Oct. 31 is marked as Reformation Day in Protestant churches to remember the onset of the Protestant Reformation that began in 1517.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Trinity CRC in Goderich, Ont., shares contributions from several community partners in a weekly to-go meal program called Fishes and Loaves.
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.
A small dream, a city grant, and congregational donations and free labor made a new splash park possible at Gateway Community Church in Merced, Calif.
In Memoriam: Rev. Arnold Rumph
1929-2024A pastor, missionary, and theology teacher, Arnold Rumph seemed ready at the end of his life to “dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” He died June 19 at age 94.
Actions of classes in the Christian Reformed Church since March include approving retirements, welcoming pastors from other denominations, and processing several pastor-church separations.
Reuben DeBoer, member of Bethel Christian Reformed Church in Dunnville, Ont., is a 2024 recipient of the nationally awarded Schulich Leader Scholarship.
In Memoriam: Rev. John Boonstra
1930 - 2024A hard-working, disciplined teacher and preacher with a dry sense of humor, John Boonstra pastored five congregations and served another six communities as an interim pastor. He died June 20 at age 93.
A July conference at Gordon College in Wenham, Mass., offered Bible studies for men, women, and children on the theme “Inspired by Hope,” based on 1 Thessalonians 1:3.
The DisAbled Women’s Network (DAWN) Canada presented its 2024 National Hummingbird Award to Vancouver, B.C., resident Sandra Pronteau.