[This is the second Excommunication notice with the new tacit consent paragraph added (see also the notice of 5/14/06), as compared to previous notices in Oct. '05 without.]
From: Greg Barrow
To:[G.Price, L. Dohms, ______, _____]
Bcc:[List]
Sent: Saturday, May 20, 2006 5:37 PM
Subject: RPNA (General Meeting) Session Announcement
Subject: RPNA (General Meeting) Session Announcement
May 20, 2006
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
It is our sad but necessary ministerial duty to announce publicly to those under our oversight, that Mr. ____ ____, and Mrs. ___ _____ of _____, ______, ___, have, as of April 4th, 2006, formally written (by email) to the Session of the RPNA (General Meeting) and to many members on a public email list, informing us that they no longer desire to submit themselves to the Session of the RPNA (General Meeting), nor do they agree with some of our Terms of Communion. Consequently, they have voluntarily withdrawn themselves from the membership of the Reformed Presbytery in North America (General Meeting).
In that email of April 4, 2006, they charged the Session of the RPNA (General Meeting) with schism and said, “We will seek to be united with a larger body of the visible church which faithfully adheres to the Westminster Standards.” Additionally, in the same letter, they referred to our doctrine and practice against occasional hearing as a foundational error, and stated that we are binding the conscience of men by teaching that the Solemn League and Covenant continues to bind us in Canada and the United States. We would note that these charges, by implication, are not only made against the Session, but are also made against each and every member of the RPNA (General Meeting), who also hold our Terms of Communion to be agreeable to the Word of God.
____ and ____ _____’s voluntary withdrawal is, in our judgment, a sinful division and schism within the body of Christ (Romans 16:17), and without scriptural warrant. Their doctrinal errors are clearly and explicitly a violation of our Terms of Communion.
Sadly, for the purpose of informing those under our oversight, we declare that ____ and ____ _____’s membership status has now formally changed, and we publicly declare them to be placed upon our List of Deserters, and judicially declare that they are now in a position of being formally excommunicated from the Visible Church. We do so in hope, praying that God may by this action deliver them unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, THAT THE SPIRIT MAY BE SAVED IN THE DAY OF THE LORD JESUS (1 Corinthians 5:5). We take not this step because we hate Rick and Joyce, but because we love them and earnestly desire their repentance and reconciliation.
We remind the congregation that our duty toward ____ and ____ is to constantly and humbly pray for their reconciliation in the truth, and that each of us ought to be mindful and careful of our respective duties in regard to having familiar fellowship with those who are excommunicated from the Church. We would call to the attention of all who are under our inspection that to practice familiar fellowship with those who are excommunicated is likewise a sin that is censurable and contrary to the Word of God (1 Corinthians 5:11-13) and to our Terms of Communion (_The First Book of Discipline_, “The Seventh Head--Of Ecclesiastical Discipline”).
Finally, we would remind you that, as members of the RPNA (General Meeting), each time you become informed of, or witness, a judicial action enacted by this court, you have a scriptural duty either to consent to that judicial action (either expressly or tacitly) as that done faithfully by a lawful court of Christ, or to dissent from it (expressly and formally in writing) should you deem this action to be unfaithfully done. Please note, that your consent need not be formally expressed, as we take silence in this matter to be your tacit consent and approval of both the lawfulness of our court and the faithfulness of the judicial action being enacted. If you disagree with what we have done as a court, or for some reason believe that we are not lawfully constituted as a court of Christ, then it is your duty, according to Gods Word and your membership agreement, to immediately, formally, and honestly express your dissent, reasons and/or questions in writing to the Session [italics added].
For Christ's Crown and Covenant,
The Session of the RPNA (General Meeting)
Pastor Greg Price
Ruling Elder Lyndon Dohms
Ruling Elder Greg Barrow
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
It is our sad but necessary ministerial duty to announce publicly to those under our oversight, that Mr. ____ ____, and Mrs. ___ _____ of _____, ______, ___, have, as of April 4th, 2006, formally written (by email) to the Session of the RPNA (General Meeting) and to many members on a public email list, informing us that they no longer desire to submit themselves to the Session of the RPNA (General Meeting), nor do they agree with some of our Terms of Communion. Consequently, they have voluntarily withdrawn themselves from the membership of the Reformed Presbytery in North America (General Meeting).
In that email of April 4, 2006, they charged the Session of the RPNA (General Meeting) with schism and said, “We will seek to be united with a larger body of the visible church which faithfully adheres to the Westminster Standards.” Additionally, in the same letter, they referred to our doctrine and practice against occasional hearing as a foundational error, and stated that we are binding the conscience of men by teaching that the Solemn League and Covenant continues to bind us in Canada and the United States. We would note that these charges, by implication, are not only made against the Session, but are also made against each and every member of the RPNA (General Meeting), who also hold our Terms of Communion to be agreeable to the Word of God.
____ and ____ _____’s voluntary withdrawal is, in our judgment, a sinful division and schism within the body of Christ (Romans 16:17), and without scriptural warrant. Their doctrinal errors are clearly and explicitly a violation of our Terms of Communion.
Sadly, for the purpose of informing those under our oversight, we declare that ____ and ____ _____’s membership status has now formally changed, and we publicly declare them to be placed upon our List of Deserters, and judicially declare that they are now in a position of being formally excommunicated from the Visible Church. We do so in hope, praying that God may by this action deliver them unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, THAT THE SPIRIT MAY BE SAVED IN THE DAY OF THE LORD JESUS (1 Corinthians 5:5). We take not this step because we hate Rick and Joyce, but because we love them and earnestly desire their repentance and reconciliation.
We remind the congregation that our duty toward ____ and ____ is to constantly and humbly pray for their reconciliation in the truth, and that each of us ought to be mindful and careful of our respective duties in regard to having familiar fellowship with those who are excommunicated from the Church. We would call to the attention of all who are under our inspection that to practice familiar fellowship with those who are excommunicated is likewise a sin that is censurable and contrary to the Word of God (1 Corinthians 5:11-13) and to our Terms of Communion (_The First Book of Discipline_, “The Seventh Head--Of Ecclesiastical Discipline”).
Finally, we would remind you that, as members of the RPNA (General Meeting), each time you become informed of, or witness, a judicial action enacted by this court, you have a scriptural duty either to consent to that judicial action (either expressly or tacitly) as that done faithfully by a lawful court of Christ, or to dissent from it (expressly and formally in writing) should you deem this action to be unfaithfully done. Please note, that your consent need not be formally expressed, as we take silence in this matter to be your tacit consent and approval of both the lawfulness of our court and the faithfulness of the judicial action being enacted. If you disagree with what we have done as a court, or for some reason believe that we are not lawfully constituted as a court of Christ, then it is your duty, according to Gods Word and your membership agreement, to immediately, formally, and honestly express your dissent, reasons and/or questions in writing to the Session [italics added].
For Christ's Crown and Covenant,
The Session of the RPNA (General Meeting)
Pastor Greg Price
Ruling Elder Lyndon Dohms
Ruling Elder Greg Barrow
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