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The following quote is from the report of the Special Committee to the 114th General Assembly, in June, 1988. Hopefully, this will provide some context for the interview with David Craig.
“In seeking to bring forward recommendations to the 1 l4th General Assembly which would become our response to the matters brought forward by the Synod of Quebec and Eastern Ontario, the Committee has been guided by certain fundamental presuppositions. As The Presbyterian Church in Canada we must be the Presbyterian Church in every part of Canada. It is not open to us to deal with our francophone work in Quebec as if it were a foreign mission field, or to draw back from our mandate to minister to every part of our country in one or the other of our two official languages.
“Even more fundamentally, our reformed polity does not give congregations the possibility of withdrawing from The Presbyterian Church in Canada. Individuals may transfer their membership from our Church to another, or to a new denomination. Indeed, we may have cordial relations with such a new denomination, but we cannot divest part of our membership, property and mission in the way suggested. Clearly, we are called to a more creative francophone mission strategy which takes account of both linguistic and cultural issues, as well as theological issues.
“We would therefore make the following recommendations:
Recommendation No. 1
That the following principles be affirmed:
- all are called to gospel obedience to the courts of the Church.
- all are encouraged to associate cooperatively with any group or church with common goals for the sharing of the gospel.
- any communicant member may request a transfer of membership to any other denomination.
- any minister may request a letter of standing and lodge it with another
- all courts of the Church and national boards of the Presbyterian Church in Canada are called to a continuing sensitivity of, pastoral caring for and outreach to and with the francophone community.
Recommendation No. 2
That we affirm the need for a francophone mission strategy that is Reformed, evangelical and ecumenical, requiring the initiative of the Board of World Mission in consultation with the Synod of Quebec and Eastern Ontario; a strategy which recognizes the need for self direction and creativity and including all francophone elements in our country.
Recommendation No.3
That the Board of World Mission report to the 115th General Assembly in terms of the development of such a francophone mission strategy, outreach policy and funding.”
All three recommendations were adopted.
Channels:
We need to know something of your background and Nancy’s background within the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Would you share some of that with us?
Craig:
I was ordained in 1966 within the Presbytery of Quebec. Immediately after ordination Nancy and I went through Missionary orientation in the Presbyterian Church in Canada and then in Nigeria. While in Nigeria I was involved in eldership training and pastoral work. Nancy was involved in teaching French.
Due to the Biafran situation many things became difficult and the women and children had to leave and the men remained. I was arrested and before the firing squad three times and finally released around 1968.
Upon returning to Canada I went to work with Ian Rennie in Fairview Church, Vancouver. After some persistence by the mission board, I returned to Nigeria although I had planned to do some doctoral work at Neuchatel.
I remained in Nigeria for six months until someone was found to replace me and then went on to Neuchatel for doctoral work. The first two years were spent learning French as well as beginning my research and acting as chaplain at the University.
In 1976 I went to L’Eglise St. Marc, Quebec City, as pastor of the congregation there and remained for eight years. In 1984 there was a Bible study in Trois-Rivieres that needed further direction so Nancy and I felt called to go there. Francois Cordey, the first graduate of Institut Farel then became the pastor at L’Eglise St. Marc.
Channels:
What is your vision for a reformed and presbyterian ministry in the province of Quebec?
Craig:
My vision goes back to the original vision of the French Canadian Missionary Society which our church inherited. The minutes of the French Canadian Missionary Society of 1860 reads as follows: “This society has no dearer object in view than to see this mission becoming gradually in its composition, management, and support, purely and exclusively French Canadian. The committee repeats what has been formerly stated that in their belief, an earnest Protestant church, essentially French Canadian, free from the difficulties presented to their minds by the outward division of British churches, whilst combining all that is scriptural and doctrinal in practice, is the most fitted ecclesiastical organization for the French Canadian people.” This statement was restated in 1874.
When our church inherited the mission society we received also the goal and vision that went along with it, which our church has lost sight of. L’Eglise Réformée du Québec (ERQ) is not something new but something that is in continuity with the original vision of our work in Quebec.
