World Relief asked supporters to urge U.S. presidential candidates “to uphold human dignity, secure borders, and protect family unity in immigration solutions.”
News
Stories from people, congregations and ministries of the CRCNA, reported by The Banner's news editor and a team of regular correspondents and Church Worldwide news from the Religion News Service. Send news tips to news@thebanner.org.
In Memoriam: Rev. Anthony (Tony) Begay
1938-2024Pastor, chaplain, and Lt. Colonel (Ret.) Anthony Begay was known for his deep faith and kind and generous spirit. He died Sept. 5 at age 86.
Eight ministers are releasing their calls, seven congregations have begun disaffiliation, and one church is affiliating with the Christian Reformed Church in North America, in moves directly tied to recent synodical decisions on human sexuality.
Congregations facing hard choices about what to do with underutilized, high-maintenance sacred structures heard from real estate experts at a recent conference on the future of church buildings.
In Memoriam: Rev. Vernon F. Geurkink
1936-2024Vern Guerkink was an academic who sought to be a person of integrity. He had a lifelong commitment to justice and mercy. Vern, 88, died Aug. 2.
In the U.S., 64% of respondents said it’s important to have a national leader who stands up for people with their religious beliefs. 50% of Canadian respondents said the same.
Synod 2024’s measures to ensure leaders in the CRCNA remain in line with the denomination’s confessional teachings are having an impact on the makeup of the Council of Delegates.
Oct. 31 is marked as Reformation Day in Protestant churches to remember the onset of the Protestant Reformation that began in 1517.
With weekly visits to a nearby juvenile detention center and annual trips to support inmates and programs in Louisiana and Mississippi, the prison ministry team of Elmhurst (Ill.) CRC has a wide reach.
Canadian megachurch The Meeting House has closed public ministry. Nine satellite sites have relaunched as a network of churches with shared preaching and support services.
Mission Church in Tuscon, Ariz., seized the opportunity to help a community member re-establish stable housing when an adjacent building was ripe for transformation.
Chris Schoon, co-director of the Christian Reformed Church’s Thrive agency, is stepping down as of Sept. 20: “I feel that I can no longer carry out my responsibilities … with integrity to my own convictions.”
Pew study shows U.S. migrants are much more likely to have a religious identity than the American-born population.
A report from the Christian Reformed Church’s Candidacy Committee on the current leadership landscape of the denomination is included in the Agenda for Synod 2024.
As a pastor, church planter, and home missionary, Don Griffioen spent his ministry career bringing churches together, focusing on similarities rather than differences. He died May 26 at age 92.
A pastor who saw his calling as being “a Storyteller with a capital ‘S,’” Herm Van Niejenhuis loved to help others explore the wonder and truth of the Christian faith. He died July 24 at age 75.
New federal rules cap the number of international undergraduate students beginning Canadian programs. Redeemer University will experience a slight decrease, and The King’s University’s international student population is actually going up.
Invited and encouraged by their pastor, attendees of Grace and Peace Church in Chicago Ill., are waking up in the early hours to read their Bibles, pray, and encourage one another.
Christian Reformed churches in Canada heard from two groups this summer: one a grassroots movement looking for congregations ready for an independent Canadian CRC, and one the CRCNA Canada Ministry Board saying councils weren’t obligated to respond.
In Memoriam: Rev. Anthonie Vanden Ende
1926-2024From “Dominee Vanden Ende” to “Pastor Tony,” Anthonie Vanden Ende’s pastoral ministry spanned 43 years, two countries, and three Canadian provinces.
The Christian Reformed Church in North America’s new role of director of ecclesiastical governance will emphasize spiritual practices in the church’s assemblies.
Welcoming a new pastor during its anniversary service, Alameda (Calif.) Christian Reformed Church heard preaching from past, present, and future ministers of the 100-year-old congregation.
Calvin University’s Nagel Institute for the Study of World Christianity is using a $1.9 million grant to explore the impact of a seminary education on the spiritual, character, and virtue development of Christian leaders worldwide.
Trinity CRC in Goderich, Ont., shares contributions from several community partners in a weekly to-go meal program called Fishes and Loaves.