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Clarification on the letter of intent

Dear friends,

The Lord be with you. We write to clarify what we believe to be a common misunderstanding of part of the Vision 2020 Team report which was made public in June 2020.

It has come to our attention that classis and regional synod leaders are beginning to receive letters of intent from congregations signaling that they may or may not choose to withdraw from the RCA at some point in the future. These letters are attempting to take advantage of recommendation 3, paragraph 2.4 of the Vision 2020 Team’s report, allowing congregations to leave under conditions of “mutually generous” (or grace-filled) exit. However, most of the letters that have been received to date do not actually meet the criteria for the letter of intent as outlined in the Vision 2020 report.

The confusion seems to center around the purpose of the Vision 2020’s letter of intent versus the formal application for leave to withdraw which is the current Book of Church Order (BCO) process. We realize that our report created confusion about the letter and also that there is some legitimate complexity as to how a withdrawal would take place under current circumstances, so we are writing both to (1) clarify what the Vision 2020 Team intended by the letter of intent, and (2) outline the options available to churches in various positions.

The Vision 2020 Team’s purpose for the letter of intent

When the Vision 2020 Team envisioned a mutually generous exit, we realized not only that it would take some time to implement the changes to support it, but also, that in the meantime there might be churches that would like to leave immediately, before the BCO changes are made. In our minds, whether it is now or later, it would be ideal if at the point when a church leaves the denomination, several things would take place including: (1) they would be released and allowed to take their property and assets with them, and (2) the clock would start ticking on their final years of assessments, which they would continue to pay for two years after leaving.

We do believe most classes will be generous with the churches within their bounds that wish to leave, even before BCO changes are made. However, there may be rare cases in which churches would like to leave immediately, but their classis will not release them generously. In that case, the church might need to wait several years before leaving in order to be released generously—with their property and assets. We felt for those churches that would be impacted by the years it will take to implement the rules around generosity. These are the churches for which the letter of intent was intended.

If it is the case that a church wishes to leave the denomination now, in the period between the Vision 2020 report being published and the point when related BCO changes are made, it should act now to follow the provisions for withdrawing that are outlined in the Book of Church Order (1.II.10.4, [2019 edition p. 41ff]). If the classis denies the church’s petition to withdraw, or if it approves the petition to withdraw but does not release the church’s assets, at that point the church would file a letter of intent. This letter should state that they tried to leave but could not do so favorably (citing their communication with the classis), and should further state the date of their intended leaving (presumably the same date that they filed a petition to leave with the classis). The church will then need to wait for the BCO changes to be voted on at General Synod in June 2021 and ratified/implemented (likely in 2022) so that they can receive a generous exit. If this course of action is followed and the BCO changes are approved, the church should be able to leave the RCA in 2022 with the benefit of the first part of our provision for them (receiving their property and assets), and the second part of our provision for them would be applied retroactively to the time that they said they wanted to leave. Instead of the clock beginning to tick on their final two years of assessments at the point that they actually leave the denomination, the clock would start ticking at the point that they said in writing that they wanted to leave.

To summarize: the letter of intent is meant for those rare cases in which congregations would like to leave the denomination now, before the Vision 2020 report is voted on and subsequent BCO changes have been made, but their classis is not allowing them to leave generously (i.e. choosing not to release the church graciously along with their property and assets).

The letter of intent is not for churches that are undecided and are waiting to see the outcomes of General Synod. It is not for churches that wish to leave immediately and whose classes will allow them to leave generously. The letter of intent is for those rare cases where a congregation is not able to leave generously now, to help them receive generosity later.

Which category is your church in?

  1. If a church wishes to leave now, and their classis will generously release them
    • That means that if a congregation wishes to leave now (prior to full implementation of the “mutually-generous exit” BCO changes), and their classis chooses to release them generously (i.e. will release to them their property and assets), the Vision 2020 letter of intent is not for them. This congregation should go ahead and signify their intent to leave immediately by submitting an application for leave to withdraw in the manner currently provided by the BCO (BCO 1.II.10,4.). Let us reiterate: congregations that would like to leave now, before the Vision 2020 recommendations are voted on and BCO changes have been made – and whose classes will treat them generously – should use the current application for leave to withdraw.
  2. If a church wishes to leave now, but their classis will not generously release them
    • The letter of intent suggestion is for your congregation if the congregation wishes to leave now (prior to full implementation of the “mutually-generous exit” BCO changes), and your classis does not choose to release the church generously (i.e. will not release to the church its property and assets, or in any other way hinders the congregation from leaving). If your congregation feels forced to wait several years to withdraw, until after BCO changes are fully implemented, then the letter of intent is for you. Thus, the letter of intent is meant to help churches in this rare situation by applying generosity retroactively to the date of their expressed desire to leave. To reiterate: congregations that would like to leave now, before the Vision 2020 recommendations are voted on and BCO changes have been made – and whose classes will not treat them generously – should signify their intent to leave using the letter of intent.

We hope that this communication helps to clarify a complex situation. We realize there are strong opinions and feelings about these suggestions on all sides, and also that none of us knows the final outcomes of General Synod 2021. We pray that you would join us in our desire to benefit all parties and treat one another with Christian love and generosity, while working within the bounds of our polity. We are doing our best, and continue to offer it to you with our prayers.

Grace and peace to you in Jesus,
The Vision 2020 Team