Classis Watch: Fall 2025

As regional groups of churches, or “classes” as we call them in the Christian Reformed Church, gathered for meetings this fall, there were heavy and celebratory things to note.

This report records actions—including the welcoming of new ministers, separations of pastors and congregations, departures of ministers, and the joining or leaving of member congregations—that impact the whole denomination. Many of the actions taken by classes are governed by the CRC’s Church Order, the rules that govern denominational life. Links to the relevant articles of Church Order are included.

There are currently 49 classes across the CRCNA, which meet two or three times a year.

Ministers

Candidates examined and approved for ministry in the Christian Reformed Church (Arts. 6 and 10): Jeremiah Bašurić, Kyle Beckrich, Rylan Brue, Melissa Burmaster, Raymond Evans, Masao Fujishima, Israel Ledee, Young Geol Lee, Daniel le Forestier, Caley Meza, and Matthew Sun.

Ministers welcomed from other denominations (Art. 8-c): Anel Becker-Ferreira, Jordan Helming (as of March 2024, minutes were delayed), Ken Labbé, and Chang R. Yoon.

Ministers released from ministry in a congregation (Art. 17-a): Revs. Laura de Jong from Community Christian Reformed Church in Kitchener, Ont.; John Moelker from Covenant CRC in Woodstock, Ont.; Chris Schievink from Kanata Community CRC in Ottawa, Ont.; and Kent Sanders from Lakeland Reformed Church of Vicksburg, Mich. (congregation of the Reformed Church in America, serving as part of the regular exchange of ministers).

Eligible for call: de Jong, Sanders, and Schievink; and Luke Wynja (Art. 14-e).

Ministers retiring (Art. 18) (granted emeritus status): Revs. Frank Engelage, Darwin Glassford, Eric Groot-Nibbelink, David Heilman, Patrick Hennen, Joseph K. Kwak, Jin Namkoong, John Poortenga, Vern Swierenga, Kevin teBrake, Harold Veldman (effective Dec. 31), Bernard Haan (effective Jan. 4, 2026), Russell Kuiken (effective Jan. 17), Randy Raak (effective Jan. 31), and Joel Kok (effective Feb. 28).

Leaving Ministry in the CRC

Classes may end a pastor’s ordained ministry status guided by Church Order articles 14 and 17. In the case of Art. 14, designations of release (reflecting the manner and spirit in which the minister acted during the time leading up to and including resignation from office) are “honorably released,” “released,” “dismissed,” or in the “status of one deposed.”

Via Art. 14-b: Matthew Ackerman, Amanda Bakale, Craig Broek, Julie DeGraaf Feenstra, Jonathan Nicolai-deKoning, Katherine Hirschberg, Marvin Hofman, Michael Hoogeboom, James Kim, Michelle Kool, Dale Melenberg, Michael Moore, Kyle Sandison, Norman Seenema, Mark Stephenson, Juli Stuelpnagel, David Vroege, Aaron Walters, and Dan Zylstra were honorably released; D’Vante Rolle was released. Via Art. 14-c: Bailey Sarver Attema, Dan Brown, Jonathan Kim (Classis Northern Illinois), Derek Elmi-Buursma, William Roelofs, and Lugene Schemper were honorably released. Via Art. 14-d: James DeZeeuw was released. Via Art. 17-c: Woodrow Dixon, Marc Holland, Marcel Kuiper, Adam Stout, and Reese (Maurice) Vander Veen were honorably released.

Resigned as minister emeritus: Roy Berkenbosch, Rolf Bouma, Arlo Compaan, Corky DeBoer, John De Boer, Mark Deckinga, John Groen, Pieter Heerema, Tim Hoekstra, Harry Kuperus, Allen Likkel, Lynn Likkel, Nick Overduin, Robert Price, David Sieplinga, Gordon Terpstra, Betty Vander Lann, Denis Vanderwekken, and Gerrit Veenstra.

Commissioned Pastors

Approved as commissioned pastors called to specific roles within their classes (Art. 23): Scott Branderhorst (Lake Erie), Matt Dengler (Heartland), Donald Dunne and John Park (Hanmi), Abigail Jallim and Nikita Abraham (Quinte), Micah Shin (Thornapple Valley), Janis Persenaire and Becky Visser (Holland), and name withheld* (Iakota).

Ending service as commissioned pastors (Art. 24-d): Raymond Evans, Rick Van Manen, and Karen Wilk (Alberta North), Joe Huizenga (Chicago South), Steven Perry (Lake Erie), and Mark Tiemersma (Iakota) were honorably released; Matt Atkins and Joel Kiekintveld (Pacific Northwest) and Luis Gomez and Felipe Cortes (Hackensack) were released; Glen McCarthy (Illiana) was dismissed. The resignations of Gary Hoeksema (Red Mesa) and Katie Roelofs (Hackensack) were recognized with no designation.

