[Bulletins] CER warning as to a scam and also info re impending synods overseas

[Geoff van Schie]

Good day everyone,

 

Trust you all have had a blessed day of worship yesterday and the Lord is
bountifully blessings your churches and their ministries.

 

This email covers two matters:

 

1)      I am about to head off overseas on behalf of the CRCA as your
ecumenical secretary.
On Aug 26th I depart for Wales to attend the meeting of International
Conference of Reformed Churches, where as per synodical decision, our
application for membership is on the agenda.
This meeting is from Wed 28th Aug till  Wed Sept 4th.

Rather than return home and a few weeks later fly out to Sth Africa for the
synod of the HK church, I will take a couple of weeks leave and join my good
friend and colleague, Johann le Roux for a 4WD and photographic safari (my
own expense of course).
When that is completed I will return to Pretoria for the synod of the HK
church.
This will save money for the CRCA as it will be done on the way home from
Wales rather than a separate trip later.



The synod of the Hervormde Kerk in Sth Africa is to be held in Pretoria from
Mon 23rd September till Friday 27th September.
This will be the first scheduled synod after the decision to reject the
former position held by that church re their Scriptural justification for
Apartheid.
In between this and the previous scheduled synod there has been a special
synod in 2011 which heard many appeals against that decision, all of which
were rejected.
In the past 2 years I have been informed some 20 churches have separated
from the HK and they are now in the sad situation of being caught up in
legal cases as to ownership of property.
This will be a tough synod I am sure and I encourage you all to pray for our
brothers and sisters as they meet there.



*	Apparently there is a scam underway with at least one of our
churches being approached for funds to assist an alleged member of an
international council of churches.

Under no circumstances should individual churches enter into such
arrangements as these matters if genuine, would come to your CER, not
individual churches.

Below I have copied some helpful info David Groenenboom has sent to one of
our churches as to advice re this matter

The email address originates from a generic domain, yahoo.com
<http://yahoo.com/>  and not an official wcrc.ch <http://wcrc.ch/>  domain


*	You would know if someone from the WCRC was heading to Sth Gippsland
*	Jack de Vries is not in New Zealand, nor has he been recently. He is
on leave in Canada, returning next week
*	It is odd that if you are reimbursing Diaz the money should be send
to the Philippines - he's probably based in Geneva or in Columbia
*	It is not normal to travel from Geneva or Columbia to Australia via
the Philippines
*	WCRC would have more than enough funds to reimburse Diaz if he was
in trouble. Being an employee of the WCRC, he would probably have enough
funds himself...
*	Even if all this checked out, you would expect representation to be
made through our normal ecumenical channels, and not through Sth Gippsland
*	The CRCA is not and has never been a member of the WCRC
*	Most of the information about persons involved can be gleaned from
looking at a few websites
*	Never send money in response to an email from someone whom you do
not know

2)       

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