For the first time in its 163-year history, the Christian Reformed Church canceled its annual synod due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Council of Delegates met to deal with matters from the Agenda for Synod 2020 that couldn’t wait.
News
Stories from people, congregations and ministries of the CRCNA, reported by The Banner's news editor and a team of regular correspondents and Church Worldwide news from the Religion News Service. Send news tips to news@thebanner.org.
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In a short service of lament, the CRC’s Council of Delegates recognized the pain and hurt of racism and heard black pastors call for more than this moment of recognition.
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With a 28-15 vote the CRC’s Council of Delegates approved the Synod 2019-proposed change to the way money is collected for joint ministries.
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The Council of Delegates, acting on behalf of Synod 2020, approved the candidacy of 36 men and women to serve in the Christian Reformed Church, sending them off in a special Zoom presentation.
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Most CRC ministry leaders signed on to a statement about racism. Reginald Smith, director of diversity and former director of CRC Race Relations, declined to sign. The Council of Delegates debated whether to support the statement.
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At its special June meeting, the CRC’s Council of Delegates decided to continue its work in governance restructure, despite a protest from two Ontario congregations.
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The CRC’s Council of Delegates, acting on behalf of synod, has approved a training program prepared by the task force appointed by Synod 2019.
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The 25th anniversary of women’s ordination in the Christian Reformed Church will be recognized, though the proposal for 15 months of events was scaled back to the summer of 2021.
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A June 15 ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court makes employment discrimination against LGBTQ persons illegal in all 50 states. Religion News Service reports it has important implications for religious organizations.
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The first church in Munster, Ind., Munster Church celebrates 150 years of ministry this August.
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From replacing school nutrition programs to large-scale food pantry distribution, three Christian Reformed churches in three cities are using community partnerships to help fill gaps.
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The Grand Rapids Association of Pastors issued a statement and gathered pastors to show unity June 4. Christian Reformed clergy and seminary leaders are among those who signed the statement.
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Classis Georgetown, a regional group of Christian Reformed congregations in western Michigan, has developed a pilot program to provide support to spouses of pastors within the classis.
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Churches for Middle East Peace, a coalition that actively promotes a comprehensive resolution to conflicts in the Middle East, released a letter to Congress on June 2, “opposing unilateral annexation of the Occupied West Bank.”
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Denise Posie may be retiring as the Christian Reformed Church’s director of leadership development, a position that's come to focus on leadership diversity, but the 66-year-old is still curious about the work that might come next.
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Rev. Cecil Van Niejenhuis, co-director of the office of Pastor Church Resources since 2017, is retiring in June, the same month he turns 65.
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Two groups of Dordt University engineering students, 20 years apart, worked on designing a pediatric wheelchair for the development support agency Hope Haven.
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Bethel Christian Reformed Church, on Navajo land in New Mexico, has increased its food bank service four-fold and also coordinated a bulk food distribution, thanks in part from a grant from World Renew.
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On Monday three Christian Reformed pastors in three churches near Minneapolis, Minn., spoke to The Banner about ministering in their congregations and their city at this time.
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Welcome to The Banner’s guide to the Agenda for Synod 2020 and the Agenda for Synod Supplement 2020.
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Pastor Rog Kok, 82, died May 12 after 31 years of serving Christian Reformed congregations in the United States.
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Dick Los, known as a compassionate man with a pastoral heart, died May 13, in his 97th year.
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Holland Christian Homes’ Grace Manor in Brampton was one of five long-term care homes in the province of Ontario cited in a harsh report about conditions in the facilities. Having addressed the relatively minor citations at Grace Manor, the facility is not subject to the Ontario government appointment of temporary management as at the other four homes.
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From participating in the Lord’s Supper every week, to making the sharing of the sacrament less frequent, to holding off on the practice altogether until in-person fellowship resumes, a few British Columbia churches told The Banner of their pandemic-related adjustments in worship.