RES NEW EXCHANGE - Vol.VIII No.4 - April 27,1971

Sep 28, 2026

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A 1971 issue of RES New Exchange presents plans by the National Presbyterian and Reformed Fellowship to incorporate as a New York entity, gathering pastors and elders to adopt a statement of purpose rooted in sovereign authority of Jesus Christ and scripture. It summarizes an address by Dr. Edmund P. Clowney emphasizing free-grace witness, unity by the Spirit, and limits against politicizing the church. It also reports a pastor’s call to defer judgment on Dutch churches and related synod decisions.

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CategoryReligion & Spirituality

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Pages8

Reading Time20 min

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RES NEW EXCHANGE

National Presbyterian and Reformed Fellowship adopts statement of purpose

Address: God’s grace and the church’s witness

Report: Defer judgment on Dutch churches

R·E·S N EW SE X C H A N G E 1677 GENTIAN DRIVE,S.E.GRAND RAPIDS,MICHIGAN,U.S.A.49508 PAUL G.SCHROTENBOER,GENERAL SECRETARY Vol.VIIINo.4April 27,1971 -685 NATIONAL PRESBYTERIAN AND REFORMED FELLOWSHIP ADOPTS STATEMENTOF PURPOSE AND PROCEEDS WITH PLANS TO INCORPORATE (Grand Rapids,Michigan)Fifty pastors and elders of 10 Reformed andPresbyterian denominations or groups met for two days in Atlanta tomake plans for an incorporation of the National Presbyterian and Re-formed Fellowship.The meetings were moderated by Dr.G.Aiken Taylor,editor of the Presbyterian Journal.(cf.RES NE,Feb.23,1971,p.670) The statement of purpose,which will be incorporated into the constitu-tion,reads as follows:"The present crisis of identity and continuityin Presbyterian and Reformed Churches in the United States of Americacalls for immediate,urgent and active obedience on the part of allthose who acknowledge the sovereign authority of Jesus Christ,theonly King and Head of His Church,as He rules it through the infallibleScriptures of the Old and New Testaments,the Word of God written,andby His Holy Spirit. "The purpose of the National Presbyterian and Reformed Fellowship inthis crisis is to join for encouragement and mutual assistance thosewho seek in our time the unity of a pure witness to the Word of Godand the testimony of Jesus Christ in the communion appointed by Christthrough His apostles and prophets in the New Testament.Reformed doc-trine and presbyterian church government furnish the basis for thiscommunion and the thrust toward a Scriptural ecumenism that is bothcontemporaneous and dynamic." On the first day,Dr。Edmund P。Clowney,President of Westminster Theo-logical Seminary,Philadelphia,presented an address,"By God's Grace..·the Church'". In his paper 。Clowney stated that the Reformed com-mitment is not scholastic traditionalism,but a strong witness to thedoctrines of free grace.The confession of the biblical teaching ofsalvation through Christ is essential to the existence of the church。The fellowship that constitutes the Church,he said,is not the com-munion of the saints but the communion of the Spirit.This God-centeredform of the church determines its unity.The church ministers the Wordof God with spiritual discipline and reflects the grace of God in deedsof mercy.But while the church ministers to the poor,the prisoner,and the sick in Christ's name,it cannot use temporal power or punish-ments to accomplish its spiritual mission.To politicize the churchis to repeat the error of the Constantinian age,he said. Vol.VIIINo.4April 27,1971 2·日· -686 Membership in the NPRF will consist of ministers and elders(or theirequivalent)who subscribe to the Purpose and to the doctrine set forthin the classical Reformed confessions.The NPRF will be incorporatedin the State of New York. Several persons were present from the United Presbyterian Church inthe USA(Northern)and the Presbyterian Church in the US(Southern)which are seeking to unite in what will then be called the PresbyterianChurch(USA). In the present unrest and turmoil in the American churches,especiallyin the larger Presbyterian Churches,the NPRF seeks to find in theScriptures a thrust toward a true ecumenism that differs essentiallyfrom the current merger efforts between the large Protestant denomina-tions.(RES NE 4/27/71) 'DEFER JUDGMENT ON DUTCH CHURCHES'SAYS EX-PATRIOT PASTOR IN AUSTRALIA(Grand Rapids,Michigan)A pastor of the Reformed Churches of Australia,the Rev.J.van der Staal,wrote in Trowel and Sword that it is not yetthe time to pass judgment whether or not there is a "unity of faith asfar as the centrai truths of sin and salvation are concerned"in theReformed Churches in the Netherlands. Van der Staal had made an ex-tended visit to the Netherlands,his former homeland. While recognizing that many unacceptable statements are being made bychurch members in the Dutch churches,he nevertheless maintained thatthe General Synod "wants to adhere to the old Refo

FAQs

What did the National Presbyterian and Reformed Fellowship plan to do in 1971?

It adopted a statement of purpose and proceeds and made plans for incorporation of the National Presbyterian and Re-formed Fellowship.

What main idea does Dr. Edmund P. Clowney emphasize in his address?

He stresses that Reformed commitment is a strong witness to free grace and that unity is determined by a God-centered form of the church rather than temporal power.

Why does the ex-patriot pastor in Australia say judgment should be deferred regarding Dutch churches?

He argues the matter is not yet finalized and points to the hesitancy of synod action, given past disruptions and the need to see future developments.

Sep 28, 2026

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