Reformed Presbyterian Minutes of Synod 1997 - Rparchives.org

REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF NORTH AMERICA 139
America to draw up a declaration expressing our present relationship and a
statement of procedure expressing the regular working out of this
relationship."
They also "appointed Roy Blackwood and Robert McCracken (to) be Synod's
appointees to the above Committee and that Roy Blackwood serve as the convener
of the Committee."
At the 1991 Synod this Committee reported "real interest on the part of our
sister churches" and that "individuals from all three of the other countries have
said that there is a very great and practical need for more formal and official
communications among our churches." They closed their report by saying, "The
request of this Synod is now before them and they will be taking action on it at
their next meeting."
At the 1992 Synod, this Committee reported (Minutes pp 98, 99) that in
response to our request:
"The Synod of Ireland had appointed Knox Hyndman and Fred Leahy, the
Synod of Scotland appointed Sinclair Home and Barry Galbraith and the
Presbytery of Australia appointed Alastair McEwen and Lynsey Blakston to
this Committee".
Sometime in 1991 or 1992, Roy and Bob requested the two Australian
members of this Committee, since they had initiated the subject, to draw up a
proposed rough draft of the Declaration of Relationships. They responded
promptly.
And at the 1993 Synod (Minutes pp. 114, 115) this Committee reported that;
"when we received the proposed Declaration from our brethren in Australia,
we forwarded it to the Committees of the other two Synods and expect to
hear from them after their Synod meetings this summer."
We recommended that Synod review the proposed Declaration this year (1994)
with the end in view of adoptingit next year. (1995) The Declaration including all
editorial changes was printed in the Minutes, pages 164, 165.
At the 1994 Synod this Committee also received a request:
"to include the Trinity Christian Community Fellowship of Cyprus as the fifth
church".
We responded by saying, "We are happy to include the Cyprus Church and have
forwarded to Cyprus a copy of the attached statement." On May 24, 1995, we
received a copy of the Declaration of Relationships signed by Paul Burgess, Adam
Mastris and Ron Stegall, representing the "Trinity Christian Community Fellowship
of Cyprus".
In our report to Synod for 1995 (Minutes pp. 126,127) we titledit to the five
churches, pointed out that the Declaration asit appears now had been edited by
men in Scotland, Ireland and America, approved by those in Australia who had
proposed it originally, and is "just an informal Declaration of relationships, not a
Testimony which would need to be more carefully worded and perhaps even "sent