The General Assembly approve and adopt the following statement regarding Inter-Church
Relations:
FRATERNAL RELATIONS BETWEEN CHURCHES
There should be one simple rule to the following effect. Fraternal Relations should exist between Churches that openly and practically profess the true faith of Christ as summarised in one or more of the classical Reformed symbols – ie the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgian Confession, the Canons of the Synod of Dort.
Certain duties and courtesies devolve upon Churches sustaining fraternal relations.
1. There should be a spirit of cordial love and trust as becomes brothers in the faith.
2. There should be an attitude of mutual helpfulness. Each should be willing to share problems and difficulties with the others. By the same token each should be allowed to exhort to more exact obedience any who appeared to relax faithfulness to their avowed confession. This should not invite to inquisitorial interference but to strengthening one another in love for Christ.
3. There should be willingness to accept certificates of communicant membership, normally without personal examination.
4. There should be in the highest courts of the Churches a cordial welcome to visiting delegates from other Churches recognised as in fraternal relationship. This need not amount to according membership in the court to the visiting delegate.
5. There should be willingness to allow ministers of one Church access to the pulpits of fraternal Churches as a matter of courtesy.
6. Churches should exchange copies of the Acts and Proceedings of their highest courts or at least inform one another of major decisions.