A searchable, downloadable PDF of the original article appears below. J.H. (Hans) Kouwenberg is Editor of Channels and minister of St. Giles’ Presbyterian Church, Prince George, B.C. Hans Kouwenberg was a commissioner from the Presbytery of Kamloops at the 114th Assembly, and moved the motion to second our missionaries to the Reformed Church of Quebec.

On November 6, 1988 there will occur an historic event in the life of the Reformed witness in the province of Quebec which will gladden the hearts of all who care for the proclamation of the gospel, the evangelization of all people, and the enunciation of the Reformed and Presbyterian expression of the Christian faith. The Reformed Church of Quebec (R.C.Q.; Eglise Réformée du Québec, E.R.Q.), with nine founding congregations, will come into being. The majority of the members of these congregations (from Ste-Foy, Montreal, Trois-Rivieres, St.Georges de Beauce, St. Lambert, Repentigny, Ste-Croix de Lotbiniere, St-Romuald, and Ottawa [Ontario]) are French-speaking and their expressed desire is to establish an evangelical and Reformed indigenous work appropriate to their own language and culture. Originators of this church see themselves in historic continuity with the Reformed and Presbyterian churches whose denominational missionaries first gave it birth. Workers have come from the Christian Reformed Church of North America, the Presbyterian Church in Canada, and the Presbyterian Church of America. More than that, they see themselves as being in continuity with the vibrant nineteenth century French Canadian evangelization thrust of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, and indeed, with the historic Huguenot (or French Reformed) roots of the founding fathers and mothers of the province of Quebec. Although ecumenical — open in stance to a variety of Christian works in the province — this French-Canadian church seeks to be both evangelical and Reformed in its witness and emphasis.

Although the financial and personnel support of the Presbyterian Church in Canada had been received over the last few years for work in a French Canadian context and it had been clear for some time that some of our workers were working for the advancement of a new venture in faith and contextualization of the gospel, nevertheless, the last General Assembly, meeting in June of 1988 in Toronto, did not see fit at this time to second any of our workers who might now already be working within a French Canadian context to the new church. Instead, they affirmed that although “all are called to associate co-operatively with any group or church with common goals for the sharing of the gospel”, “all are called to gospel obedience to the courts of the Church.” Indeed, Assembly went on to affirm that anyone “may request a transfer of membership to any other denomination”, and “a minister may request a letter of standing and lodge it with another denomination.” The implications were clear. No Presbyterian property or buildings are to be transferred to the Reformed Church of Quebec. No members or ministers are to be given, loaned, or seconded to the Reformed Church of Quebec.

Further, it does not come out clearly in the Report of the Special Committee which studied this matter for the Assembly, but it did come out in the debate when the Report was presented and discussed that the real concern of the Presbyterian Church was the evangelical nature of this new church and, in particular, one suspects, their position on the leadership of women. At present, the Reformed Church of Quebec has no plans to ordain women to the eldership and/or ministry. While this is regrettable and wrong in the mind of this writer, has the ordination of women now become a status confessions (a matter of the most extreme importance) so that compliance or non-compliance with this issue marks one to be Christian or non-Christian? One hesitates to raise this matter again, especially as it is a sensitive and urgent one; yet, is it foundational whether or not we can cooperate with another Christian body? Certainly this would rule out our association with a good number of churches in Canada and world-wide. Perhaps the Reformed Church of Quebec has its reasons for avoiding the recognition and ordination of women, including their particular context and, no doubt, the current position of missionaries from two of the founding denominations (the Christian Reformed Church and the Presbyterian Church of America). Surely the Presbyterian Church in Canada does not — and I do not — accept any rationale against the ordination of women; however, should this prevent us from dealing expansively and cooperatively with this new venture in faith? Is this issue more important than the essentials of the gospel about which we agree? Is this issue more important than the contextualization of the gospel which is rightly considered so important today? Is this issue more important than evangelization which is our objective and the Reformed Church of Quebec’s objective? I think not. I had wished that the Assembly would have considered and adopted a motion to second workers to this church to the Ecumenical Relations Committee.

Surely the Presbyterian Church in Canada does not — and I do not — accept any rationale against the ordination of women; however, should this prevent us from dealing expansively and cooperatively with this new venture in faith?

According to a recent article in Christianity Today (March 4, 1988) there are approximately 30,000 French- speaking evangelical Christian believers in Quebec today. Of that about 10,000 are Pentecostal (Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada) and 10,000 are Baptist (Fellowship of Evangelical Baptists). The remainder, according to the article, represents members of the Union of French Baptist Churches in Canada, Plymouth Brethren, Christian Missionary and Alliance and “other smaller denominations” (p. 45). One wonders where the Presbyterians are? Our latest Acts and Proceedings of the 114th General Assembly (1988), listing figures for 1987, suggest that we have about 100 French-8speaking souls under our care in two congregations at St. Marc in Ste-Foy and at Trois-Rivieres who wish to join the R.C.Q. and about 170 more in two congregations at Eglise St. Luc and Fabreville who do not wish to join. Certainly our current achievements in French-speaking ministry have not been impressive. Nor do we have in place what Assembly called a “francophone mission strategy that is Reformed, evangelical, and ecumenical”, although this Assembly did declare its will to come up with such “a strategy which recognizes the need for self-direction and creativity and including all francophone elements in our country” by next year. It sounds as if such a goal so broadly-based would be difficult to achieve. Why not honour the work that has already been done and second our own missionaries who are already in place to it?