“Lecturing countries from afar is an ineffective strategy.” That’s what Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters during a July press conference on the decision to restore Canada’s diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia. Critics argue that Canada shouldn’t engage a country with such a troubling human rights record. But Carney’s government sees it differently. Whether…
I do not normally weigh in on ecclesiastical issues in this space, but given my long association with and current membership in the Christian Reformed Church (CRC), I think it is appropriate to comment on Synod 2026’s decision to withdraw from the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC). I understand that church denominations have to…
“I believe that the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) is at a pivot point,” declared General Secretary Zachary King in his opening address at the denomination’s annual meeting in Grand Rapids, Michigan on June 13. As King called the church to renewal, he also acknowledged the disunity the CRC has experienced in recent years. At least…
Every year, across the church world, denominations gather their leaders together. Some call it synod. Others call it a general assembly, congress, conference or annual gathering. Whatever the title, the reality is the same: for a few days, 150 to 300 key leaders from churches, schools, ministries, charities and networks gather in one place. These…
“Christian nationalism conflicts with the reformed understanding of government.” This statement, and others like it, were under discussion at the Christian Reformed Church of North America (CRCNA) Synod as delegates from across Canada and the U.S. gathered from June 12-18, at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. On June 15, delegates voted 93 in favour and…
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….
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…
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…
It has been a confusing time in the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA) since Synod 2022, as members of the denomination continue to wrestle with the implications of the CRCNA’s position on human sexuality. Fourteen churches in Canada have left the denomination, with a dozen or more others having disaffiliation discussions. The rest…
Several years ago, my father gave me a copy of our family tree going back seven generations. It was quite grounding to see where I came from and how I fit in. Interestingly, our family genealogist (a distant relative in the Netherlands) chose to include two important pieces of information alongside many of the names…
“You cannot be neutral about this!” That was what a senior denominational leader in the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) told me last Spring, during a dispute over an editorial. I was the editor in chief of the CRC’s magazine, The Banner, until July 2025 when I resigned in protest. In that disputed editorial, I wrote…
This October, representatives from more than 300 denominations, all members of the World Council of Churches (WCC), will gather in Egypt to celebrate the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. The creed this council produced in 325 AD begins, “We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things…
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