CRCpedia: “NAPARC: Why did conservative Presbyterians boot us out?”

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CRCNA History

Timothy Kim

April 24, 2026

NAPARC: Why did conservative Presbyterians boot us out?

What is NAPARC?

NAPARC stands for “North America Presbyterian and Reformed Council” which is a denomination across the United States of America and Canada. According to their official website, it is constituted by the following denominations: ARPC, CanRC, ERQ, FRCNA, HRC, KAPC, KPCA, OPC, PCA, PresRC, RCUS, RPCNA, URCNA. But where did this council come from?

NAPARC Beginnings.

The NAPARC was founded in 1975, and it started with five churches with the conviction of “working together more closely and demonstrating their unity in a more tangible way.” The Christian Reformed Church helped to found this council and accepted the invitation to be part of it. According to the banner of June 1978, where John Harold Bradd was introducing what this council was about in such year and month, the NAPARC was planning to hold their synod, with their five churches who were members at that time, which were "Presbyterian Church in America, Reformed Presbyterian Church, Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Reformed Presbyterian Church, and the Christian Reformed Church.” At that moment, those churches conformed the NAPARC, sharing the same convictions - they stand for foursquare for the basic verities of faith, for a reformed view in their theological perspectives, they were to preserve the faith, they had high view of Scripture, took the Reformed confessions very seriously, hold without compromise the truth of Jesus Christ, among others. The author of the banner also describes this council as not being authoritative but that every decision taken, to be valid, must be approved by the broadest judicatory of each of the constituent churches. In other words, all decisions are to be taken in a democratic way. NAPARC also held study committees on various matters to help each other and for mutual understanding and enrichment.

Christian Reformed Church on Women Ordination.

Before the late 90’ and early 2000’, the Christian Reformed Church was against women ordination. In 1975, in the CRC banner, Diane Brummel Bloem wrote a section affirming that, as a woman, she was against “the trend in the church to ordain women in ministry.” She recognizes the different roles that man and woman were given by God and to respectively complete such function.

Then in 1991, John Bolt wrote in the Calvin Theological Journal about the topic of women ordination in a complementerian way, but recognizing the hardship of such matter.

But in 1991, John W. Cooper, the professor of philosophical theology in Calvin Theological Seminary wrote a section in the Banner on May 27, 1991 about his own study and perspective of women ordination. The first words were: “Don’t quote Scripture out of context.” In his long study and writings, he stated that he became open to women ordination. Some of his arguments are the following: whenever Paul states that women cannot have authority over man, the word for authority “authentein,” is not clear as it can mean “to dominate” or “assert power” which there is a possibility for this command to be against the cult of Diana, goddess of Ephesus that promoted female domination; the teaching prohibition is a “kind of teaching” as in 1 Corinthians 11:5 women are permitted to preach as a form of prophecy in worship; submission and headship (sacrificial) is specifically for marriage relations. He also states that men and women share the same threefold offices of Christ as prophet, priest, and king; and that rulership of men is part of the curse. These interpretations are among many others, and he claims that this way of interpretation is according to the reformed hermeneutic - to compare controversial text with other texts that fundamentalists might use to deny women ordination.

But right after his section, there is the section where Dr. Cornelis P. Venema, professor of doctrinal studies at Mid-America Reformed Seminary discusses how the context of 1 Timothy is about the role of women in teaching and exercising authority within the church context, not just housecode matters. This command would be to address the official teaching that exercises authority over man. And, he addresses that the reason why these commands were given is not from an unique context of the letter, but way back from creation. And he also approaches the readers to consider proper hermeneutics, as Cooper stated. Both have argued to look at Scripture as a whole to interpret significant passages but came with different interpretations and conclusions.

Following the years, in 1995, in the Synod of the Christian Reformed Church, specifically in article 75 they address the topic of women ordination. It quotes: “The synod recognizes that there are two different perspectives and convictions, both of which honor the Scriptures as the infallible Word of God, on the issue of whether women are allowed to serve in the offices of elder, minister, and evangelist.” This means that the CRC was opened for those churches who were choosing to ordain women as their interpretation of Scripture, according to the CRC, was not erroneous.

NAPARC’s Reaction to the CRC openness for Women Ordination.

In 1996, the Christian Renewal Periodical published in their news that NAPARC had decided to launch a study discipline of CRC over women ordination. The news, brought by Darrel Todd Maurina, stated that the PCA (Presbyterian Church of America) proposed to the NAPARC to suspend or expel the CRC if they did not repent and rescind their decision about women ordination according to their Synod 1995. But later, in addition to the PCA, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and the Korean American Presbyterian Church have supported this and suspended their fraternal relations with the Christian Reformed Church. But not only those outside of the CRC have supported this but also some from the CRC itself have supported this decision, such as Rev. Tom Vanden.

NAPARC’s Final Decision towards CRC.

In December of 1997, in the Christian Renewal Periodical, it was published that on November 19 of the same year in Atlanta, it was announced that from a vote of 6-1, the NAPARC decided to begin the process of suspension of the CRC from the council as the Rev. Ric Perrin, interchurch relations committee chairman for the Presbyterian Church of America, stated that in their view the CRC was stating in one way or another that Scripture did no longer govern in the matter of women ordination, and that the CRC was shifting from the historical position about women ordination.

On December 21, 1998 the Banner published a news article stating that the “NAPARC formally suspended CRC over women in office issue.” A meeting on November 17 and 18 was held in Sioux Falls, S.D. and the CRC has been officially suspended from NAPARC ever since. This decision has been placed since the chair of PCA’s Interchurch Relations Committee Rick Perrind considered the teaching of Scripture about this issue very clear.

