Gravamen: Resolving Difficulties, Not Denying Confessions

Written by Jason Ruis

Understanding Gravamen in the CRCNA

After last year's Synod, the topic of gravamen, especially confessional-difficulty gravamen (CDG), has been widely discussed in the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA). As the chair of the committee that examined this issue at Synod 2023, I've been asked to provide clarity on some of the recommendations coming out of our committee. 

A central point our committee emphasized was: A confessional-difficulty gravamen is not a settled disagreement or denial of the confessions. Rather, it is an expression of personal difficulty or need for clarification about a specific doctrine, with the intention of resolving that difficulty so that one can continue to wholeheartedly believe, promote, and defend all the doctrines contained in the confessions without reservation.

Episode 173: The Rationale Behind Committee 8's Gravamen Report (Todd Kuperus & Jason Ruis)

This understanding comes from some specific portions of the Covenant for Officebearers and our Church Order. 

Portion 1: Heartily Believing and Promoting Doctrines  

The Covenant for Officebearers states: "Grateful for these expressions of faith, we promise to be formed and governed by them. We heartily believe and will promote and defend their doctrines faithfully..." (Church Order Supplement, Article 5; emphasis added). It is clear that you cannot sign or abide by the Covenant if you do not heartily believe, nor have a desire to promote and defend, the doctrines contained in our confessions. Our understanding of CDG must take this portion of the Covenant for Officebearers into account and cannot undermine these principles.it in any way. 

Portion 2: Affirming Doctrines Without Reservation

The Church Order states: "The person signing the Covenant for Officebearers affirms without reservation all the doctrines contained in the standards of the church as being doctrines that are taught in the Word of God" (Church Order Supplement, Article 5.A.1; emphasis added). It is clear that you cannot sign or abide by the Covenant while having reservations about any of the doctrines contained in the confessions. Therefore, our understanding of CDG cannot mean that someone can continually hold reservations about any of the doctrines contained in the confessions. 

Portion 3: Submitting to the Church's Judgment and Authority

The Covenant for Officebearers states: "we promise to submit to the church's judgment and authority" (Church Order Supplement, Article 5). The Church Order also states: "However, no one is free to decide for oneself or for the church what is and what is not a doctrine confessed in the standards. In the event that such a question should arise, the decision of the assemblies of the church shall be sought and acquiesced in" (Church Order Supplement, Article 5). One cannot sign or continue to abide by the Covenant while refusing to submit to the church's judgment and authority on matters related to the confessions, especially when the church has already made a judgment on the matter.

This is specifically relevant to clear decisions Synod has made recently regarding Kinism, Penal Substitutionary Atonement, and regarding matters of Human Sexuality. Synod has made decisions and judgements on these matters and those signing the Covenant for Officebearers have agreed to acquiesce to those decisions. Therefore, a CDG cannot be a longstanding refusal to acquiesce to the decisions and judgements of the church. 

Portion 4: A Request for Clarification  

The Church Order defines a confessional-difficulty gravamen as "a gravamen in which a subscriber expresses personal difficulty with the confession but does not call for a revision of the confessions" (Church Order Supplement, Article 5; emphasis added). This is further described as "a personal request for information and/or clarification of the confession" (Church Order Supplement, Article 5.B.2; emphasis added). This definition needs to be understood in light of the Covenant for Officebearers and can in no way be understood to undermine the Covenant we have signed. There is a massive difference between a difficulty/request for information/clarification and a longstanding disagreement and denial of the doctrines contained in the confession. 

Conclusion

It’s because of the clarity in these portions of the Covenant for Officebearers and the Church Order that I want to re-emphasize the point that: A confessional-difficulty gravamen is not a settled disagreement or denial of the confessions. Rather, it is an expression of personal difficulty or need for clarification about a specific doctrine, with the intention of resolving that difficulty so that one can continue to wholeheartedly believe, promote, and defend all the doctrines contained in the confessions without reservation.

Looking Forward to Synod 2024

As we approach Synod 2024, it's crucial that we understand the gravity of the Covenant for Officebearers and the Church Order's guidance on gravaminaen. Signing and abiding by the Covenant requires heartily believing, promoting, and defending the doctrines in our confessions without reservation. It also means submitting to the church's judgment and authority on these matters. Any departure from these principles would violate the solemn vows made by officebearers and seriously undermine our commitment to upholding the integrity of our confessions.

Episode 173: The Rationale Behind Committee 8's Gravamen Report (Todd Kuperus & Jason Ruis)