Since one of the primary goals of the Returning Church is to encourage the CRC to be a committed confessional church, it's important to know what the means. Historically, for the CRC, this has meant understanding the Three Forms of Unity (Heidelberg Catechism, Belgic Confession and Canons of Dort) and the Three Ecumenical Creeds (Apostles', Nicene and Athanasian) as faithful interpreting and reflecting the Scriptures and then standing upon this commitment.
Today, we seem to have many confessions/declarations/statements being made which pastors, churches and layfolk are beign asked to sign their names to in agreement. Most recently, the Manhattan Declaration has come out with good statements on the sanctity of human life, the fidelity of marriage and also religious liberty. There have been other such statements that have been floating around - certainly we know about the Belhar Confession in the CRC as of late. More liberal Reformed Churches have kicked around the Barmen Declaration (which isn't all that new). More conservative Reformed folks have signed their names to documents like the Cambridge Declaration, the Danvers Statement or the Chicago Statement. This just names a few.
Are these statements "confessional" in how we understand what it means to be a confessing church? Do they have a place in the life of the church? Do too many statements/confessions/declarations water down each other down - just become to much to digest? What do you think?
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