I was raised in the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) in Canada. Its rich Reformed tradition fed my curiosity, encouraged debate and dialogue and allowed room for questions and doubt. I found it liberating, healing, inclusive and inviting, full of hope for those seeking meaning and purpose. But it no longer feels that way to me….
Eleven years ago this month, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) hosted its closing events in Algonquin Territory-Ottawa and released 94 Calls to Action to the people of Canada. At that event, and others before it, TRC Lead Commissioner, the late Murray Sinclair, explained that reconciliation will take at least several generations. June…
If I’m honest, I’d rather look away from Synod this year. But I haven’t always felt that way. In years past, I’ve been a keen watcher of the Christian Reformed Church (CRC)’s annual denominational meetings that are usually held at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. There’s one evening of Synod watching that I remember…
Can we be strong and weak? Many would reject this as unrealistic, but it’s a paradox that provides hope for the leadership complexities facing the church today and the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) specifically. In his book, Strong and Weak, Andy Crouch explores this paradox and provides a helpful framework for flourishing leadership. A framework…
Pope Leo XIV released his first papal encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, on May 25, a roughly 42,000-word document outlining a Catholic response to recent developments in AI. I had been eagerly anticipating this encyclical and spent much of the release day poring over the text. While there have been other Christian efforts to release statements about…
Last month, I drove under the distinctively tall evergreens of Mission, B.C., and arrived at Last Door Keystone Retreat. Nick Ringma was waiting in the driveway to introduce me to a dark-haired rescue llama with overbite and a zealous protective streak. “He thinks you’re a bear,” Ringma explained, a little apologetically. As the llama decided…
Kyla Gillespie’s just-released memoir, TransFormed, tells the story of growing up in Nanaimo, B.C. as a girl who never felt at home in her body. Her story includes playing professional women’s hockey in the early 2000s, alcohol addiction, same-sex attraction and relationship breakdowns. Starting in 2011, Gillespie officially changed her name to Brycen and began…
The six years Brenda and I lived in Lansing, Michigan, were bookended by two training courses. Each, in their own way, helped me find a footing in that strange country. And now, as the world is full of confusion, I find the lessons I learned then more valuable than ever. The first course was in…
Across Canada, many Christian boards and church councils carry an unspoken expectation: composure equals competence. Especially in governing meetings, and particularly for the most senior staff leader, emotions are often subdued, if not quietly discouraged. The intent is understandable. Boards want clarity, objectivity and wise decision-making. (Have you ever seen a synod or church council…
After 27 years with the Canadian Council of Churches (CCC), including two terms as General Secretary from 2018-2026, Peter Noteboom will step into semi-retirement at the end of June. Ecumenism – working for the visible unity of the church across denominational lines – has been his calling and life-work. “This job of General Secretary is…
Hollywood seldom portrays faith well. On one hand are glossy depictions of near-perfect characters who prosper if they pray hard, look right and win enough converts. On the other hand, Christianity is displayed as destructive and colonial. What happens to the stories in the middle, the ones that expose the harm of the church while showing…
I was ordained as a Minister of the Word and Sacraments over 45 years ago. It happened on a Thursday night because of Halloween, of all things! The elders of the rural Southern Alberta congregation that had called me, a 25-year-old seminary graduate, to be their pastor, had first scheduled the event for Friday night….
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