Classis East Report
Meeting on February 8, 2024
at Hope Protestant Reformed Church (Walker, MI)
On January 10, 2024 Classis East appointed a committee of pre-advice (“committee one”) to prepare recommendations regarding seven protests against decisions of the September/October meeting of Classis East. Classis met Thursday, February 8, to consider the fourteen page report submitted by the committee. All of the decisions of Classis East will be available when the minutes of the meeting are completed. A brief summary breaking down the decisionsi nto three categories will suffice for the purposes of this report.
Preliminary Decisions
1. Four protestants objected to the decision of the previous meeting of Classis East to declare that Grandville PRC’s Consistory erred when it judged “that Rev. Ken Koole was guilty of the public sin of teaching false doctrine without proving this from Scripture or the Confessions.” Classis did not sustain the four protests and upheld its decision.
2. All seven protests contended that in September “Classis failed to address the doctrinal impasse in the appeal legally before it.” Classis sustained the protests on this point.
3. Classis rescinded several decisions made in September that made judgments on the case without addressing the “doctrinal impasse.”
The Three Statements
Classis spent the bulk of its time discussing Rev. Koole’s use of three quotations from the Reformed theologian, Herman Witsius (1636-1708).
1. Quotation 1: “Scripture teaches that something must be done that we may be saved. ”Classis judged this statement “by itself can suggest error” and that “Rev. Koole’s explanation and use” of the statement “although lacking certain clarifications, does not contradict Scripture, the Confessions, or the decisions of Synod 2018.”
2. Quotation 2: “We must accurately distinguish between a right to life and the possession of life. The former must be assigned to the obedience of Christ, that all the values of our holiness may be entirely excluded. But certainly, our works, or rather these, which the Spirit of Christ worketh in us, and by us, contribute something to the latter.” Classis judged that this statement “by itself as commonly understood is erroneous” and that “Rev. Koole’s explanation and use” of the statement “although difficult to reconcile with the common understanding, does not promote the erroneous sense of the words, and does not contradict Scripture, the Confessions, and the decisions of Synod 2018.”
3. Quotation 3: “Hence, I conclude, that sanctification and its effects, are by no means to be slighted, when we treat of assuring the soul as to its justification.” Classis judged that this statement “and Rev. Koole’s explanation and use of the statement, are not in conflict with Scripture, the Confessions, or the decisions of Synod 2018.”
Concluding Decisions
1. Classis sustained the appeal of one appellant to declare “that Grandville’s decision to charge Rev. Koole with the public sin of teaching false doctrine was made in error.”
2. Classis sustained the appeal of one appellant to “advise Grandville to publicly retract its decision to charge Rev. Koole with the public sin of teaching false doctrine.”
3. Classis did not sustain the appeal of one appellant that Rev. Koole’s apology in The Standard Bearer should be retracted on the ground that the apology Rev. Koole gave “harmonizes overall with the evaluation of the three statements of Witsius and Rev. Koole’s explanation of them” in the decisions of classis.
Grandville Consistory and two protestants who served as delegates to Classis East were not allowed to vote on the recommendations pertaining to this case.
Classis granted the request of a consistory to advise the consistory to increase censure on one of its members, who refuses to turn from sin, by announcing the name of the member to the congregation in accordance with Article 77 of the Church Order.
Classis approved the reimbursement of expenses for the meeting totaling $4,716.19.
Thank you to the congregation, kitchen committee, and custodians at Hope PRC for hosting two lengthy sessions of Classis East!
On May 15, 2024 at 8:00 am classis plans to meet at Byron Center Protestant Reformed Church.
A little after 10:30pm classis adjourned and the chairman, Rev. Smidstra, closed with prayer.
In Christ’s service,
Rev. C. Spronk, Stated Clerk