Prepare for Synod with Me | General Advice from Roger Sparks

Introduction

I’m a first-time delegate to this year’s Synod for the Christian Reform Church, which is pretty overwhelming because we haven’t met for three years, the agenda is massive, and there are some pretty controversial and weighty topics on this year’s agenda. So, in order to make sure I’m ready and prepared for the gathering, I’m looking for advice from people who have more experience than I do and, since I know there are many other first-time delegates who are feeling the same way I am, I’m recording these conversations so you can prepare for Synod with me.

You can find the video recording of this interview here and you can find it in podcast form here.

It’s an Honor to Serve at Synod

Jason: Really, the first question I have for you, Roger, is: What general advice do you have for a first-time delegate to Synod?

Roger: Well, I’ve been to Synod 10 times. I’ll just say, in a general way, how to see what Synod is and, therefore, what your role in Synod is.

I did not grow up in the CRC. So, the first time I heard about a Reformed Synod was when I was studying the Canons of Dort—the Synod of Dort. I was like, “Wow! Synod!” This is a really big deal. After I was a pastor for a couple years, I was appointed by my classis to attend Synod and be part of it. That was a huge honor for me. It is. It is an honor to go to Synod. Keep that in mind. It’s a real honor to be delegated by your classis.

Now, I have to say that after I was at a Synod or two, my view of Synod went from “Wow!” to more like “Oh! Okay.” I say that not to be critical. Realize you’re one of a hundred and however many other delegates. Not everybody will see things exactly the way you do. Over the years I’ve been at Synods where there were some really important issues being discussed and it didn’t always go the way I thought it should. So, you can come away from it feeling disappointed.

An Opportunity for Networking and Encouragement

I think, at times, I had a bit of the “Elijah Syndrome”—where you think, “Well, I’m the only one left who sees things this way.” At Synod, there are opportunities to interact with other people and you can encourage each other. So, there’s a real camaraderie that can develop. That’s why it’s great that Synod will meet in person. Camaraderie on Zoom is not easy.

Jason: Yeah, it doesn’t happen.

Roger: Not so much

Be Realistic Going Into Synod

Go into Synod realistically. I mean, you’re not perfect, I’m not perfect, nobody comes in with perfect knowledge. You’re one person of a hundred and (however many it is these days). You’re going to be really excited when some votes go in a positive way. On the other hand, you might be disappointed or frustrated when votes go a different way. These things do happen.

Either way, it’s a privilege to be part of Synod, and especially this coming Synod. You’ve got a huge amount of material to work through after the two non-Synods. Then you have huge issues like the Human Sexuality Report, and all the overtures related to it. You have the forth-coming restructuring of the denomination. So, yeah, it might be a little overwhelming for delegates.

Jason: I think the deferred agenda is over 700 pages.

Roger: Yeah, that’s more than a normal Synod would deal with. On top of that, you have this year’s business to deal with. So, it’s a good idea to read through as much as you can.

Focus on Your Advisory Committee

When you get your Advisory Committee assignments, make sure you focus on that. Like I said, you’re part of a huge gathering. When you’re in plenary sessions, there’s actually a rule for Synodical Procedure that says speakers are limited to three minutes. If you’ve spoken twice and there’s someone else in line, you don’t get a third turn. Your impact in the big meeting is limited.

So, make sure you’re ready to be engaged during your advisory committee meeting. You might have a few restrictions there, but it’s a much smaller group—maybe 20 versus 160. In your Advisory Committee, you really have the opportunity to represent your classis and it’s convictions well.

Read, Read, Read

Jason: Do you have advice for first-time delegates about how to best feel prepared coming into Synod, especially on a year like this where it seems so overwhelming?

Roger: Yeah, I’ve never actually been to a Synod quite like this. Some years, the agenda’s half an inch thick and some years it’s an inch thick. Once in a while, you have a Synod where a number of study committee reports come at the same time. That can be quite demanding.

I would say: read, read, read. Focus on your Advisory Committees. Especially if your classis has been wrestling with some issues, and you know you’re going to represent them and their concerns, make sure you focus on those things.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions

Don’t be afraid to ask questions of others—even before you get there. You can say, “I’ve been reading this and I don’t quite understand it. What do you think this means?”

Don’t be afraid to ask questions when you’re there. Make sure you’re ready to ask if you don’t understand a particular motion. Say, “Could the chairman of the Advisory Committee repeat the motion?” You want to know what you’re saying and doing when you vote. You don’t just want to vote because you’re supposed to vote.

Jason: Yeah, especially this year. This is not a year to rubber stamp votes. We need to have real clarity on what’s happening.

Roger: That’s true, yeah.

Jason: I know I’m the newbie, and I’m not here to give advice, but I plan to meet with Roger and a number of other guys from my classis—who are real veterans at Synod. I want to sit down with them and get advice from them.

I’d encourage anybody watching this to find a few guys from your classis, take them out for coffee, and get some advice from them. Get tips about how to prepare and how to be most productive and effective at the Synodical meetings.

Trust Christ’s Guidance for the Church

Roger: It’s an honor to serve, but it’s going to be a challenge—especially this year. Know that people will be praying for you. We trust that Christ—who is greater than all things—will help you as you do your part to provide guidance for his church and our denomination. He will help you as we seek to hold fast to the truth, reach out in Jesus’ name, but not be swept here and there by winds of doctrine.

It’s a challenging time. We might think it’s unique to us, but the church has faced situations like this across the centuries.

Jason: It’s been the history of the church from the beginning. There’s the pull to be swept away with culture. There’s the tension of speaking strongly to an issue and it “hurting” people or being offensive to culture. The church was wrestling with this at the Synod of Dort and way before that.

Roger: I’ll go back a little further in church history, and talk about Athanasius. It was said, “Athanasius, contra mundum”—against the world. The church and the emperors banded together in a way that was leading the church away from the full-fledged understanding of God as Trinity and Christ as the Son of God. He stood his ground. It was him against the world—maybe it was almost an “Elijah” situation, but not really. He stood his ground and Praise God we have the Athanasian Creed that reflects his stalwart biblical convictions.

We are Servants of Christ, not Synod

Jason: I think it was John Knox who said, “One man with God is always the majority.”

Roger: There you go. That’s good.

Jason: That’s a helpful reminder. Even if you feel like all of Synod, and all of your Advisory Committee, are going against you, we need to stand with God. That’s where you should be. It may not feel good in that moment, but in the long run, that’s where we need to be.

Roger: And we are servants of Christ. Ultimately, we’re not servants of Synod; we’re not servants of our classis; we are servants of Christ. We will answer to him on judgement day, not Synod 2022 or 2023. So let’s keep that focus and I think we’ll do well going forward.