The CRCNA and the National Association of Evangelicals

The Christian Reformed Church in North America is a member of the National Association of Evangelicals. The denomination joined the NAE in 1943, left in 1951, and then rejoined in 1988.

History

NAE

In 1846 American evangelicals, along with evangelicals from many nations, were invited to the organizational meeting of the Evangelical Alliance in London, England. The group spent a week in prayer working to unite in Christian unity as they promoted missions and revival and aided persecuted Christians. This Alliance lasted about forty years until the formation of the Federal Council of Churches which drew numerous denominations from the Alliance. The FCC’s emphasis of the “social gospel” became a grave concern to many conservative evangelicals.

In time through the efforts of J. Elwin Wright, Pastor Harold J. Ockenga, and Will Houghton then president of Moody Bible Institute, an initial meeting was held October 27, 1941. A conference was planned and happened in St. Louis on April 7, 1942 in which evangelicals from all over were called to attend to prayerfully consider forming this alliance. The heart of the alliance was to aid faithfulness to Christ’s gospel and prevent isolation amongst evangelical ministers for the sake of the gospel. The CRCNA’s own Cornelius Van Til was in attendance.

CRCNA Joining of NAE

The N.A.E. held a convention in Chicago in which three delegates attended from the CRCNA. The three delegates were Rev. G. Hoeksman, Rev. Dr. W. H. Rutgers, Rev. J. De Haan, Jr. All three delegates recommended that the CRCNA join the N.A.E. at least provisionally. The first Christian Reformed Church of Bellflower, California also sent an overture to Synod urging the denomination to join the N.A.E. The overture stated that the church had done considerable research on the emphasis and mission of the N.A.E. and listed the following reasons for recommending that the CRCNA join.

First, they recommended that Evangelicals must join together in unity against the evil of modernism and liberal theology. Second, the doctrinal statement and constitution of the N.A.E. were a good aligning representation of evangelicalism. Third, the Federal Council of Churches, due to its liberal stance, would be an unacceptable option for the CRCNA to join with. The report stated that the N.A.E. would provide a more orthodox united voice for the CRCNA to speak to larger issues with other churches. Classis Muskegon also overtured the Synod to join the N.A.E. Following a summary of recommendations the CRCNA adopted to join with the N.A.E. in 1943.

Controversy and Separation

Rumblings of disaffiliation began in 1949 when a majority report was issued at Synod recommending that the CRCNA leave the N.A.E. The primary issue discussed in the report was the reality of fundamentalism being considered evangelical Christianity. Fundamentalism is a “negation of Calvinism,” and what most of evangelical Christianity stands for, according to the report. It further states that fundamentalism doesn’t submit to a controlling theological principle, and outrightly denies any historic creed or confession being that the fundamentalist sees this as adding to the Scripture. The other predominant issue is that fundamentalistic Christianity is typically dispensational.

The report also challenged the “word and life,” view of fundamentalism against Reformed theology. Fundamentalism being “other worldly,” and having no understanding of the responsibility of Christians to affect culture with kingdom values. Rather fundamentalism isolates itself from the world, rather than engaging it with the gospel and living out the kingdom.

Finally, the report discussed the ecclesiastical problem of fundamentalism. The fundamentalist rejects any sort of denomination as a “man-made institution,” basically claiming apostacy of the CRCNA denomination.

The report listed the total number of members in the N.A.E., proving that the majority were Baptist, Methodist, and Fundamentalist and so were overpowering any Reformed voice that the CRC had in being part of it. A minority report was also issued defending remaining in the N.A.E. and this predominated the decision in 1949.

By 1951, the CRCNA concerns about N.A.E. affiliation had only grown. Dr. F.C. Fowler, Executive President of the N.A.E. wrote a letter to the CRCNA’s Synod encouraging the denomination to stay. A report of the N.A.E. delegates was discussed, and concerns were raised over the N.A.E.’s plan to promote a nationwide evangelism campaign under the umbrella of the N.A.E., despite reservations and hesitations amongst CRCNA members. While this didn’t happen in 1951, based on the N.A.E.’s own constitution, there was a growing concern that the N.A.E. would move in this direction, especially with the addition of famed evangelist Billly Graham.

Some of the other raised concerns centered on the apparent looseness of the organization and membership within it. It was reported that even guests were voting at the meetings. Major resolutions would be presented merely through a quick reading and would be adopted by the excited crowd with little deliberation or time. The frustration of this for the CRCNA, was that its name was attached to any decisions, even if there was not sufficient time to understand what had passed. A report from the Reformed ecumenical synod tasked with studying the International Council of Churches and the N.A.E. was given, and after lengthy deliberation, the Synod voted by majority to leave the N.A.E. in 1951.

