A humble but confident preacher who loved to sing hymns and continued to preach into his mid-80s, Les Van Essen died Jan. 15 at age 87.

East Side CRC in Cleveland, Ohio, marked 150 years of ministry last year. One of its last remaining programs ministers to girls in its community.

After working for four years to help women leaving domestic abuse, a Wyoming, Mich., charity started by members of the Calvary Christian Reformed Church is increasing its capacity to offer stable, safe housing.

A third ‘Canadian Conversation’ met virtually Jan. 28. Attendees heard updates on Christian Reformed ministry in Canada and discussed God’s calling as congregations sort through implications of Synod 2022’s confessional decisions around human sexuality.

A joyful and tenderhearted pastor who served in ministry for more than 40 years, Bert VanAntwerpen died Jan. 10. He was 85.

Friends described retired pastor and professor Sidney DeWaal with words like ‘inspirational leader,’ ‘wise counselor,’ and ‘loving man.’ After living for several years with Alzheimer’s Disease, he died Jan. 1 at age 87.

A heavy equipment operator who retrained as a pastor and returned to truck driving in retirement, Ray Steigenga was sincere and hard-working. He died Jan. 7 at age 77.

Classis Grand Rapids East of the Christian Reformed Church won’t discern ‘any further action’ about a congregation instructed to remove its deacon who is in a same-sex marriage until the adjudication of that congregation’s appeal.

Washington-based Center for Public Justice has awarded its annual prize for social policy research, granting one of three prizes for research about returning citizens at Calvin University.

‘Work to build a culture of life is far from complete,’ says national March for Life president.

North Korea has returned to the top of the World Watch List with its highest-ever persecution score after an increased number of arrests of Christians under its ‘anti-reactionary thought’ law.

Almost 400 Orthodox Christian theologians from 44 countries convened in the largest international conference of its kind Jan. 12 in Greece.

The Association of Theological Schools reports that professional degrees are attracting a higher percentage of students at theological schools across the U.S. and Canada, while the Master of Divinity is falling off in enrollment.

CRC members Jenny McAlister and Jerry Bouma were presented with Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee medals.

‘If you kept it online, you probably don’t have a religious education program now,’ Hartford Institute for Religion Research director Scott Thumma said last fall of churches’ youth activities.

A report looking at the religious makeup of the new U.S. Congress finds it predominantly Christian. Among those senators and representatives are Christian Reformed members from Michigan and Iowa.

Newly elected Michigan 3rd Congressional District Rep. Hillary Scholten answered questions on her abortion stance; re-elected Iowa 4th District Rep. Randy Feenstra led an opioid abuse prevention bill that was passed in December.

Grand Rapids South Christian High School in Cutlerville, Mich., won the Michigan high school Division 4 state football championship Nov. 25.

Though it couldn’t be described as an easy job, Dee Recker says she has loved the work and it has “been a gift” to meet and work with people who dedicate their time to the service of the Christian Reformed Church.

A death by suicide of a fourth-year Redeemer University student who identified as queer has spurred advocacy from friends and community and “fast-tracking” of mental health initiatives from the Ancaster, Ont., Christian school.

Benedict XVI, the first pope to resign in 600 years, died Dec. 31 at age 95.

After struggling over wording in a communal prayer, one ecumenical organization is developing new tools to address divides within its own network.

Brothers Alex and Derek Koops, members of Faith Christian Reformed Church in Sioux Center, Iowa, were publicly acclaimed as "Domino Masters" in 2022.