Granted commissioned pastor emeritus status (Art. 24-e): Rod Brandsen (Holland), Cisco Gonzales (Grandville), and Chava Vang (Lake Erie).

New Ministries and Ministry Changes

An emerging (unorganized) church does not have its own council and is under the care of the council of a neighboring CRC. An organized church has its own council (Art. 38).

Received organized status: Santa Maria (Calif.) New Vision Church.

Recognized as emerging: Living Waters in Ann Arbor, Mich., Living Water Church in Sheldon, Iowa, and The Way in Aliquippa, Penn.

Disbanding or closed: Radical Grace (formerly Coit) CRC in Grand Rapids, Mich., the emerging ministry J.A.M. in Wyoming, Mich., John Calvin CRC in Truro, N.S. (see story from May 8, 2025), and Trinity Hill Church in Chanhassen, Minn. (expected Dec. 31).

Merged: Bethel CRC in Zeeland, Mich., with Third CRC in Zeeland. (The first joint service was Oct. 26. The former entity of Bethel CRC expects to dissolve in February.)

Disaffiliated: Ann Arbor (Mich.) CRC; Bethany CRC in Muskegon, Mich.; Bethany CRC in Gallup, N.M.; Center Grove CRC in South Holland, Ill.; Christian Reformed Church of St. Albert, Alta.; Church of the Savior in Holland, Mich.; Community CRC of Meadowvale in Mississauga, Ont.; Creston CRC in Grand Rapids, Mich.; Hope CRC in Oak Forest, Ill.; Hope Fellowship CRC in Denver, Colo.; Immanuel CRC in Caledon, Ont.; Jubilee Fellowship CRC in St. Catharines, Ont.; Kanata Community CRC in Ottawa, Ont.; Loop Church in Chicago, Ill.; Mosaic in Bellingham Wash.; Reclaim in Anchorage, Alaska; Reconciliation Church in South Holland, Ill. (defacto); Roseland CRC in Chicago, Ill.; The River Community CRC in Edmonton, Alta.; The Table in Bellingham, Wash.; and The Table Community Church (emerging) in Denver, Colo.

Affiliated: Conklin (Mich.) Reformed Church and First Reformed Church in South Holland, Ill. (retains a dual affiliation with the Reformed Church in America).

Other Matters

Classis Toronto noted a plan “to reduce (its) 2026 budget by at least the amount of giving that will be lost from the churches that are disaffiliating from CRCNA.” It also formed a committee “to review ministry values and priorities and how to fund our ministries in the long term.”

Classis Lake Superior noted the (potentially temporary) closing of Amber Church in Winnipeg, an emerging congregation that had partnered with Covenant CRC in that city. Classis had agreed to contribute financially to Amber Church for three years (see Classis Watch: Fall 2023) but has now ceased that funding.

Synod

Classes may direct requests or communications to synod, according to the Rules for Synodical Procedure.

Classis Holland is asking Synod 2026 to adopt streamlined rules for how task forces and study committees report their work to synod. “The intent of this overture is to establish report writing parameters to ensure consistency, clarity, accessibility, and consideration of the primary issue(s) addressed in the report. Delegates since 2021 have been asked to process two lengthy reports, the Biblical Theology of Human Sexuality (2021, 175 pages) and Church Order Review Task Force Report (2024, 103 pages).” Classis Holland wants future reports to not exceed 5,000 words (appendices excluded) and to follow a specified structure.

Classis Holland is also requesting a revision of the rules for overtures (formal requests) to synod, saying the current process, which allows an overture to be considered by synod without the approval of a council and a classis, “devalues the council’s and classis’s role” and “places an undue burden on synod.” Holland notes, “In 2022, 28.5% of the overtures considered (by synod) were not approved by a council and/or classis. In 2023 this percentage rose to 34.2% and in 2024 the percentage of unapproved overtures was 29.4%.” It requests that overtures not approved by a council or a classis be accompanied by an appeal, of 500 words or less, to the next assembly, as to why the first assembly erred in its rejection and why the matter should be received by the next assembly. Holland recommends the appeal’s merits should be decided on first, before an unapproved overture is taken up.

*Beginning with Synod 2019 some candidates for ministry were accepted without revealing their full names publicly “because they have been and will continue to be involved in ministry where the security of those to whom they minister requires that their names and photos not be made public.”