March 6, 2025

Dear Friends,

We understand there are many questions about our position and future with the CRC denomination. We hope the Questions & Answers below provide clarity and encourage further questions. As your Council, we want to keep you informed and welcome your input. Please pray for God’s guidance for us all.

In Christ,

River Terrace Church Council

Q1 : What is Council’s guiding principle in considering our relationship with the denomination? 

A: This is the summary statement we shared earlier and with Classis Lake Erie:

“Our choice is stark: comply with decisions of Synods 2022-2024 and fragment as a congregation or disaffiliate and work to serve God together. We are choosing the latter. We do this with sadness about leaving the CRCNA after 90 years, but with hope that God will guide us together into a fruitful future.”  

Our guiding principle is to work and serve God together. 

Q2: What are the main reasons Council used in its move toward disaffiliation? 

A: Here are the grounds we shared in previous communications and with Classis Lake Erie: 

1. “River Terrace Church will be unable to field an adequate number of office bearers who are able to sign the Covenant for Officebearers in accordance with the decisions of Synods 2022-2024. 
2. Many of our members are unable to remain in the CRCNA due to one or more of the following: 

a. Synod 2022 declaring its interpretation of “unchastity” in the Heidelberg Catechism as having confessional status, and the process by which this decision was reached

b. Synod 2024 limiting the use of confessional-difficulty gravamina

c. Synod 2024 exercising authority historically held by the regional classis and the local church” 

Q3: Does this mean it is certain that we will disaffiliate? 

A: No, there is a process set forth by the denomination for disaffiliation. Council has only voted to start the process. The CRC church order has established a clear multi-step process for disaffiliation which involves formal deliberative steps which include input from Classis representatives to Council and two congregational votes months apart. This process, which we shared earlier, is detailed in Church Order Article 38f and Supplement, and outlined below. We are in the Deliberative Phase of the process. 

Church Order, Art. 38-f Supplement (font color has been added for emphasis - green is areas of congregational input.)

A local congregation may disaffiliate from the denomination only according to the following procedure:

a. A church council which adopts a resolution to disaffiliate from the denomination shall inform its classis of its actions, ordinarily at the next scheduled meeting of classis. The council shall provide written grounds for its intention to withdraw.

b. Classis shall appoint representatives to meet with the council to attempt to dissuade the council from such action. Representatives of classis shall have the opportunity to meet in person with the council and to present written rebuttal to the council’s grounds. Meetings between the council and classical representatives shall continue no longer than two months unless both parties agree to a continuation. 

c. If the council is not dissuaded by the classical representatives and wishes to continue the disaffiliation process, the council shall issue a call for a congregational meeting. It will present together with this call its written grounds for disaffiliation and any written rebuttal presented by the classical representatives.

d. Representatives of classis shall be informed of the time and location of congregational meetings at which a congregation’s withdrawal from the denomination is being considered and shall be given opportunity to persuade the congregation to remain within the denomination.

e. At the congregational meeting a preliminary vote may be taken following the discussion. If a majority favors withdrawal, a second meeting to confirm this decision shall be scheduled no earlier than one month and no later than one year following.

f. If the second congregational vote favors disaffiliation and the council follows through on its decision to disaffiliate, classis shall provide for the pastoral care of those members who wish to remain within the denomination.

g. If the congregation wishes to disaffiliate from the denomination, classis (and synod upon appeal) shall settle any disputes between differing factions within the disaffiliating congregation. The separation will be complete when classis (or synod upon appeal) declares it acquiesces in the decision of the congregation to disaffiliate from the denomination.

The summary provided was shared with us by CRCNA’s congregational support agency, “Thrive”, and further detail can be found here. 

Q4: Will members of the congregation have a voice in this process?  

A: Yes, the congregation’s voice has been an important consideration in all the decisions made regarding disaffiliation, and will continue to be throughout the process. Council has received congregational input from listening sessions, informational meetings, emails, letters, conversations, and via the survey. As stated in Answer #3, two congregational votes are required to disaffiliate. Council continues to welcome your thoughts and questions. Pastor Brent and a least one Council Member will be available for conversation after Sunday services on March 9, 16, and 23 from 11:15-11:45 in the Meeting Room off the Gathering Space.  Also, Pastor Brent will gladly meet or connect in other ways.  

Q5: How will we choose office-bearers this year, given Synodical rulings about who is eligible to serve? 

A: We will recruit to find nominees who are able to faithfully fulfill the roles of Elder and Deacon at River Terrace Church who share Council’s guiding principle (Q&A1). Council understands that potential officebearers may have a confessional difficulty. Synod 2024 permits councils to accept confessional difficulty gravamen for exceptions to some aspect of the confessions or as the start of a process for clarification with a particular doctrine. Gravamina have a 3-year period for completion of discernment and discipleship. 

Q6: If we are no longer part of the Christian Reformed denomination, will our theology change?  

A: No. Council has stated our intent: “to move forward by resetting: to function as a Reformed Christian church by continuing to align doctrinally with the Ecumenical Creeds, Reformed Confessions, and CRC Position Statements as understood prior to 2022-2024 Synodical decisions.”   

Q7: Will we be able to continue to support our current missionaries if we disaffiliate?  

A: Council will work with the Missions Committee on each individual missionary we support, but at this point our intent is to continue support.    

Q8: What are some important matters that Council and our church as a whole needs to explore, should we disaffiliate? 

Council is currently considering matters related to: 

• Articles of Incorporation
• Disaffiliation Process
• CRCNA Interdependencies
• Pastoral Implications
• Denominational Affiliation after Disaffiliation