Article 163

Advisory Committee 2, Appeals and Protests II,
the Rev. C. Steenstra reporting, presents: (Report continued from Art 146)

I. Change of Date to Celebrate Ascension Day

A. Material: Overture 3.

B. Recommendation: That synod declare that it is uneccesary to grant the permission requested by Classis Chatham "to observe the annual commemoration of the ascension of Christ on the first or second Sunday prior to Pentecost instead of the designated 'Ascension Day' if, in the judgement of the consistory, the change of date would help the church in its celebration of the Lord's Ascension."

Ground: Such permission is implicit in the Church Order Article 51b, "Worship services shall be held in observance of ...Ascension Day..." and therefore the consistory has the right to exercise its judgement in extraordinary circumstances.

-Adopted

Overture 3 - Change of Date to Celebrate Ascension Day

Classis Chatham requests synod to permit the churches to observe the annual commemoration of the ascension of Christ on the first or second Sunday prior to Pentecost instead of on the designated "Ascension Day" if, in the judgement of the consistory, the change of date would help the church in its celebration of the Lord's ascension.

Grounds:

1. Christ's ascension to the throne is an event in the history of salvation, no less significant than the redemptive facts commemorated at Easter and Pentecost.
2. Ascension Day is not a statutory holiday. Therefore the fact of the ascension is not observed and celebrated by all our members in all of our congregrations.

Cordially yours, J. Wieringa, S.C.