Delegates to Synod 2025, the annual general assembly of the Christian Reformed Church in North America, elected pastors Stephen Terpstra as president, Ken Benjamins as vice president, Josh Christoffels as first clerk, and Gary van Leeuwen as second clerk at a virtual convening May 28.
The officers will serve synod as it gathers June 13-19 in Ancaster, Ont.
Terpstra is a pastor at First CRC in Orange City, Iowa, and served as vice president of Synod 2024. A gifted organist, he also contributed to worship at several synods, serving as a delegate a total of five times. Pastor of the Orange City congregation since 2024, Terpstra has also served one congregation in Michigan and one in Ontario. He was born and raised in Ontario and is a citizen of both Canada and the USA.
He addressed delegates after the election and close to the end of the two-and-a-half-hour-long meeting. Terpstra thanked president pro tem Nate Van Denend, pastor of First CRC in Chatham, Ont., the convening church of Synod 2025, for “leading us very ably through this evening” and announced: “We are ready to begin synod!”
Terpstra encouraged delegates to prepare well for the gathering set to begin in two weeks. “We know it's a big agenda—it always is—and the supplement is still coming out. But it is important that we know and are prepared to discuss those things,” Terpstra said.
Synodical services has published online one additional overture, two appeals, and various communications, along with supplemental reports from synod’s three standing committees, but the supplemental material from the Council of Delegates and the denomination’s agencies, institutions, and ministries is not yet available. (As available, all the supplemental agenda items for Synod 2025 will be added to the synodical services website.)
Terpstra noted the important distinction of being a delegate and not a representative. “We don’t come to synod representing a nation, a classis, or in many ways even ourselves,” he reminded delegates. “All of us are office bearers and we represent Christ.” He encouraged delegates to “come with that mindset,” looking forward to a week “where we can see the breadth of our ministry as a denomination, be encouraged, and hopefully facilitate ministry for the coming year.”
Benjamins, pastor of Calvin CRC in Dundas, Ont., has served in the denomination since 1992 and attended six synods. He has recently accepted a call to serve Riverside CRC in Wellandport, Ont., and will move after synod. It’s Benjamins’ first time as an elected officer to synod, and he currently chairs the Synodical Task Force to Develop Church Order Procedures to Discipline Officebearers, appointed by Synod 2024 and due to report to Synod 2026.
Christoffels is a pastor at Hammond (Ind.) CRC, has attended three synods, and previously served as first clerk at Synod 2024. Van Leeuwen pastors Nobleford (Alta.) CRC. He has been delegated to synod five times, but never before served as an officer.
The 168 delegates to Synod 2025—the denomination’s 49 classes or regional assemblies are able to send up to four delegates each—voted for the four officers from lists of 12 potential candidates for president and vice president and 12 potential candidates for the clerk positions as self-identified by the delegates.
CRCNA general secretary Zachary King concluded the May 28 virtual session by reading the schedule for Synod 2025 on pages 10 and 11 of the Agenda and reminding delegates of the social media and other policies for the meeting. Delegates were given tentative committee assignments by way of the program committee report, a confidential document that won’t be officially approved until synod meets in person June 13.
Synod 2025, the annual general assembly of the Christian Reformed Church in North America, is meeting June 13-19 on the campus of Redeemer University in Ancaster, Ont. Find daily coverage from The Banner at TheBanner.org/synod. Visit crcna.org/synod for the agenda, advisory reports, recordings of plenary sessions, and to subscribe to the daily Synod News email.
About the Author
Alissa Vernon is the news editor for The Banner.