According to the Christian Renewal Periodical of 1998, the CRC could still send delegates but they were exempt to vote for decisions to be made by the council. But within this decision, there were several opinions of what the CRC could do while still being part of the NAPARC but in a suspended state. RCUS delegate Paul Treick questioned whether the CRC delegates could submit studies or papers on their position or even address as regular members since they were suspended. Others like United Reformed Churches and Free Reformed Churches, who were invited observers by the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, were against of the position by the chairman as they believed “NAPARC allowed the CRC to redefine the suspension” since the NAPARC chairman Ron Potter stated that the only limit would be their prohibition to vote and send delegates to the Interim Committee.

In 2001, in the NAPARC meeting, CRC was still not expelled from the Council and CRC Reverend Peter Browner gave his defense against women ordination recurring to the Belgic Confession Article 30, in the old version, as whenever it says “faithful men,” the English rendering from the Latin “persona” is an ambiguous to translated as “men” since it is a more generic term. At that time, the CRC stated their desire to remain in NAPARC.

At the end of the same year, the Christian Renewal Periodical announced in their news that NAPARC terminated CRC membership, stating that no later than 2004, the CRC would officially cease to be a member of the NAPARC.

One year later, in 2002, in the Banner, it was mentioned that the NAPARC was in the final stages to expel the CRC from the council that the same CRC helped found. The Banner mentioned the CRC’s sadness towards this decision; Rev John Huizinga considered NAPARC’s decision of terminating the membership of CRC as a graceless act since they are presuming to speak the truth and there is much that they share and little that they differentiate.

As of the date of this article/paper, the Christian Reformed Church is still not part of the North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council.

Bibliography

Bloem, Diane Brummel. “A Woman's View on Ordination.” Banner, April 18, 1975.

Bratt, John Harold. “What is NAPARC?.” Banner, June 16, 1978.

Brink, William P. “Welcome NAPARC.” Banner, June 23, 1978.

Chase, Cynthia J., Woudstra, Sierd. “NAPARC Formally Suspends CRC over Women in Office

Issue.” Banner, December 21, 1998.

Cooper, John W., 1947-; Venema, Cornelis P.; Steensma, John; Hoezee, Scott E., 1964-;

Wunderink, Richard; Frieling, Warren; Schleeringa, Tony; Bushoven, Cornelius J.; Roffel, K. W. “Scripture’s Openness to the Ordination of Women.” Banner, May 27, 1991.

Christian Reformed Church, Agenda and Acts of Synod 1995. Grand Rapids: MI: CRCNA 1995.

DiPeppino, Michael. “NAPARC not yet ready to expel the CRC from its membership.” Christian

Renewal, January 15, 2001.

Elliot, John. “NAPARC bites the bullet. terminates CRC membership.” Christian Renewal,

December 17, 2001.

Maurina, Darrell Todd. “NAPARC Will Study Discipline of CRC Over Women's Ordination.”

Christian Renewal, December 9, 1996.

Maurina, Darrell Todd. “NAPARC Suspends CRC from Membership.” Christian Renewal,

December 15, 1997.

Maurina, Todd Darrell. “North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council completes

suspension of Christian Reformed Church.” Christian Renewal, December 13, 1998.

Postma, Gayla R. “NAPARC Suspension Saddens Synod.” Banner, July 8, 2002.

Footnotes

John Harold Bratt, “What is NAPARC?,” Banner, June 16, 1978, 22.

Bratt, “What is NAPARC?,” 22.

William P. Brink, “Welcome NAPARC,” Banner, June 23, 1978, 5.

Diane Brummel Bloem, “A Woman View on Ordination,” Banner, April 18, 1975, 20-21.

John W. Cooper, Cornelis P. Venema, John Steensma, et al. “Scripture’s Openness to the Ordination of Woman,” Banner, May 27, 1991, 6-8.

Cooper, et al, “Scripture’s Openness to the Ordination of Woman,” 6-8.

Darrell Todd Maurina, “NAPARC Will Study Discipline of CRC Over Women's Ordination.” Christian Renewal, December 9, 1996, 15.

Maurina, “NAPARC Will Study Discipline of CRC Over Women's Ordination,” 15.

Darrell Todd Maurina, “NAPARC Suspends CRC from Membership,” Christian Renewal, December 15, 1997, 04-05.

Cynthia J. Chase, Sierd Woudstra, “NAPARC formally suspends CRC over women in office issue,” Banner, December 21, 1998, 5.

Chase, Woundstra, “NAPARC formally suspends CRC over women in office issue,” 5.

Darrel Todd Maurina, “North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council completes suspension of Christian Reformed Church,” Christian Renewal, December 13, 1998, 04.

Maurina, “North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council completes suspension of Christian Reformed Church,” 04.

Gayla, R. Postma, “NAPARC Suspension Saddens Synod,” Banner, July 8, 2002, 15.

Postma, “NAPARC Suspension Saddens Synod,” 15.

Michael DiPeppino, “NAPARC not yet ready to expel the CRC from its membership,” Christian Renewal, January 15, 2001, 06.

John Elliot, “NAPARC bites the bullet. terminates CRC membership,” Christian Renewal, December 17, 2001, 06-07.

Elliot, “NAPARC bites the bullet. terminates CRC membership,” 06-07.

Christian Reformed Church, Agenda and Acts of Synod 1995, (Grand Rapids: MI: CRCNA, 1995) Article 75.