Grace Reformed Church In Rapid City

What is a Synod Meeting?

From May 21st to the 24th our congregation is hosting the 266th annual Synod meeting of the Reformed Church in the United States [RCUS]. It would be good for us to know what this means. 

 

Synod is a meeting (the word Synod means meeting, convention, or council) of all the pastors and at least one elder from all the churches in our denomination. This amounts to about 80-90 delegates altogether. Since some pastors and elders bring their wives and families, and since there will also be visitors from other denominations, we can expect to host anywhere from 130-150 people. We are going to reserve a block of rooms at the Ramkota Inn (3 nights, Monday-Wed) for most of the delegates. Members of our congregation will also be given the opportunity to host delegates if they so desire. The ladies of our congregation will be asked to help cook and serve meals.

 

The Synod meeting lasts about four days, Monday through Thursday afternoon, beginning Monday at 5:30 p.m. with supper for the delegates, followed by a worship service at 7:00 p.m. Another worship service will be held on Wednesday evening at 7:00. Each worship service will be led by different ministers in our denomination. The actual business of Synod begins each morning, Tuesday-Thursday at 8:00 a.m. Here is what a typical schedule looks like:

 

Tuesday, May 22

    8:00-9:40 AM    Business

  9:40-10:00 AM    Recess

10:00-10:15 AM    Devotions

  10:15-12 Noon    Business

12:00-12:30 PM    Dinner

  12:45-1:45 PM    Committee Meetings

    1:45-3:30 PM    Business

    3:25-3:45 PM    Recess

    3:45-5:20 PM    Business

    5:30-6:15 PM    Supper

            6:45 PM    Committee meetings at the Ramkota

 

The congregation is welcome to attend any of the business sessions, and is strongly encouraged to attend at least one of the worship services. This is a perfect way to meet, welcome, and show hospitality to the delegates, thereby giving tangible expression of our unity in one denomination.

 

Hosting Synod will be an honor and privilege for our congregation to serve the officers of Christ’s church, men through whom Christ rules and speaks to His church, the very men who are laboring on behalf of our whole denomination, including Grace Reformed Church in Rapid City. The apostle Paul said to the Church at Corinth, “If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things” (1 Corinthians 9:11). Paul told the Galatians: “as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10). Regarding the leaders of Christ’s church, Paul told the Thessalonians to “esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake” (1 Thessalonians 5:13). 

 

Why have a Synod meeting

 

It is important to realize that having a Synod meeting is not just for fun or because we think it is good idea (like a family reunion) for everyone to get together. The Bible makes it clear that congregations are to be unified and accountable to each other.

 

The Christian church started in Jerusalem and it branched out from there (Acts 8:1; 9:31). The mother church in Jerusalem exercised spiritual oversight over the new and emerging churches (see Acts 8:14-15; 11:19-22, 30). When a doctrinal controversy arose in the church at Antioch, “they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question” (Acts 15:2). The question was whether circumcision was necessary for salvation. Once they reached their decision they expected the churches to comply with their decision. And the churches did comply (see Acts 15:30-31). Therefore, certain delegates delivered to the churches “the decrees to keep, which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem” (Acts 16:4).

 

Several principles were at work at this church meeting (Synod) in Jerusalem:

 

(1) The authority of pastors and elders extends beyond their own congregation. They rule over many congregations through the decisions they reach together. This is also proven by the fact that a pastor must be ordained by other pastors (1 Timothy 4:14; Acts 13:1-3).

 

(2) The idea that circumcision was necessary for salvation was an attack on the gospel of salvation by faith alone and thus it was an issue which affected the whole church. Therefore, this issue needed to be addressed and settled by the whole church. Not every issue has to be decided by a Synod meeting, only the most important ones.

 

(3) The Bible says “in the multitude of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14). The Lord spreads His wisdom around so that we realize we need each other!

 

(4) Since even ministers can err there must be a way to hold ministers accountable and to discipline them if necessary (James 3:2; Galatians 2:11-14).

 

(5) Synod serves as the final court of appeal in cases between two parties. If two parties disagree then it is not justice to let one of those parties decide who is right. Synod “represents the Whole church. It is the highest judicatory and the last resort in all cases respecting the government of the Church” (RCUS Constitution, article 95).

 

Our Constitution summarizes the duties which occupy most of Synod’s attention: “The Synod shall give necessary attention to the education of pious men for the Gospel ministry, and…to the work of Home Missions, of Foreign Missions, of Christian education, and of Ministerial Relief” (article 101).

 

The work of Synod cannot be done without the financial support of the congregations. Therefore, every communicant member of every congregation is asked to help with expenses. Expenses are divided by the total number of communicant members. The money requested is called a guideline.

 

This was the budget for Synod 2011

Total per member  $185.00 (x 68 communicant members = $12,580)

Reformed Herald (per subscription): an extra $18.

 

Additional guideline money is requested for the expenses of Classis. A Classis consists of a smaller group of our churches residing in a district. Classis also meets annually.