Rejoining

In 1985, the Interchurch Relations Committee, through a mandate to investigate and report on ecumenical organizations, made a recommendation to the Synod to reconsider rejoining the N.A.E. The report began with a history of the original decisions to join and the consequent years of questioning by CRCNA representatives and classes. One critique of the report was that the majority decision to leave the N.A.E. in 1951 was addressed in a letter without specifying any particular grounds for taking such an action.

The report went on to mention several Reformed denominations holding membership in the N.A.E. The Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America was the first NAPARC Church to join the N.A.E. and it was followed thereafter by the Presbyterian Church in America in 1986. The Reformed Church in America desired affiliation the N.A.E. but could not hold it due to the rules of being unallowed due to its membership in the World Council of Churches. It was also recognized in the report that the CRC’s own denominational college, Calvin had joined the N.A.E. Calvin Seminary’s president, Dr. James De Jong, (while not officially joining the N.A.E.) participated in the association of evangelical seminary presidents which was founded by the N.A.E. and testified to it being “spiritually enriching and a strategic connection.” The overall point of this was to make the case that a number of Reformed denominations and institutions were finding their Reformed witness to be strengthened rather than hindered through membership in the N.A.E.

After acknowledging seven reasons against joining the N.A.E. in the report, the committee made the case for joining with the following points. First, joining the N.A.E. would enable the CRCNA to the important ecumenical task of unity and contact with a wide variety of evangelical churches. Secondly, the N.A.E. provided affiliation with evangelical churches that were global and not just located in the United States. Thirdly, the N.A.E. desires the CRCNA’s voice and input regarding a Reformed world view. Fourthly, the N.A.E. could grow the CRCNA to learn from other evangelical churches where the Holy Spirit is at work. Fifthly, the N.A.E. provides an agency for the CRCNA to speak to secular and political issues at a government level since the N.A.E. had a strong voice in Washington D.C. Sixthly, the CRCNA was using resources from the N.A.E. without officially being in membership with them. The committee mentions this as an “embarrassment…that we should continue to use and profit from the N.A.E. and its services but refuse to affiliate with it or bear our responsibilities for the benefits we derive from it.” Seventhly, the N.A.E. is organized in such a fashion that denominations can participate wherever they desire, and refrain from any participation that they disagree with. Eighthly, to join the N.A.E. was in line with the CRCNA’s membership in the Council of Christian Reformed Churches in Canada.

In light of these recommendations, the 1988 Synod of the CRCNA mandated that the IRC take the necessary steps to join with the N.A.E.

Bibliography

Matthews, Arthur H. Standing Up, Standing Together : The Emergence of the National Association of Evangelicals, (Carol Stream, Ill. National Association of Evangelicals, 1992).

CRCNA, "1943 Agenda and Acts of Synod" (1943). Agendas and Acts of Synod. 139.

https://digitalcommons.calvin.edu/crcna_synod-agendas/139

CRCNA, "1949 Agenda and Acts of Synod" (1949). Agendas and Acts of Synod. 152.

https://digitalcommons.calvin.edu/crcna_synod-agendas/152

CRCNA, "1951 Agenda and Acts of Synod" (1951). Agendas and Acts of Synod. 156.

https://digitalcommons.calvin.edu/crcna_synod-agendas/156

CRCNA, "1987 Agenda and Acts of Synod" (1987). Agendas and Acts of Synod. 226.

https://digitalcommons.calvin.edu/crcna_synod-agendas/226

CRCNA, "1988 Agenda and Acts of Synod" (1988). Agendas and Acts of Synod. 227.

https://digitalcommons.calvin.edu/crcna_synod-agendas/227

Footnotes

Matthews, Arthur H. Standing Up, Standing Together : The Emergence of the National Association of Evangelicals, (Carol Stream, Ill. National Association of Evangelicals, 1992), 4.

Ibid., 5

Ibid., 13

Ibid., 23.

Ibid. 26

CRCNA, "1943 Agenda and Acts of Synod," 132.

Ibid., 8.

Ibid., 132.

Ibid., 133.

Ibid.

Ibid.

Ibid. 134.

Ibid., 137.

CRCNA, "1949 Agenda and Acts of Synod," 290.

Ibid.

Ibid.

Ibid.

Ibid.

Ibid.,290- 291.

Ibid., 291-292.

Ibid., 293-297.

Ibid., 298-322 & CRCNA, "1951 Agenda and Acts of Synod,” 77.

CRCNA, "1951 Agenda and Acts of Synod,” 79.

Ibid., 432.

Ibid., 434.

Ibid.

Ibid.

Ibid., 79.

CRCNA, "1987 Agenda and Acts of Synod," 176.

Ibid., 179.

Ibid., 185-186.

Ibid. 187.

Ibid.

Ibid., 189-191

Ibid.

Ibid.

Ibid.

Ibid.

Ibid.

Ibid.

Ibid.

Ibid.

CRCNA, "1988 Agenda and Acts of Synod," 517.