Synod 2022 and the Human Sexuality Report-Next Steps

​Ever since Synod 2022 made decisions regarding the HSR report and declared that its interpretation of Heidelberg Catechism was confessional, church councils and officebearers are faced with conversations and decisions: We wonder what now? Do we need to take some action? Have conversations?

We recognize that a significant number of officebearers in our churches fundamentally disagree with the decisions of Synod. Some believe there are solid and biblical grounds to take an affirming stance for same sex marriage. Others believe that making this a confessional matter will harm the church and their ongoing pastoral mission to the LGBTQ community. For others the welcome of Christ is jeopardized. Still others are concerned that the injustices we lament will be repeated through this declaration and approach. It is also true that many agree with the synodical decisions. Regardless of precisely what our particular struggles are, every council could be faced with discussions that threaten the unity of congregations and the Classis. We are in challenging times that will not soon be over.

The CIC is asking itself: what do we do? How do we lead the congregations and Classis at a time such as this? In all likelihood, we will once again be dealing with overtures, appeals or gravamens in this coming year because of the decisions of Synod. These will need to be adjudicated (acceded or not acceded to). To do this well will require time, thoughtful discussion, and imaginative approaches. As CIC thinks scheduling, we imagine that many would resist longer or more Classis meetings, so how to proceed?
To discern this, CIC proposes the following:

1. If Councils believe it is necessary that officebearers submit a confessional difficulty gravamen to continue as, or become an officebearer that these gravamen be received without prejudice. In doing so, the council is choosing not to make decisions until such a time as the due processes of appeals and overtures have run their course. All officebearers remain in good standing and can participate in Classis as usual. This will give those who wish to proceed with appeals, overtures or Confessional Revision gravamens time to organize their thoughts and councils to consider a variety of options.
2. Because conversations and discussions are ongoing, we will not bind the consciences of any members and officebearers or limit their ability to speak. These HSR discussions have been and continue to be public conversations. However, we ought to expect respectful discussions that honour the opinions and convictions of the different persuasions in our community.
3. In order for the CIC to assess how and when to have discussions on the consequences of Synod’s decisions and the ongoing concerns about the HSR report, we request:
   • that if you have particular topics/ concerns you want discussed by Classis, write a note to the Classis Stated Clerk, and/or
   • that if you have suggestions for how and when to have these discussions, please let us know. (i.e., small groups meeting outside of formal Classis meeting time to discuss an aspect of the concerns, listening circle to ensure we have heard what we need, formal preplanned discussions led by leaders in the denomination or community followed by open discussions on particular concerns, etc.)

Be aware that in all likelihood Classis will have a heavy agenda in the fall meeting. These matters will only add to the agenda. We do not want to avoid them, but we do respect the deliberative space and importance they deserve.
 
Appendix 1: Considerations for Submission of a Gravamen re: Synod 2022 / HSR
A gravamen is not always necessary for every disagreement or concern we may have with the confessions. Article 5 of the Church Order makes this clear (appendix 2). When a person or council believes a gravamen would be helpful and clarify the relationships in council and with the denomination, these are the steps.

For a confessional difficulty gravamen:
If you have already signed the covenant of officebearers, you simple write a paragraph that:

1. is addressed to council, and
2. states that you either (these are some things that members have said):
   1. disagree with making the interpretation of synod a confessional matter and/or
   2. believe that gay marriage is a covenanted faithful way of living that finds support in scripture and/or at least not condemned in Scripture, and/or
   3. believe that the interpretation of biblical passages used to support Synod’s decision are unconvincing, and/or
   4. believe that this position of Synod makes pastoral work difficult at best and possibly supports discrimination and injustice to the LGBTQ members and community, and/or
   5. believe the importance of discipleship so that we live just and holy lives together under the leading and power of the Spirit without prejudging another person’s convictions in this matter.
3. that you willingly continue to serve the church and are willing to engage in respectful and mutually honouring discussions.

If you have not yet signed the Covenant of Officebearers you can present a difficulty gravamen, have council receive without prejudice and sign the Covenant of Officebearers.

It is recommended that Council receive the confessional difficulty gravamen without prejudice, understanding that these matters will continue to live within the denomination for some time. Council need not mention this to the congregation or have further discussions since these matters will be coming up for discussion at Classis and/or Synod again.

After dealing with the confessional difficulty gravamen, the council, its members and the members of the congregation have time to consider a next possible step in the light of Synod 2022: a confessional revision gravamen or an overture.

Having received the confessional difficulty gravamen, members of council may want to develop a plan to take this to the next step of appealing the decision of Synod via an overture, appeal, or confessional revision gravamen. If that is the wish of a member or council, it is important to note that such appeals will require information, argument, suggestions that respond to the decisions made. We should not just recycle previous arguments but need to advance the discussion as much as possible.

When such appeals (overture, appeal, confessional revision gravamen) are made to council, they will need to be discussed and adjudicated. This too will require time. It is important that council take the time needed to thoughtfully understand and process the various aspects of any appeal.

