Synod Approves 44 Candidates for Minister of the Word

Synod 2015 approved 44 candidates for Minister of the Word in the Christian Reformed Church.

This year's group included 33 men and 11 women. Ten of the candidates came from Canada and six from overseas. Nine candidates were present in Sioux Center at synod, while others watched the event via the synod webcast. A recording of the webcast is available for viewing.

Rev. Jul Medenblik, the president of Calvin Theological Seminary, urged the candidates to “think about the people and the places that have formed you.

“We know that you’re grateful for them and we’re grateful for them.”

He thanked them for responding to God’s call and concluded by saying, “We desire God’s blessing on you – you have the opportunity to be a blessing in the lives of others – even those you may not know.”

Following a commissioning litany, synod president Rev. Bruce Persenaire also gave a charge to the candidates. “Each of you has a story of how you got here and why you are here.

“You will go into fields of labor in churches where you will also hear stories, stories that will touch your heart, stories you will cherish.

“That is the special privilege you get as minister of the Word, to hear stories, God’s stories, stories of grace. Keep your ears and your hearts open to hearing those stories.”

The list of candidates is available at http://www.crcna.org/candidacy/prospective-candidates.

For continuous coverage of Synod 2015 including the live webcast, news, video recordings, photos, liveblog, social media links, and more visit www.crcna.org/synod.