This section of the syllabus presents very briefly several matters which are presently occupying the CRCNA either in formal ways (under study by synodical committees) or informal ones (frequently under discussion among church members or high in their consciousness), or perhaps are being presently acted upon in some form or other. That these are presently at issue to some degree or other should not be misinterpreted to conclude that the CRCNA is preoccupied with these issues to the exclusion of other matters or of carrying on a well-rounded ministry. These are simply presented as a means of gaining insight into some new directions in the life and faith of the churches.

A. MULTI ETHNICITY

The matter of race relations and the creation of S.C.O.R.R. has already been dealt with in the above discussion. But race relations, church development along "racial" lines, and the accommodation of the Church Order to a variety of ethnic/cultural situations are matters which continue to preoccupy the CRC today.

The stand against racism (for example, the declaration that the doctrine of apartheid in South Africa is heretical) and the promotion of racial harmony are ideals with which most CRC folk are in agreement. Yet the roots of racism are deep, and whether caused by ethnocentric upbringing, ignorance of other racial-cultural groups or other factors, prejudice and discrimination have not been rooted out of the church. Apartheid, the artificial, enforced separation of the "races," if denounced in principle, is in fact practiced in many places. The church continues to recognize this and so the issue continues to be raised, and the SCORR office coordinates efforts to educate the membership about biblical principles, encourage true repentance over the continued existence of bigotry, promote the development of ethnic leadership, and celebrate the growing ethnic diversity found within the CRCNA.

Church development projects are most often self-consciously designed to avoid crossing ethnic barriers (though there are some notable exceptions) . This is not usually done because of racial prejudice, but because of observations from church growth studies that indicate the fact that churches grow more quickly and with more stability in this manner. While in American society at large, ethnic background is becoming less and less of a factor in communities and the workplace and this is spilling over into the church as more ethnic mixing is becoming apparent, ethnic heritage is also being celebrated in more positive ways, and congregations of various ethnic backgrounds are developing. In the present CRCNA, there are actually two classes which are more or less ethnically defined, Classis Red Mesa (Native American) and Classis Pacific Hanmi (Korean), as well as many ethnically defined congregations, including Dutch, African-American, Hispanic, Chinese, Cambodian, and so forth. That this is a current issue is plain from the fact that Classis Pacific Hanmi was just created (as a temporary expedience) by synod in 1996.

The growing ethnic diversity of the CRCNA is cause for great rejoicing, and it is in fact made a matter of celebration each year as synodical delegates gather in worship to acknowledge that the body of Christ which is the CRC is becoming more and more like the picture of the church triumphant seen in the book of Revelation, a church of all nations and peoples and languages.

B. A BARRIER-FREE CHURCH

While it is not unusual for conservative churches to lag behind society in general in its consciousness of pressing social issues, the church has played an aggressive role in the matter of ministry to those suffering from afflictions of body and mind which result in various impairments. In hindsight, the church can justly be criticized for neglecting the needs of the physically challenged (wheelchair-bound persons, the hearing impaired, etc.), but at present many efforts are being made to create a truly barrier-free church, not just in producing physical facilities which are accessible, but in educating the church membership to raise consciousness and change attitudes. The goal of developing churches which are "barrier-free" in attitude as well as in the physical sense is truly laudable, and one which will make congregations not only better places of ministry for their members, but more outward-looking and evangelistic as well.

Members of the CRC have long been deeply involved in establishing institutions of mercy to assist those struggling with mental illness, those with devastating physical handicaps and the aged. Several mental health care facilities have been built (Pine Rest Christian Hospital in Michigan, the Christian Health Care Center in New Jersey, and the Bethesda Foundation for Mental Health in Colorado) as have several more specialized facilities for children (Elim Christian School in Illinois, Hope Haven in Iowa and the Eastern Christian Children's Retreat in New Jersey) and many nursing homes and retirement residences for the elderly. The above is by no means an exhaustive list, but it does indicate a deep-rooted commitment and serious effort to reach out and minister to some of the most needy of society.

As society has become more aware of disabilities issues, the CRCNA acted to assure itself that the church would maintain initiative in these things by creating a standing Committee on Disability Concerns. While this committee was recently downgraded to become a section of the broader Pastoral Ministries Committee, it has served through the dissemination of a newsletter, the appointment of local agents and the amassing of resources, to raise consciousness about many disabilities issues and to create momentum for making all churches "barrier-free" physically as well as in the "culture" of the church. In other words, along with encouraging conformity to the American with Disabilities Act, as mandated by synod, in such areas as church building construction (wheelchair ramps, lifts and accessible toilet facilities, sound systems, and so forth), the committee and present personnel continually work to encourage openness and understanding of all kinds of disabilities, mental as well as physical, visible as well as invisible, so that the church will become truly accessible to all God's children and a refuge to those who are in need. The Yearbook of the CRCNA now indicates concerning each congregation whether it is wheelchair accessible and has services for the hearing impaired, and special loan funds to help enable churches to remodel their facilities along ADA guidelines have been set aside.

