Twenty-seven years after the Christian Reformed Church recognized two biblical positions on women in church office, synod still experiences some tension.

Co-directors of World Renew shared the origin story of relief and development in the Christian Reformed Church to recognize the agency’s 60th anniversary

Two or three times each year, Christian Reformed churches send representatives to their classis, a regional group of churches. Here is the report of classis meetings of the past several months.

Synod 2022 closed its discussion of the 2020 human sexuality report to outside viewers, with the goal to limit distractions and undue influence.

“Hopeful, promising, and at a crossroads” is how executive director Colin Watson Sr. sees the state of the Christian Reformed Church in North America.

With a video and a presentation of some denominational history by women’s leadership developer Elaine May, Synod 2022 marked 25 years (plus 2) of women’s ordination.

Speaking to delegates of the Christian Reformed Church’s general assembly, Andy de Ruyter, chair of the Council of Delegates, recapped the interim committee’s past two years of actions.

Colin Watson Sr., serving as the Christian Reformed Church’s executive director since February 2020, and John Bolt, deputy executive director and chief financial officer, are leaving their jobs July 1, having already delayed retirement for over a year.

Two ecumenical guests from denominations in communion with the Christian Reformed Church and two guests from ecumenical groups greeted Synod 2022.

In an extremely rare move, delegate Dominic Palacios was judged to have violated the rules of decorum during discussions about the human sexuality report.

Church of the Servant, a Christian Reformed congregation celebrating 50 years in 2023, will be host church for the next synod.

Mary Ann Stronk, breakfast and lunch check-in person at the main dining hall where Synod 2022 is meeting, says “My goal is to make people’s day better.”

Leo Jonker, an elder delegate from Classis Quinte, is at his second synod of the Christian Reformed Church.

Jose Rayas is the first Hispanic pastor to be elected president of the synod of the Christian Reformed Church, and Harold Caicedo noted other “historic” moments at the general assembly.

A pastor and servant-leader, Fred VanderBerg was kind, thoughtful and gentle with a unique sense of humor. He died May 3, at age 69.

Compassionate and caring, with an insatiable love for learning, pastor and chaplain Jim Molenbeek died April 20. He was 73.

A pastor and chaplain compelled by Christ’s call to reach out to “the least of these,” John de Vries died April 11, age 77.

With a church-planting ministry in Japan, Mike De Berdt worked more than anything to point others to Jesus. He died May 14, at age 91.

Hyung Jun Kim, Darlene Silversmith, and John Sideco are serving as ethnic advisers at Synod 2022.

LGBTQ allies, dressed in all black, gathered to lament the decisions made at synod.

Hope Zigterman, a young adult representative to the Christian Reformed Church’s synod, is happy to have her mom, Bonnie, also in Grand Rapids, Mich., as an elder delegate.

The general assembly of the CRC put in place a committee to see that the Grand Rapids, Mich., congregation complies with synod’s rulings on same-sex marriage.

Choosing not to appoint a committee to help define what is meant in Church Order Article 28-a, “ecclesiastical matters” are left up to interpretation in the Christian Reformed Church.

Seven lawyers are at Synod 2022, the general assembly of the Christian Reformed Church, and using their experience to offer insight.

At the close of the Christian Reformed Church’s general assembly, officers Aaron Vriesman, Jose Rayas, Derek Buikema, and Luann Sankey shared brief thoughts.

Executive director Colin Watson Sr. presented plaques for three churches celebrating 150 years, and synod did a lot of other things as it met June 10-16, 2022.

After ruling that seven minutes of the official recording of the June 16 morning session of Synod 2022 should be excised from the public version of that recording, officers of Synod 2022 reversed that decision. The unedited video was posted June 21.

For many years, holding two services on Sunday was a mark of the Christian Reformed Church. A change to Church Order has ended that era.

With little discussion, the Christian Reformed Church’s general assembly adopted a new structure, appointing a general secretary for the binational church and recognizing top executives in Canada and the U.S.

Delegates at Synod 2022 questioned Zachary King and learned more about his views before appointing him to be the general secretary of the Christian Reformed Church.

New professor Wilson de Angelo Cunha said he loves the Old Testament because it “addresses life gone wrong. … The God who defeated chaos once can defeat it again.”

Some delegates had concerns about changes to Biblical language and preaching training requirements; but synod accepted modifications that reflect a vocational model of training.

Synod delegates walked from their session to dinner through a group of more than 100 people waving rainbow flags and singing.

Identical twins Dale and Dwayne Nienhuis get to experience a day at synod together.

The Christian Reformed Church’s Synod 2022 addressed three matters connected to the CRC’s relationship with the Reformed Church in America.

Synod 2022 acted to help Christian Reformed churches respond to abuse allegations more effectively.

Delegates to Synod 2022 voted 74% in favor of upholding the Christian Reformed Church’s traditional stance regarding homosexuality and same-sex relationships. It still has to decide whether to give the decision confessional status.

Gathering in the Calvin University chapel, participants of the Christian Reformed Church’s synod heard the Word of God from pastor Dirk vanEyk and celebrated the Lord’s Supper.

For the first time in three years, the CRC’s synod was finally able to meet face to face, but debates and votes on issues around human sexuality show a deeply divided denomination.

Synod delegates worked through a series of proposals as a response to Classis Greater Los Angeles’ overture to “oppose white supremacy and systemic racism.”

The oldest and youngest delegates at Synod 2022 are from the same classis and sat beside each other the whole week.

Seeing the confessions held by the Christian Reformed Church as clear on the teaching of the cross, Synod 2022 determined denying it is “a serious deviation” in doctrine.

Synod 2022 prefaced its discussion of human sexuality with prayers of lament and grief.

Synod 2022 received 23 candidates for ministry in the Christian Reformed Church, greeting and praying for 11 of them in person.

“The word unchastity in our confessions has to have meaning,” said one delegate to Synod 2022. The assembly of the Christian Reformed Church affirmed its meaning includes “adultery, premarital sex, extra-marital sex, polyamory, pornography, and homosexual sex.”

“It’s overwhelming, but I also feel like it’s an honor to be here,” said Marilyn Stulen, a deacon from Classis Lake Superior.

Future Christian Reformed Church synods might allow classes to delegate four representatives without specifically filling all three offices of the church.

Pastor Rebecca Jordan Heys offered a prayer for the transition of presidents for Calvin University as Michael Le Roy retires.

The Banner received the Award of Excellence for denominational (digital) publication from the Evangelical Press Association and an honorable mention for meeting coverage from the Associated Church Press.

Debra Chee and Evelyn Bennally are the first two women to be ordained as commissioned pastors through the Christian Reformed Church’s Red Mesa classis Leadership Development Network program.

In the tradition of the church and in the Bible itself there are many ways to portray the meaning of the cross.

Six young adult representatives are excited to see what will happen at Synod 2022.