * H: (908) 236-0900 Dr. Jonathan Gerstner, Professor, Knox Theological Seminary 2750 NE 58th St., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33308 O: (954) 771-0376 Rev. Taylor Holbrook, Pastor, Middlebush Reformed Church 1 S Middlebush Rd., Somerset, NJ 08873 O: (908) 873-2776 * H: (908) 873-2733 Rev. Mark Kraai, President, Regional Synod of the Mid-Atlantics 100 W. Main St., Somerville, NJ 08876 O: (908) 725-4545 Rev. Richard Rhem, Senior Pastor, Christ Community Church 225 East Exchange St., Spring Lake, MI 49456 O: (616) 842-1985 * H: (616) 846-7777 * F: (616) 842-3476 Rev. Donald Van Hoeven 1024 Westfall, Kalamazoo, MI 49006 H: (616) 381-8586 Rev. Sherwin Weener, Synod Minister, Regional Synod of the Great Lakes 4500 - 60th St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49512 O: (616) 698-7071 * H: (616) 457-3572 ------------------------------------------------ file: /pub/resources/text/reformed: nr96-110.txt .