Christian Reformed Church of North America (CRCNA) members from 116 congregations (representing 17 percent of the denomination and roughly 32,000 people) met in Grand Rapids, Michigan for a Convening of Concerned Congregations in August. Why were they concerned? It’s complicated. Nate DeJong-McCarron, the director of a group called Better Together, said the event was organized…
Even if you didn’t watch the opening ceremonies of the Summer 2024 Olympics, you’ll have heard about (and probably have an opinion about) the brief tableau where a series of women and drag queens appear to recreate Leonardo da Vinci’s “Last Supper.” In this tableau a woman sits in the place where Christ is depicted…
In early June, an unanticipated water-main rupture caused a Calgary-wide state of emergency. Later that same month, at the Christian Reformed Church’s (CRC) Synod 2024, another rupture occurred that everyone saw coming, but one that poses far-reaching challenges for the Canadian CRC. Synod 2024 decided to adopt a traditional, non-inclusive position on human sexuality and…
This month marks the fiftieth anniversary of the division of the island of Cyprus between Turkish Cypriots in the north and Greek Cypriots in the south. The events leading up to this division made nearly all of my paternal relatives refugees in their own country. It also pushed me into the study of political science…
On one of the last days in June, we sneaked into church five minutes late. The Grade 12s looked resplendent in their dark blue gowns, cap tassels swinging jauntily with every movement. We waved at Emerson, a close family friend, and got ready to cheer our hearts out for his moment on stage. It was…
“I don’t want to see anyone leave,” one synodical delegate said of the motion to suspend dissenting churches and office-bearers, “but as Abraham was asked to offer up Isaac in obedience to faith, I see this as an act of obedience to faith.” Hearing this analogy reminded me of a college student who was struggling…
Two years ago, the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) held that any and all same sex relations are a form of unchastity. As such, per Lord’s Day 41, God condemns those relations and we are each called to detest them. This year, we decided what we are going to do with those who disagree. Synod 2024’s…
CC: How would you summarize the key decisions made at Synod 2024? What was the overall mood (or tone), in your impression? Rev. Al Postma: Summarizing is difficult as there were many items on the agenda. Specifically regarding the discussion on sexuality, my impression is that Synod 2022 was primarily about the Christian Reformed Church’s…
In team sports, it’s common for the coach to call a time-out when the game has gotten off track. At the pitching mound or hockey bench, a time-out is a brief opportunity to get back to fundamentals. After the way that the Christian Reformed Church’s (CRC) Synod handled the Human Sexuality Report (HSR), I wonder…
Summertime is the season for boats, or at least boating analogies. Angela Reitsma Bick and I have a book (to be released this September) that features boats as a spiritual analogy for the deconstruction and reconstruction of faith. We write mostly about canoes that run aground or get capsized. That’s how it feels in the…
“One should act only in accordance with that maxim through which you can, at the same time, will that it becomes a universal law.” – Immanuel Kant “I will show you a still more excellent way.” – I Cor. 12:13 Many years ago, I and three other undergraduate friends would meet for discussions over pizza…
In mid-April I attended two conferences. The first was the Faith & Science Conference offered by BioLogos and held in Raleigh, North Carolina. The second was more local, “Beyond Culture Wars”, sponsored by the Institute for Christian Studies and Martin Luther University College in Waterloo, my hometown. Unfortunately, the conferences overlapped; one started on Wednesday…
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