June 14, 2006, Grand Rapids, Mich. - Synod 2006 strongly called for the Christian Reformed Church to "speak a word of peace" and to be an agent of shalom in a war-torn world.
In a series of recommendations, synod set out steps by which Christians should approach the task. These include:
* urging congregations and individual Christians to discuss and prayerfully reflect on their responsibility to be peacemakers; * making materials available to churches to assist them in ministering to members who are contemplating entering the military or who are veterans of military service; * encouraging congregations to urge members to inform themselves and to speak out on issues such as arms production and alternatives to war; * calling on agencies and members of the church "to promote and actively engage in international initiatives for building peace with justice.
It also called for the church to speak prophetically to the governments of the United States and Canada on moral issues related to preventive or preemptive military actions as well as weapons of mass destruction.
And it instructed the executive director of the CRC to seek a means by which Christians serving in the U.S. military could lawfully be recognized as conscientious objectors to a particular conflict. Current U.S. laws on conscientious objection recognize only members of historically pacifist churches that object to participation in any conflict.
The recommendations stemmed from the report of a study committee appointed by Synod 2003 to advise the church about how Christians ought to respond to issues of war and peace, especially in light of recent military doctrines such as preemptive war.
Not all delegates agreed with the recommendations. Some objected that the church has no place in the political arena and should not presume to speak to governments.
In other matters, after lengthy deliberation synod asked its advisory committee to do more work on a proposal to tone down the Heidelberg Catechism's description of the Roman Catholic mass as a "condemnable idolatry."
Coming Up:
Synod will resume deliberation on Interdenominational matters, including Question and Answer 80 of the Heidelberg Catechism.
It also is scheduled to deliberate an overture asking that women officebearers be permitted to be delegates to synod.
For more information, visit www.crcna.org or call Henry Hess, Synod News Officer, at 616-526-8654.
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