Does Canada really need another Reformed denomination?
Summit brings together members of current and former Christian Reformed Churches.
Does Canada really need another denomination, let alone a Reformed one? Roughly 150 participants from 55 churches at the All Canada Summit, in Kitchener, Ontario, weren’t sure. But by the end of the four-day gathering (November 5-8), the Summit concluded with a hopeful “yes.”
As one joyful participant said, “I feel like I have been living in a smaller and smaller sandbox, but today you just showed us a vision of a beach!”
The Summit was hosted by Toward Christian Reformed Church (CRC) Canada, an organization founded in 2023 to advocate for greater independence for Canadian churches within the Christian Reformed Church of North America (CRCNA).
The Summit began with an address from Everett Vander Horst, pastor of Meadowlands CRC in Ancaster, Ontario, telling the audience that Synod 2025’s overwhelming rejection of an overture proposing a separate Canadian denomination prompted organizers to consider abandoning their cause or planning a pivot.
The Summit was the pivot – an effort to pose the question to a wider group of Canadian congregations, especially since many had since disaffiliated from the CRCNA or were on the path towards disaffiliation.
“We thought we had enough resources and momentum to bring people together to wrestle with the question and imagine what could be,” Vander Horst said. Certainly, joining an existing denomination is still an option, “but we believe that when we come together, we have something unique to offer – to our communities, to Canada and to God.” The Reformed view of Scripture and of living out our faith is a grounded and hopeful view that Canada needs, “and that the Spirit of God can continue to use to bless Canada,” he added.
Conference attendees joining their voices in worship. (Photo by Darlene Bokma).
Summit attendees had the opportunity to sketch their feelings on a huge roll of paper on one of the walls. This boat described the sense of one of the attendees. (Photo by Darlene Bokma).
Some of the many volunteers who “helped where needed.” (Photo by Darlene Bokma).
Times of worship were led by Jeremy Benjamin Zeyl, who wrote a song for the event titled: Here I Am, Show Me The Way. (Photo by Darlene Bokma).
Worship was led by Jeremy Benjamin Zeyl (left). (Photo by Darlene Bokma).
Made in Canada
A refrain that was repeated throughout the Summit was “every square centimetre” – a metric conversion of the CRCNA’s unofficial tagline of “every square inch,” and meant to indicate that the entire world belongs to Jesus.
“There is no sacred versus secular,” said Vander Horst. “Our work, our relationships, our art, our institutions – everything is included in God’s good creation and remains under his care. The task of human beings, created in God’s image, is to be gardeners and culture-makers, cultivating the world so that it flourishes under Christ’s reign.”
This is the kind of Christianity that Canada needs, said Shiao Chong, former editor of The Banner, in his keynote address near the end of the Summit. We sing “They will know we are Christians by our love,” but there are T-shirts and coffee mugs with the slogan “There is no hate like Christian love,” Chong said. Reformed Canadian churches now have an opportunity to reverse this narrative and be present in their communities as agents of God’s love and Jesus’ hope.
Chong said he was amazed by what was accomplished and hopeful for the future. “What if God is using all of us here to start something new for Canada?”
How big is this movement?
Angela Reitsma Bick, Christian Courier’s editor-in-chief and co-author (with Peter Schuurman) of Blessed are the Undone: Testimonies of the Quiet Deconstruction of Faith in Canada, presented her analysis at a workshop entitled “The Canadian Landscape.” By her estimation, up to one-quarter of Christian Reformed congregations in Canada are on a continuum between completely disaffiliated or rumoured to be considering it. That leaves three-quarters of approximately 240 congregations not interested or not talking about it.
Yet there may be members of those silent churches who are personally feeling disillusioned with American influence or denominational direction, and one of the working groups was asked to consider what ways this new community of churches might connect with like-minded individuals in churches that are staying in the CRCNA.
Workshops and working groups
While about half of the Summit participants attended workshops, 40 of the Summit participants had volunteered in advance to serve on working groups. These groups met four times to discuss the foundation, structure and identity of a new Reformed denomination in Canada. Working groups were organized based on the interests and experiences of members, and readings and questions were circulated in advance.
During the Summit, working group spokespersons shared progress reports in plenary sessions, seeking feedback and questions from the rest of the Summit participants. In total, the six working groups provided almost eight weeks’ worth of person-hours in deep thought, creative brainstorming and consensus seeking. Their final reports will offer a starting point for the new denominational board and will eventually be available at towardcrccanada.net.
What’s next?
Participants in the Summit are now asking their congregations to consider joining this new initiative by nominating board members from their churches. This new board will potentially take over the structure – and charitable tax status – of Towards CRC Canada and become a new denomination.
What would this new denomination be called? One of the working groups was asked to answer that very question. They’ve done some brainstorming, but their ideas will be handed over to the new board. One thing they recommend: be Reformed, but avoid use of the name. There might be too many bad associations.
Thank you for this article, Marlene. I still would stick with a federation of congregations (also involving to those who share a basic transformational perspective regardless of ecclesial tradition).