The synod closed without designating a calling church, what does that mean for the survival of the denomination?
The final resolutions of the last General Synod raise questions about the survival of the denomination. Why is it bad that no calling church was designated? And is that inevitable to continue together as a church alliance? Deputies Church order and church law wrote a note on the Church Order value of these Synod decisions and what this means for local churches and for our coexistence as churches in our denomination.
What is church affiliation?
In order to arrive at a responsible answer to the question of whether the denomination still exists now that the General Synod decided to close the assembly without designating a new calling church, deputies in that note first explore in more detail what the denomination is, how the denomination is constituted and what sustains the denomination.
Church affiliation not ended
In the memorandum, deputies on Church Order and Church Law then explain why the deadlock of the synod does not mean that the church system has ended. They call on churches to continue meeting in the existing structures: the classes, the private synod and eventually again in a general synod. There is "not only ecclesiastical all room and ecclesiastical all reason, but it is no less than our calling to continue to come together as churches that recognised and received one another in Christ."
Frequently asked questions
Finally, deputies answer three frequently asked questions:
- Can and should classes still meet?
- Can the classes still make decisions on, for example, the issuing of certificates, but also when it comes to drastic matters such as detachment or removal from office?
- How is the road to a new General Synod opened?
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