Recently, a new appointment was made in this committee to focus on the issue of abuse (physical, mental, sexual), and the position was created of coordinator of ministry to the abused. This encompasses issues raised by abuse in childhood as well as such matters as sexual harassment among adults, continuing abusive relationships, abuse by pastors and other church leaders, co-dependency, and so forth. The matter of ministry to homosexual persons is being addressed at present too by synod's creation of a committee to study and produce pastoral guidelines for such ministry. Many churches are also opening their facilities to the homeless, stocking food pantries, and even coordinating employment opportunities. These are all indications that the church is concerning itself with becoming an open, barrier-free place where all can be received in fellowship, be ministered to in word and deed, and find their place in the kingdom of God.

C. CHILDREN AT COMMUNION

In response to questions which arose in various quarters concerning the appropriate age at which to expect young people to profess their faith as well as concerning the logical implications of a well-rounded covenantal theology, synod undertook a study of the issue of "children at communion." It could be argued that as the CRCNA and its membership increasingly experienced fellowship with other evangelical groups, including baptistic ones (for example, in Christian schools, ecumenical worship services, etc.), that the dissonance felt by diversity of practice (baptist and catholic groups typically welcoming baptized or confirmed youth to the communion table around age 10, while the typical Reformed young person would not obtain that privilege until the mid- or late teens) stimulated this study. However, the study was undertaken from the perspective of covenant theology, eg., what does the inclusion of the children of believers in the covenant of grace imply concerning their participation or non-participation in the sacrament, and the related issues of the biblical warrant for the non-sacrament "profession of faith" ceremony before allowing table participation.

It is difficult to outline the results of this study, since there was no clear consensus reached either by the study committee or by the synod which dealt with its report. Diversity of understanding and practice is the status quo at present, though the tendency to expect and encourage profession of faith at a younger age is clear. Synod has left in place a requirement of profession appropriate to the age level before participation in the sacrament, but in some instances, family participation in the Lord's Supper is being practiced.

A complicating factor as the age of profession of faith declines is the expectation that professing members will exercise adult responsibility to support with local and denominational budgets, participate in congregational meetings, etc. Whereas the profession of faith had formerly implied the acceptance of such responsibilities by the 16 or 18 year old professor, this implication could not be applied in the case of a 10 year old!

The matter is somewhat unsettled, and this has resulted, in conjunction with other unsettled issues, in adding to an increasing loss of uniformity in the denomination.

D. GENDER-INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE

The rise of feminism in the modern world and the humanistic and individualistic drive to eliminate all forms of discrimination based on practically anything (race, creed, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, political affiliation, spoken language, etc.) have spilled over into the life of the church in several ways. One, of course, is the women in church office controversy. Another is the drive for "political correctness" in language, i.e., the use of gender- netural vocabulary which will remove what might be construed of as any implication of discrimination. As literary style in the secular media had gone through some changes along these lines and consciousness concerning these issues had been raised among many church members, questions began to arise as to the appropriateness of using the feminine as well as the masculine pronouns for God, calling God, "Our Mother in Heaven" as well as "Our Father," or the more generic "Our Heavenly Parent," and calling the Holy Spirit "It," as well as the removing of presumably offensive "sexually biased" language from the Scriptures and confessions. "Mainline" churches have proceeded to approve the "de-masculinizing" of God and the removal of so-called "sexually discriminating" terminology from the Scriptures (the New Revised Standard Version does this), confessions and hymns. Some radical, provocative voices were also being heard within the denomination in speeches and publications, which caused several consistories and classes to send overtures and protests to synod to issue declarations and enact discipline.

To many in the church, the very raising of these questions and the appointment of a committee to study them seems blasphemous and part of a pattern of undercutting and discarding sound doctrine and practice in favor of a secularized theology. However, desiring a well-thought-out and comprehensive statement of the CRCNA's position on these matters, the synod went ahead and appointed a committee to define the denomination's position, even as they rejected a new "translation" of one of the confessions by a committee which had arbitrarily proceeded with a "de- masculinizing" stylistic agenda. The report is now in the hands of local churches for reaction and will be on the agenda of the 1997 synod.

