Reformed Women Granted Wider Clergy Rights in Historic Vote

By Lillian Kwon, Christian Post Reporter Thursday, June 14, 2007

The Christian Reformed Church took the historic step Wednesday of granting women wider clergy rights.

After debates broke out last year over the restriction of women from serving as synodical deputies (synod representatives) delegates at Synod 2007 – the eight-day meeting of the church's broadest assembly – decided to open for the first time the way for women to be delegates to next year's synod.

"Let's take note, pause and reflect," said Rev. Bruce Persenaire from Classis (regional assembly) Central California, according to CRC Communications. "We will now be seating women delegates."

The vote followed Tuesday's decision to remove the word "male" as a requirement for holding ecclesiastical office in the church and to allow women to be ordained as ministers, elders, deacons or ministry associates. In an effort to maintain unity in the church body by respecting the convictions of those who believe the Bible prohibits women serving as office bearers, synod representatives also decided to allow classes (regional assemblies) to set restrictions on women serving as delegates to classis meetings.

Nevertheless, even before the landmark decision on Wednesday, CRC women had "a feeling" that something big was going to happen this week, as Carol Rottman of Greenville had stated.

"We're starting to feel that this is the moment," she said, according to Religion News Service.

Nods for women to be able to take seats at Synod 2008 marked a major step since 1995, when women were allowed to be ordained as office bearers.

"I've been around in this denomination a long time," said Doris Smedes, 82, of Grand Rapids. "I'm just delighted this is finally happening."

Persenaire pointed out the historic context of the latest vote, which occurred days after Synod 2007 elected as its president the Rev. Joel Boot, who supports full clergy rights for women, and during a milestone year for the denomination.

"There's something historic about that on the 150th anniversary of the Christian Reformed Church," he said.

Over 12,000 people participated in CRC's largest worship service on Sunday to celebrate the denomination's 150th anniversary in Grand Rapids, Mich. The Christian Reformed Church is a denomination that has about 300,000 members in 1,000 congregations across the United States and Canada.