This vision as I see it today is significant in that three reformed bodies are involved in it: the Christian Reformed Church of North America, the Presbyterian Church of America, and the Presbyterian Church in Canada.
When Nancy and I came to Quebec there were three francophone Presbyterian churches in the provinces. Since that time there has been growth not onlyon the part of the Presbyterian Church in Canada but also in the Christian Reformed Church and the Presbyterian Church of America.
The Christian Reformed Church came to Quebec around ’78 or ’79 and their original vision was to set up Christian Reformed francophone churches. We approached them and through discussion it was felt that there could be a united reformed witness within the province rather than two or three reformed churches side- by-side, out of which the vision of the ERQ has come. The Presbyterian Church of America, although reluctant at first, also started to buy into this vision and finally put down on paper that they were committed to this.
Channels:
What will you do or what do you feel your position now is in light of the General Assembly’s decision of June 1988?
Craig:
In light of the decision the General Assembly is saying “no” to the proposal of the ERQ in terms of the Presbyterian Church in Canada and their involvement. This means that the alternative is separate francophone work within the province of Quebec, work which would have to be created, for presently there is no work there but that of the ERQ. The exception to that might be Melbourne and St. Luke’s in Montreal, but generally the denomination would be looking at new work again in light of this decision.
I am hoping that I will be able to maintain my credentials as a minister with the Presbyterian Church in Canada and be added to the appendix to the roll. I can understand some of the reasoning of — although not agree with — the denomination as to their reluctance to be involved, one having to do with the ordination of women. We have been unable to get the candidates for ministry from the francophone ministry ordained, like Francois Cordey and Guy Dube because they don’t want their conscience bound and they are not prepared to accept the ruling of the Presbyterian Church on that particular issue.
Channels:
Presbytery has also recently taken a position on this. What is the position of the Presbytery of Quebec?
Craig:
They have hard-lined it. The Presbytery has refused to accept the recommendation that the French workers be seconded to the ERQ by the Presbyterian Church in Canada. The Presbytery refused to give its blessing to the work of the ERQ.
On terms of buildings — the Presbytery has taken the position of wanting to keep all the property in buildings within the Presbyterian Church in Canada and they are looking for a new pastor in L’Eglise St. Marc. The Presbytery refused to make all necessary financial arrangements that would have been necessary had the earlier recommendation been put in place.
Regarding the work in Trois-Rivieres, which is presently under grant, there will be no grants for work or personnel. I have met with the Board of World Mission since the General Assembly and they did show some flexibility in trying to accommodate our situation in that they could work with recommendations that did go to the Presbytery. These recommendations were drawn up on consultation with the Board of World Mission, but no indication from the Ecumenical Relations Committee as yet.
Channels:
What would be your last words to the Presbyterian Church in Canada concerning Francophone Ministry, including the evangelical witness within the denomination and what it might be able to do?
Craig:
I am very disappointed that the denomination did not look seriously at this option and this proposal. I feel that they are going to lose out with the francophone ministry in Quebec in the long run. We are dealing with a grass roots situation; these are Quebecois and it is French people doing French work and not a French work being thrust upon them from outside. The average age of the people involved is 27 or 28 years old — young families and young people.
I would question the problem of vision that our church has had as long as 120 years ago — a vision that goes back that long. There is a conflict, with some opting for mission and some for institution, but the problem is that those who are opting for institution will not accommodate the mission aspect unless it is uniquely a Presbyterian institutional mission working within Quebec.
In conclusion I am making an appeal to all evangelical congregations within the denomination to support the ministry and mission of ERQ both financially and with its prayer to see that the ministry will go forward.
The whole movement of this francophone ministry and mission is thoroughly evangelical and being led by evangelicals and grounded in a solid and classic expression of the reformed faith in the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Heidelberg Catechism and the Canons of Dort.
Channels:
Your vision then. David, has been for a francophone ministry within Quebec that would involve the Presbyterian Church in Canada and you have no desire to withdraw or leave the denomination, but rather to involve the denomination in a forward looking mission amongst the French people, the Quebecois.
Craig:
That’s correct.