October 18t", 2006 (ed note: Received November 13)

Dear br. VanLaar,

We are writing to address you in regard to two matters: 1)The "calltoreform.com" website and 2)the letter you submitted to the consistory on September 21St, 2006.

On several occasions, elders of the church have discussed with you the content of your website. We were especially concerned that your website included a letter from the Hofford family of Sumas, WA, in which they characterize the American Reformed Church of Lynden as a false church and call its members to secede. Our concern was that by posting this material you seemed to be supporting the opinions and actions of the Hoffords. It was for this reason brs. Siebenga and Levenhorst visited you under instruction from the consistory meeting of August 24"' with a number of questions to ask you. The first question that was asked of you was this: "Do you agree with the judgment of Barry Hofford that the American Reformed Church of Lynden is a false church and that people should separate themselves from this church?"

At the August 31St meeting, you led the visiting elders to believe that the grounds for your support and endorsement for Mr. Hofford was based on the lack of pastoral care for Mr. Hofford by the American Reformed Church of Lynden and on the fact that the American Reformed Church admitted to the Lord's Supper someone who in your personal judgment should not have been at the table. It seemed to you that the American Reformed Church was measuring with two different measuring rods when it came to disciplinary actions. It was these reasons that br. Siebenga noted and reported to consistory. The two brothers who visited you were of the understanding that you were going to apprise the Abbotsford Canadian Reformed Church of these reasons in a formal letter.

However, the letter received on September 21St, did not explain the issues as you presented them in the visit of August 31St, 2006. Instead, br. VanLaar, you now voice your approval of the actions of Mr. Hofford on grounds that are very different than those mentioned at the visit of August 3 I st. Br. VanLaar, we are assuming that the letter received on September 21St reflects your real and genuine views of the actions of the Hoffords and that the information you gave brs. Siebenga and Leyenhorst, though it was your true opinion, was only one part of what is for you the real issue.

In your letter, you are asking the consistory to do two things: i)to recognize the legitimacy of the "secession" that has occurred in Lynden and ii)to immediately rescind our approval and implementation of all synodical decisions to establish ecclesiastical fellowship with the URC, the RCUS, the FCS, the OPC and the PCK.

In regard to the first request, we respond by saying that we do not recognize the legitimacy of the "secession" of the Hoffords from the American Reformed Church in Lynden. On the contrary, we regard it as an unlawful and schismatic action. Apart from the fact that we do not agree with the position of the Hoffords in regard to the issue of ecclesiastical fellowship, we also deplore the fact that they did not follow the agreed upon process of appeal as set out in the Church Order (Article 31) but have instead broken with the church.

In regard to your second request, we respond by saying that we will not rescind our approval and implementation of ecclesiastical fellowship with the above mentioned churches. Most of the concerns raised in the documents you supplied center on the issue of admitting guests to the Lord's Supper. We would like to remind you that the confessional standard of the churches in regard to Table admission is set forth in Lord's Day 30 of the Heidelberg Catechism. The documents you supplied do not prove that the above mentioned sister churches have violated this confessional standard. There is no proof in your documents that any of our synodically-recognized sister churches are admitting to the Table of the Lord persons who are known to be ungodly or unbelieving.

Brother Van Laar, by publicly supporting the schism of the Hoffords, both in your letter to us and by means of your website, you have in essence broken fellowship with the Canadian Reformed church of which you are a member and with the other churches of the federation to which it belongs. You regard as a false church one which we consider to be a faithful congregation of Christ. You endorse separation from this church while we believe that God's people in the Lynden area are called to remain united to this church. You endorse schism whereas Christ calls us to make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Br. VanLaar, we can only conclude that your point of view reflected in the "calltoreform" website and in your letter to us reveals a pattern of thinking and conduct that is contrary to the commands of the Lord. In the fifth commandment, the Lord calls us "to show all honour, love and faithfulness ... to those in authority over us" and to submit with "due obedience to their good instruction and discipline" since "it is God's will to govern us by their hand" (see Lord's Day 39, Heidelberg Catechism). By supporting the actions of the Hoffords, you are with them repudiating those lawfully called to govern the American Reformed Church at Lynden. This makes you, like the Hoffords, guilty of public sin against the fifth commandment.

Br. VanLaar, in view of the above, the consistory urges you to no longer support the unlawful separation of the Hoffords. We call you to modify your website so that it takes away any implicit or explicit endorsement of the Hofford's call to separation. We pray that you would repent of your divisive ways and that you would return to full communion with your fellow believers in the Abbotsford Canadian Reformed congregation and with their sister churches throughout the world. If you continue on your present path, the consistory will have no choice but to withhold you from the Table of the Lord. We look for your response to this letter within one week of receiving it.

Yours in Christ,

R. Schouten

J. Dykstra