In their report, the committee presents a very conservative approach to the questions and recommends that synod adopt a unified policy concerning gender-inclusive language which includes the stipulation that the use of masculine pronouns and the non-use of feminine pronouns for God is required by Scripture. The policy states further the stipulation that one "should not use feminine names, titles, or other personal designations for God." The report also includes extensive pastoral guidelines which urge, on the one hand, sensitivity to the needs and emotional dispositions of those who may be sensitized against masculine references to God, and on the other hand, the positive expression of the full range of God's self-revelation given in the Scriptures.

E. DENOMINATIONAL RESTRUCTURING

In the last 15 years or so, a movement has arisen in the CRCNA to restructure the present standing committees and agencies of the denomination in a way which will make them more efficient in terms of cost and effective in accomplishing an integrated mission of the church. The sources of this movement are several. One source is a general rethinking of management and structure which is in vogue in the business world. As CRCNA members have become less rural and more "white collar," this kind of thinking in the marketplace is increasingly engaged in, and the flow of ideas naturally spills over into consistory rooms and classis meetings. Not that farmers were never concerned about efficiency; in fact, the rise of corporate farming is part of this phenomenon with which Christians in all walks of life are familiar. The timing of this matter becoming an issue in the churches coincides with the recession of the early to mid-1980's, when corporate downsizing began to mushroom. Efficiency is a value common to the business world as well as to Christian churches, each of which must operate in its own sphere with at least some limitations on resources.

Another source of this movement was the existence of unhealthy competition and sometimes plain lack of cooperation among the church's agencies. The conflicts occurring on some of the joint fields of CRWM and CRWRC drew the most attention, and a restructuring of these two agencies was first proposed to try to resolve this situation. If one follows the course of the agencies' histories, it is easy to see how this situation arose. Each of the agencies was created at a different time, in response to different needs and in the midst of a church "culture" unique to that era, and this left indelible imprints on the respective agencies. World Missions is perhaps one of the oldest and among the most cherished of the agencies, arising in the late 19th Century when the Dutch language was still the official language of the denomination and prior to the influx of neo-Calvinists. The Back to God Hour arose in the environment of the pre- WWII society when the church was looking more outwardly and with a sense of stability and understanding of its mission. CRWRC arose in the 1960's during the Vietnam War era, a time of radical social action and anti- discrimination movements, a time when doctrinal issues and clergy were being de-emphasized and service and use of lay persons' gifts were being exalted.

Along with the proliferation of agencies and committees, a downturn in the economy resulted in a squeeze on funds which increased the atmosphere of tension already existing because of the above-mentioned phenomena. Also occurring in the 1980's was a surge in local ministries and outreach efforts towards which more funding was directed, leaving less of the proverbial pie for the centralized agencies, which were perceived rightly or wrongly as more distant, less urgent, and overly well funded. Combine this with a declining sense of morale and denominational loyalty and unity because of the rise of bitter differences over things like women in church office, and a crisis atmosphere developed where the need to streamline the denomination's structure and ministries came to be viewed as a paramount concern.

Several overtures were presented and acted upon by synod which fall loosely under the designation, "Vision 21," a master planning strategy to restructure the denomination poised to enter the 21st Century. Included in the actions which have been taken are the beefing up of the Synodical Interim Committee, now to be called the Board of Trustees (in keeping with legal religious corporate language), the creation of the positions of Executive Director of Ministries, a position given broad powers to oversee and supervise the various agencies, and Personnel Director, one who oversees the hiring of denominational employees, the centralization of some financial and personnel functions of the agencies, and the downsizing of the boards of the agencies, beginning with that of Calvin College but envisioned to be applied to all agencies (now to be composed of a reduced number of board members regionally appointed rather than sent as representatives of the 47 classes).

While it is premature to evaluate the effects these and future changes will have on the ministries of the denomination, several observations can be made at this point. Theologically speaking, it seems clear that the direction being pursued in structuring the agencies is a departure from traditional Reformed ecclesiology; instead of government by delegates from local assemblies and a line of accountability to the classes and through them to the local consistories, the new board structure results in government by a smaller synodically-confirmed board who will be accountable through the BOT to the synod. This is a clear move to centralize the bureaucracy of the church. Practically speaking, as each agency operates with its own mandate and own culture, attempts to streamline and centralize are causing perceived if not genuine threats to the integrity of the agencies which is resulting in a predictable decline in morale and in some instances in downsizing and consolidation. Complicating this situation is a synodical directive to freeze ministry share levels for several years and a declining level of support through direct giving for some agencies (notably Calvin College & Seminary, CRHM and CRWRC). This is causing what some describe as efforts to protect one's "turf," to prevent further erosion of the agency's budget and programs. In such an atmosphere, unity of vision is difficult to achieve.

This matter of restructuring the ministries and agencies of the church will continue to preoccupy the denomination for some years to come, but the direction in which things may proceed in the future is very difficult to judge at this point in time.