A pastor and chaplain who had a passion for meeting people and spreading the gospel, John Van Hemert died May 26 at age 85.
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.
John Malestein, a distinguished Calvin Theological Seminary alumnus, “lifted up Jesus Christ in everything.” He died May 31 at age 98.
The data, which will be available online for free, comprises more than 2,700 requests sent to the Vatican by Jews persecuted by the Nazi regime.
Lloyd VanderKwaak, who has served as volunteer facilitator of the Christian Reformed Church’s joint ministry agreement process, has been named interim chief administrative officer in the denomination’s Office of General Secretary.
What does Synod 2022’s declaration that the church's historic stance on same-sex relationships has confessional status mean for members, pastors, and congregations who have been moving in a different direction?
At a church council meeting June 27, Neland Avenue Christian Reformed Church’s elders, deacons, and pastors determined not to rescind the appointment of a same-sex married deacon, as the CRC’s synod had ordered them to do.
After nearly 50 years, Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion nationwide, is no more.
Consejo Latino, the Christian Reformed Church’s network of Hispanic pastors, is celebrating the formation of the Hispanic Reformed Theological Seminary in Miami.
At its annual meeting, the Southern Baptist Convention considered expelling Saddleback Church for violating a ban on women pastors. The matter was not settled.
The Meeting House, with locations across Southern Ontario, is attempting to address exposed abuse by former pastors. Lead pastor Bruxy Cavey was charged May 31. Three others have been accused or convicted of sexual crimes.
For the first time in three years, the CRC’s synod was finally able to meet face to face, but debates and votes on issues around human sexuality show a deeply divided denomination.
After ruling that seven minutes of the official recording of the June 16 morning session of Synod 2022 should be excised from the public version of that recording, officers of Synod 2022 reversed that decision. The unedited video was posted June 21.
At the close of the Christian Reformed Church’s general assembly, officers Aaron Vriesman, Jose Rayas, Derek Buikema, and Luann Sankey shared brief thoughts.
Executive director Colin Watson Sr. presented plaques for three churches celebrating 150 years, and synod did a lot of other things as it met June 10-16, 2022.
The oldest and youngest delegates at Synod 2022 are from the same classis and sat beside each other the whole week.
Synod delegates worked through a series of proposals as a response to Classis Greater Los Angeles’ overture to “oppose white supremacy and systemic racism.”
Debra Chee and Evelyn Bennally are the first two women to be ordained as commissioned pastors through the Christian Reformed Church’s Red Mesa classis Leadership Development Network program.
For many years, holding two services on Sunday was a mark of the Christian Reformed Church. A change to Church Order has ended that era.
In an extremely rare move, delegate Dominic Palacios was judged to have violated the rules of decorum during discussions about the human sexuality report.
Choosing not to appoint a committee to help define what is meant in Church Order Article 28-a, “ecclesiastical matters” are left up to interpretation in the Christian Reformed Church.
The general assembly of the CRC put in place a committee to see that the Grand Rapids, Mich., congregation complies with synod’s rulings on same-sex marriage.
LGBTQ allies, dressed in all black, gathered to lament the decisions made at synod.
Church of the Servant, a Christian Reformed congregation celebrating 50 years in 2023, will be host church for the next synod.
Delegates at Synod 2022 questioned Zachary King and learned more about his views before appointing him to be the general secretary of the Christian Reformed Church.