Supplement to Synod 2025: One Appeal, Comments on Overtures, More

The 179 delegates heading to the Christian Reformed Church’s annual synod next week have more on their agenda. Released by synodical services over the past few weeks, after the May Council of Delegates meeting, the supplement includes material from the Council, most of the denomination’s ministries and agencies, and a few classes responding to material already on the agenda. (See Synod 2025: What to Watch, April 25,2025.)

Synod 2025, the CRCNA’s general assembly, is meeting June 13-19 in Ancaster, Ont.

Overture

There are now 31 overtures on synod’s plate, one deferred since 2023. Overture 30 in the supplement relates to Calvin University’s Board of Trustees’ report and its approach to confessional subscription for faculty and board members. Synod 2024 had requested clarification from the school on its policies for individuals expressing difficulty with a confessional doctrine of the church. Dissatisfied with what it calls “having two tiers of trustee membership,” Overture 30 asks synod to appoint a committee to guide the Calvin board to create a new policy that requires “convictional alignment and compliance with the same confessional standards expected and required of its (the CRCNA’s) officebearers.”

Personal Reservations Procedure

The Council of Delegates also reviewed its policies with respect to members’ agreement with the beliefs of the Christian Reformed Church. The proposed Personal Reservations Procedure re COD Statement of Agreement with Beliefs of the CRCNA is in the Council’s supplement. Other items now available from the Council of Delegates include further governance handbook updates; a charter for the Council’s new Diaspora and Ethnic Ministry Advisory Committee; a report from the Dignity Team; and comments on overtures about The Banner, the proposal for a synodical interview committee, and the prioritization of church planting in the budget.

Appeals

Five congregations of Classis Toronto are making an appeal to synod to overturn overtures accepted by Classis Toronto at its October 2024 meeting. Article 30-a of the Church Order allows for assemblies to “appeal to the assembly next in order if they believe that injustice has been done or that a decision conflicts with the Word of God or the Church Order.” According to the Church Order supplement for Article 30-a, “Normally appeals will not be printed in the agenda for synod. However, if the Council of Delegates of the Christian Reformed Church, upon recommendation of the general secretary, decides that an appeal raises an issue the resolution of which will likely have significant application outside of and beyond the classis from which the appeal came” the appeal may be published. That rationale is noted at the top of Appeal 1. The five churches say Classis Toronto is not abiding by the 2024 synodical decisions to disallow voting privileges to officebearers under limited suspension, a category of discipline required by Synod 2024 for churches acting contrary to Christian Reformed teachings. Classis Toronto, in Communication 10, says, “Please know, there is no one in Classis Toronto who is under any illusions that the CRC will change course after three successive synods have ruled in the same direction. Given that clear reality, and without any intent to alter or dismiss this direction, Classis Toronto sought to create the charitable space to listen, to patiently allow faithful churches in classis the time to speak about and wrestle with next steps in a context of grace … we would concur with the appellants that this was a knowing and intentional action by Classis Toronto; however, it was not a knowing and intentional violation.”

A second appeal, from members of the Christian Reformed Church of St. Joseph, Mich., is noted but not printed in the supplemental agenda material for Synod 2025.

Standing Committee Updates

The Candidacy Committee presents 19 individuals as candidates for ministry of the Word in its agenda supplement and notes the approval of five candidates ordained in other denominations, as well as nominating new members to its committee.

The Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations Committee also includes nominations in its supplement and has comments on the proposed synodical interview committee and the request for a review of the CRC’s membership in the World Communion of Reformed Churches. It also notes that “currently several CRC pastors are serving in Alliance of Reformed Churches congregations,” ones that had been member congregations of the Reformed Church in America but subsequently disaffiliated with the RCA and became members of the Alliance of Reformed Churches. “The EIRC recommends that synod, by way of exception, declare that all CRCNA pastors currently serving an Alliance church may continue to be loaned to serve their current congregations.”

Synod’s historical committee also offers a communication about Classis Zeeland’s proposal for a synodical advisory committee regarding denominational boards, noting “The vetting process for future members that the Historical Committee has in place is working well for the purposes of the committee’s work.”

Ministry and Agency Updates

Supplemental reports from the Christian Reformed Church’s ministries, agencies, and institutions run 55 pages and include curricula vitae for the two proposed seminary professors to be interviewed by Synod 2025; another comment about the proposed synodical advisory committee for denominational boards; a note about program adjustments to ReFrame Ministries; a report from Gather Initiative project manager Elaine May on the findings of that project’s 10 events, which included 633 participants and wrapped up April 30 in Des Moines, Iowa; and updates from World Renew on the makeup of its Canadian and U.S. boards for the next year.

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.