Synod 2025 welcomed seven young adult representatives, all who were attending for the first time. Sharing thoughts with The Banner they expressed having open minds, despite being unsure of what to expect, and that they found encouragement and inspiration in the conversations and connections.
Synod is the annual general assembly of the Christian Reformed Church in North America. It is meeting June 13-19 in Ancaster, Ont. Since 2009 young adult representatives (18- to 26-year-olds) have been nominated by church council clerks and pastors and appointed by the Council of Delegates to participate as observers and contributors.
Alyssa Koetje from Westwood Christian Reformed Church in Kalamazoo, Mich., was the only American young adult representative this year. She “appreciated the opportunity to learn about—and witness—how the CRC makes decisions. I may struggle to understand some points being made about Church Order, but I am fascinated by the process.”
Koetje said, “I have also enjoyed the opportunity to get to know the other delegates, advisers, and staff. I love getting to hear their stories, hear how God is at work in the CRC, and participate in corporate worship.”
Two of the young adult representatives attend church in Winnipeg, Man.: Kyle Vannus from Covenant CRC and Nathan Stienstra from Transcona CRC.
Hearing about the synods of the past few years, Hannah den Bak from Maranatha CRC in Cambridge, Ont., said, “I felt it was hard to know what was going on without actually being there.”
Calvin Schouten from Covenant CRC, St. Catherines, Ont., said, “It's been a week of mixed feelings.” He said, “There's a part of me that is very happy for being here and meeting people who are eager for change in the church and to keep it alive; however, the young adult rep position has been a difficult position because of the lack of guidance and sometimes feeling like I can't contribute to the conversation.”
Caleb Bosveld from Immanuel CRC in Hamilton, Ont., said his experience has been “valuable and spiritually renewing.” He expressed gratitude for being appointed by the Council of Delegates. “I am especially grateful for how our input and presence was received by the other delegates. Our opinions, thoughts, and discernments were deemed valuable, and we were treated as peers.”
During a plenary session, Bosveld spoke about the importance of a united binational CRC. He called synod to be unified as a church that praises one God, believes in one gospel, and is inclined to one Spirit, despite current political situations.
Young adult representative Grace Burns attends Maple Ridge (B.C.) CRC, and has been on their staff for almost eight years. She said she regularly encounters the outcomes of synod—through decisions, policies, questions, and communications. “While these decisions often affect the work I do, they can sometimes feel distant or abstract,” Burns said. She wanted to understand where these decisions are coming from and what the process is like. “President (Stephen) Terpstra described synod as deliberations that “trickle up” from the local context and “trickle down” from the broader denomination; it’s a two-way dialogue that shapes and is shaped by the local church. “That said, I do long to see more women—especially young women—in the room. To all women reading this: your voice matters!”
Burns also urged the CRC to support and care for the young people in their churches as they navigate today's society. “We live in an ever-changing world, and young people today face new and often complex challenges when it comes to faith and belonging. For many it’s harder than ever to walk through the doors of a church. My encouragement: open barriers, open hearts. We need it now more than ever.”
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
Isabelle Brown is a writer from Brampton, Ontario and a student at Redeemer University, where she is a reporter for The Crown. Her non-writing interests include painting and sketching.