On February 26, 2023, Rev. Duane Kelderman spoke at Neland Avenue Christian Reformed Church to explain how he came to affirm same-sex marriage in light of his reading of scripture. Click the image on the right to view this video and the Q&A session that followed.
The manuscript for the presentation is available below.
We are humbled and excited to present this series of videos that raise serious challenges to the synodical Human Sexuality Report (or HSR) that will be debated in 2022 by the synodical delegates of the CRCNA before voting to accept or reject the report in part or in whole. Many highly qualified men and women have accepted our invitation to create brief videos that focus on just one aspect of the HSR which they believe to be inaccurate, harmful, or misleading. Our goal with this video project is to stimulate prayerful thought and discussion on this extremely important topic that affects thousands of same-sex attracted and gender dysphoric Christians and their families in the CRC. We hope that groups within our churches will watch these videos and read the HSR as starting points for meaningful deliberation on a deeper understanding of God’s will for how to respond to his children, created in his image as same-sex attracted and non-binary.
The current report does not serve the church … it is clear that the report did not fulfill its assignment … notice the words 'to serve the church with pastoral, ecclesial, and missional guidance' … clearly the report does not provide pastoral advice and pastoral advice is exactly what is needed in today’s contemporary society as our churches seek to be missionally faithful. -Dr. Steve Timmermans
The whole "love the sinner, hate the sin" ideology just doesn't work. It doesn't work to say, listen we were wrong about conversion therapy, we were wrong about looking the other way when gays got beaten or even killed, we still look the other way when organizations we support do things like that in other places like Uganda, we're sorry for all the teenagers and confused kids who were bullied, or worse felt so isolated that they hung themselves in their bedrooms. But, if our denomination made room for multiple views on sexuality, well that would be far worse of course. - Rev. Rich Braaksma
An overview of the objections an rebuttals presented in many of the other videos in this series.
Is the Bible a rule book, as the HSR seems to view it, or a book that reveals who God is?
Exploring some of the passages where the HSR’s study committee misuses specific Scriptures.
Does a traditional interpretation of Romans 1 stand up to Reformed Hermeneutics and God’s character?
Is the interpretation of a Biblical passage “clear” when other highly educated, reformed voices interpret it differently?
In considering Romans 1, might the writers of the Human Sexuality Report be acting over-scrupulously?
The HSR’s misleading understanding of the creation order as a fixed set of laws based on the physical characteristics of the creation.
…nevertheless… God grants and credits to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ.
The report currently lacks appropriate engagement with existing scientific literature regarding gender identity and gender dysphoria. And in it's place, it presents biased, discredited, and cherry picked articles and blog posts seemingly selected to support a predetermined conclusion. - Dr. Emily Helder
On Synod’s disregard of the anthropological and biological scientific discoveries regarding sexuality in the last 48 years.
The HSR misuses research on gender dysphoria having used a study that has been withdrawn due to methodological flaws.
Highlighting the fallacy of the HSR attributing intersex and transgender to be a result of the fall rather than creational diversity.
A case arguing intersex is a creational variant and not a defect resulting from the fall.
I want to focus on one sentence of the Human Sexuality Report, "God who made all people in his image, makes it quite clear that he hates violence, especially when violence is done to the vulnerable (Pornography: Scripture: Violence, p. 46)" ... The report's authors acknowledge that powerful, negative messages about a group of people cause psychological and physical violence. God hates this violence that is done to the vulnerable. Now, when the report discusses lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people, you would expect it to apply the same understanding, but in fact we see the opposite. - Julia Smith
Having testified to the committee, hear this story of deep disappointment and hurt as the HSR denies the value of a transitioned life.
What I am speaking to you … about is something we shouldn’t need to be concerned with, being mislead by a Synodical Study Committee Report … but that’s where we are with this report.” - Dr. Jim Payton
Exploring the HSR’s claim that same-sex intimate relations already violate the confessional status/teachings of the church.
Here’s the issue with the HSR’s selective appeal to what Ursinus meant by the use of the term “unchastity”in the Heidelberg Catechism.
Contrary to the claim of the HSR, LGBTQ+ concerns and inclusion is far from a “settled” issue in the RCA.
Lamenting Synod’s “dishonorable” power move of stacking the committee with only those who agree with the 1973 synodical report.
The HSR’s list of sexual sins that threatens the security of our salvation neglects central tenets of the Reformed faith.
Understanding the HSR as “a resurgence of wall building instead of seeking to be people making disciples of all nations.”
The HSR disregards God’s boundless love and disrespects reformed theologians who hold a different interpretation of Scripture.
Did you know that our synod has received 31 overtures already in response to the Human Sexuality report? In this article from the Christian Courier, Rev. Verhoef saves us from reading them all. He expertly summarizes for us their “five major concerns.”
Rev. Libolt offers six blog posts which provide a superbly insightful and knowledgeable review of our synod’s HSR. In Rev. Libolt’s own words, “In these posts, I’m not focused on what the study committee decided but how they decided it, how, in short, they use the Bible.”
Dr. Wolterstorff addresses the serious flaws he identifies within the report.
Materials listed are presented to to facilitate debate and dialogue. Linking to documents does not indicate approval or agreement with all documents by the leadership or office-bearers of the Christian Reformed Church, Calvin Theological Seminary, or Calvin University.
This expert study from a committee appointed by Classis Grand Rapids East answers the question many ask, “Why and How can some Christians support same-sex marriage?”
