Question about Canidian Reformed: Reformed, Presbyterian, or Congregational

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jogri17

Puritan Board Junior
Question: In the Canadian Reformed Church, All local Churches are autonomous according to the Book of Order. But There is a classis, synod system and elders are the final authority in the local church, though there is Congregational power (women just got the potential right to vote!). Would you consider this to be a form of presbyterianism or just a high version of congregationalism?

Do you then think this is a matter of prudence or goes against Confessionalism and would stop you from working with this very conservative denomination (theoretically)?
 
They don't bite, they are actually quite personable, and we work with them all the time. They are confessionally identical to the URC, but services are more high-church than the URC. There are a number of CanRefs that I would name among my friends. Good folks.
 
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Joseph,

You might be misunderstanding. The women voting refers to voting for office bearers (esp. elders and deacons). Even that "vote" is technically an advisory act that is not binding upon the government of the church. And as far as classis and synod are concerned, the churches have agreed to consider their decisions settled and binding unless they are proved to be in conflict with the Word of God and the Church Order (see article 31 of our church order). We hold to classical Dortian church polity.
 
No, we're not congregationalists. A proposed Joint Church Order has been drawn up with the United Reformed Churches. It has been accepted as the church order that would be used in a united federation (whether that will ever happen is another matter). The JCO has a set of foundational statements at the beginning. This is #12:

"Christ cares for and governs His church through the office bearers, namely, ministers, elders, and deacons, whom he chooses through the congregation."

Biblical references: Acts 1:23-26, 6:2-3, 14:23, 1 Timothy 3:1, 8; 5:17

If there's a problem with that, then the problem is not only with the CanRC, but also with the URCNA. These foundational statements originated with them.
 
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