Jared Michelson Appointed to Teach at Calvin Theological Seminary

Delegates to Synod 2025 were introduced to Jared Michelson, Ph.D. and approved his appointment to teach systematic theology at Calvin Theological Seminary. He described his journey from being a pastor to involvement in academic theology. “That isn’t a denial of my call to be a minister,” he said. “I would see myself as an ecclesial theologian, not just an academic, serving the church.”

Michelson’s work focuses on the doctrine of God. “Almost every issue we are wrestling with comes back to who God is,” he said. “Sexuality, judgment, predestination, other religions. Capturing a vision of who God is is the essential challenge of our time.”

We live in a world that is trivial, obsessed with the self, he said. The result is people burned out, people disappointed with themselves, who feel they don’t measure up to this insane vision of individualism being offered. Michelson told delegates, “What better thing could we offer than a vision of a God who is endlessly immense, a deeply rooted powerful perspective about what human life is about. Our world is crying out for a deeply traditional but humane vision of Reformed philosophy.”

Michelson told delegates that part of the role of the theologian is to face what every pastor has to face. “Every pastor will have to answer questions about theological topics that will be asked in church and have pressing pastoral implications.”

He said not every pastor has to be an academic theologian but every pastor certainly is something like a public theologian. “The pulpit is one of few places in our culture where people still listen. You’ll face questions deeply theologically in nature. You have this public platform where, under the guidance of God, you get to proclaim in a way that is powerful and winsome, in a way that makes people pay attention to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Hopefully I help them do it.”

Michelson came to the Christian Reformed Church by way of a Presbyterian church in Scotland. He told delegates that there he caught a glimpse of a more deeply rooted and winsome version of Christianity, much of it in the Reformed tradition. His teaching position at Calvin Seminary will begin in summer 2026, filling the position coming open due to the upcoming retirement of professor Ronald Feenstra.

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.