Classis Michigan

Report on the meeting of Classis Michigan of the URCNA

Convening at Dutton United Reformed Church in Dutton - March 11, 2025

Classis Michigan convened at the building of Dutton URC on the beautiful Spring morning of March 11 for its Spring 2025 meeting. The delegates completed their business by mid-afternoon.

The main order of business consisted of adjudicating two appeals. The first appeal was by two professing members against the Sovereign Grace (SG) Consistory. They complained of being wronged in that the Consistory would not transfer their membership to Immanuel Fellowship Church (IFC), which is also within Classis Michigan. IFC is willing to receive the appellants into membership under their current disciplinary status. Classis sustained their specification of error and the appeal. Classis directed the Consistory of SG to no longer refuse to transfer their membership to IFC.

The second appeal was by the SG Consistory against the IFC Consistory. SG complained of being wronged in that IFC took the position that the members under discipline have no moral or legal requirement to meet face-to-face with the Consistory and that the SG Consistory has no moral or legal right to require a face-to-face meeting of the members under discipline. SG complained that this position is against Scripture and against the URC Church Order. Classis did not sustain the two specifications of error or the appeal.

Classis heard reports from functionaries, committee representatives, church representatives, the fraternal delegate from the Canadian and American Reformed Churches, and the fraternal delegate from the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.

Advice was sought and given concerning disciplinary matters.

Cornerstone URC requested advice concerning conducting a colloquium doctum for a minister resigned from the Protestant Reformed Churches who is open to serving in the URC yet would not be called by the Consistory that would sponsor him for the colloquium doctum. Advice was given.

Immanuel Fellowship Church requested advice concerning a seminarian under their care who will graduate from a Reformed seminary that does not offer a class in URC history and polity. Classis advised IFC that it would suffice for the man to audit recorded lectures of the appropriate class offered by Mid-America Reformed Seminary.

Classis Michigan is scheduled to convene its next meeting at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at the building of Trinity URC in Caledonia.

May the Lord bless the decisions made and counsel given by his servants in Classis Michigan; may God alone receive glory.

For further information, contact Rev. Talman Wagenmaker, Clerk of Classis Michigan,
via e-mail at [email protected]

Please note that this report is an unofficial summary.

For the official and complete summary of business transacted at classis, see the official minutes of classis.