Toronto Committee for Women in the CRC Collection, 1974-1996 | Heritage Hall, Hekman Library

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Collection Overview

Title: Toronto Committee for Women in the CRC Collection, 1974-1996

ID: COLL/449

Extent: 3.0 Boxes

Arrangement: Folder level description

Abstract

Details the efforts of one local committee under the umbrella of the larger Committee for Women in the Christian Reformed Church in North America, that worked to have all members of the denomination, regardless of gender, be able to make full use of their talents in serving the church, and specifically the CRC denomination. The Committee was not an official agency of the denomination, but was made up of people concerned about gender equality. The collection details various educational efforts, such as newsletters, correspondence, and informational sources used by the committee.

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The Committee for Women in the Christian Reformed Church was formally organized following synod’s 1975 decision to not open church offices to women. Regional committees, such as the Toronto Committee, sprang up around North America, to bolster local support for the women’s movement. As a grass-roots effort, the committee conducted correspondence, gathered information, published articles, sponsored workshops, and the like. In short, the committee served as a clearinghouse for views of the place of women in the denomination from 1975 to 1996 when that year’s synod left it to local congregations to decide on opening church offices to women. Later, although no official record was found to confirm this, it seems that the Toronto Committee disbanded. At this time, Johanna Peetoom sent one large box full of records to Joan Flikkema (Grand Rapids, MI), chair of the larger committee, who in turn gave the box of records to Heritage Hall, the Archives, at Calvin College.

The following summary of the Women’s Committee purpose is provided from the minutes of the early meetings: “The goal of the Christian Women’s Committee is the full and equal participation of both women and men in the life of the church . . . [it] intends to work for the full expression of the gifts of women in the church by supporting, encouraging, and training women to become aware of and to use their abilities in building up the body of Christ. It is our belief that the ordination of women to ecclesiastical offices is the Spirit-directed outcome of the teachings of Scripture. . . . The CRC is suffering from sexism.”—Joan Flikkema.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Full-length Articles, 1863-1990],
[Series 2: Unpublished Papers, 1982-1987],
[Series 3: Correspondence, 1982-1986],
[Series 4: Minutes and Reports, 1984-1990],
[Series 5: Bible Studies and Discussion Guides],
[Series 6: Newsletters, 1983-1994],
[Series 7: Newspaper Clippings, 1982-1993],
[All]

Series 1: Full-length Articles --- 1863-1990

Box 1

Folder 1: "The Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense: Special Chapter for Women," by Suzette Elin

Item 1
Item 2: "Cinderella Syndrome," by Cathy Allen, in Church Herald , p.7-9 --- February 17, 1984
Item 3: "Women in Office: A Chronological Review of Synod Action, 1963-1984, 1990"
Item 4: "New Testament Teaching on the Role Relationship of Male and Female," by George W. Knight III, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 11 pages --- Spring 1975
Item 5
Item 6: "Pandemonium and Silence at Corinth," by Richard and Catherine Kroeger. Reformed Journal, p. 6-14 --- June 1978
Item 7: "Sexual Identity in Corinth," by Richard Kroeger, Reformed
Item 8: Journal, p. 11-15 --- Dec-78
Item 9: "Ancient Heresies and a Strange Greek Verb," by Catherine
Item 10: Kroeger, Reformed Journal, p.12-15 --- March 1979
Item 11: "May Women Teach?" by Richard and Catherine Kroeger, Reformed Journal, p.14-18 --- October 1980
Item 12: "Woman Shall Be Saved: A Closer Look at I Timothy 2:15," by Mark Roberts, Reformed Journal, p.18-22 --- April 1983
Item 13: "History and Issues in the Treatment of Battering Men," by Jerry Jennings, Journal of Family Violence, Vol.2, no.3 --- 1987
Item 14: "Job Stress in Shelters," by Laura McKenna, Response, vol.9, p.21-24 --- 1986
Item 15
Item 16: "A 20th Century Witch Hunt: A Feminist critique of Grange Royal Commission into Deaths at the Hospital for Sick Children," by E. Buckley Day, from Studies in Political Economy, p.13-37 --- Autumn 1987
Item 17: "The Future of a Distinctive Dutch/American Theology in the Reformed Church of America and the Christian Reformed Church" by John Hesselink, Jr. p. 273-296
Item 18: "Therapy for the Masses," by William Kilpatrick, in Christianity Today --- Nov. 8, 1985
Item 19: "Authority and Ordination": (source not identified)
Item 20: "Should Women Hold Offices in the Church?" by Tom Stark, University Reformed Church, E. Lansing, MI
Item 21: "The Power of Anger in the Work of Love: Christian Ethics for Women and Other Strangers," by Beverly Harrison, in Union Seminary Quarterly Review, Supplement, p. 41-57 --- 1981