Appendix 2 Church Order Article 5 (copied directly from Church Order – underlining and NB added)
Article 5 All officebearers, on occasions stipulated by council, classical, and synodical regulations, shall signify their agreement with the doctrine of the church by signing the Covenant for Officebearers. —Cf. Supplement, Article 5

The Covenant for Officebearers
We, [the undersigned], believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the inspired Word of God, which proclaims the good news of God’s creation and redemption through Jesus Christ. Acknowledging the authority of God’s Word, we submit to it in all matters of life and faith.
We affirm three creeds—the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed—as ecumenical expressions of the Christian faith. In doing so, we confess our faith in unity with followers of Jesus Christ throughout all ages and among all nations. We also affirm three confessions—the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, and the Canons of Dort—as historic Reformed expressions of the Christian faith, whose doctrines fully agree with the Word of God. These confessions continue to define the way we understand Scripture, direct the way we live in response to the gospel, and locate us within the larger body of Christ.

Grateful for these expressions of faith, we promise to be formed and governed by them. We heartily believe and will promote and defend their doctrines faithfully, conforming our preaching, teaching, writing, serving, and living to them.

Along with these historic creeds and confessions, we also recognize the witness of Our World Belongs to God: A Contemporary Testimony as a current Reformed expression of the Christian faith that forms and guides us in our present context.

We also promise to present or receive confessional difficulties in a spirit of love and fellowship with our brothers and sisters as together we seek a fuller understanding of the gospel. Should we come to believe that a teaching in the confessional documents is not the teaching of God’s Word, we will communicate our views to the church, according to the procedures prescribed by the Church Order and its supplements. (NB: this is known as a gravamen) If the church asks, we will give a full explanation of our views. Further, we promise to submit to the church’s judgment and authority. We honor this covenant for the well-being of the church to the glory of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Acts of Synod 2012, pp. 761-62)

*To be signed by professors, ministers, commissioned pastors, elders, and deacons when ordained and/or installed in office.

Guidelines and Regulations re: Gravamina

Synod declares that gravamina fall into at least two basic types:

1. A confessional-difficulty gravamen: a gravamen in which a subscriber expresses personal difficulty with the confession but does not call for a revision of the confessions, and
2. A confessional-revision gravamen: a gravamen in which a sub­ scriber makes a specific recommendation for revision of the confessions.

A. Guidelines as to the meaning of affirming the confessions by means of the Covenant for Officebearers:

1. The person signing the Covenant for Officebearers affirms without reservation all the doctrines contained in the standards of the church as being doctrines that are taught in the Word of God.
2. The signatory does not by affirming the confessions declare that these doctrines are all stated in the best possible manner, or that the standards of our church cover all that the Scriptures teach on the matters confessed. Nor does the signatory declare that every teaching of the Scriptures is set forth in our confessions, or that every heresy is rejected and refuted by them.

A signatory is bound only to those doctrines that are confessed, and is not bound to the references, allusions, and remarks that are incidental to the formulation of these doctrines, nor to the theological deductions that some may draw from the doctrines set forth in the confessions. However, no one is free to decide for oneself or for the church what is and what is not a doctrine confessed in the standards. In the event that such a question should arise, the decision of the assemblies of the church shall be sought and acquiesced in.

B. Regulations concerning the procedure to be followed in the submission of a confessional-difficulty gravamen:

1. Ministers (whether missionaries, professors, or others not serving congregations as pastors), elders, or deacons shall submit their “difficulties” to their councils for examination and judgment. Should a council decide that it is not able to judge the gravamen submitted to it, it shall submit the matter to classis for examination and judgment. If the classis, after examination, judges that it is unable to decide the matter, it may submit it to synod, in accordance with the principles of Church Order Article 28-b.
2. In all instances of confessional-difficulty gravamina, the matter shall not be open for discussion by the whole church, since this type of gravamen is a personal request for information and/ or clarification of the confession. Hence this type of gravamen should be dealt with pastorally and personally by the assembly addressed.

C. Regulations concerning the procedure to be followed in the submission of a confessional-revision gravamen:

1. The basic assumption of the church in requiring affirmation of the Covenant for Officebearers is that the doctrines contained in the confessions of the church fully agree with the Word of God. The burden of proof, therefore, rests upon the signatory who calls upon the church to justify or revise its confessions.
2. Ministers (including missionaries, professors, or others not serving congregations as pastors), elders, or deacons shall submit their gravamina calling for revision of the confessions to their councils for examination and judgment. Should the council decide that it is not able to judge the gravamen submitted to it, it shall submit the matter to classis for examination and judgment. If the classis, after examination, judges that it is unable to decide the ­matter, classis may submit it to synod, in accordance with the principles of Church Order Article 28-b.
3. If the gravamen is adopted by the council and the classis as its own, it becomes an overture to the broader assemblies, and therefore it is open for discussion in the whole church.
4. If the gravamen is rejected by the classis, it may be appealed to synod; and when the constituted synod declares the matter to be legally before it for action, all the signers of the Covenant for Officebearers shall be free to discuss it together with the whole church until adjudicated by synod.
5. Since the subscriber has the right of appeal from the judgment of a council to classis and from classis to synod, the mere fact that the matter is being appealed shall not be a reason for suspending or otherwise disciplining an officebearer, provided other provisions of the Church Order are observed.
6. A revision of the confessions shall not be adopted by ­synod until the whole church membership has had adequate opportunity to consider it.

(Acts of Synod 2012, pp. 762-65)