By Roxanne Van Farowe

(First appeared in the August 2004 issue of The Banner.) 

Since 1982 the Christian Reformed Church has required its pastors to have mentors during their first five years of ministry. But how to go about that mentoring relationship has largely been left to individual interpretation. As a result, says Rev. Norm Thomasma, education specialist for the CRC’s Pastor-Church Relations office, some relationships have gone well, some not well at all.

Since 2001, however, the Pastor-Church Relations office has used a $2 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. for Sustaining Pastoral Excellence to offer initiatives to strengthen pastors in their work, including mentoring relationships. “[Mentoring is a] growing dimension of the CRC, a dimension that we believe holds significant promise for increasing the spiritual savvy and pastoral resilience of many being called to serve our Lord in congregations,” Thomasma said.

One recent initiative resulting from the grant was the “Relational Heart of Mentoring” conference, which drew 69 CRC pastors from across North America and 50 of their mentors to Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Mich., May 5-7. The conference’s keynote speaker was Jaco Hamman, assistant professor of pastoral care and counseling at Western Theological Seminary, Holland, Mich. Participants resonated with Hamman’s message that mentoring empowers a pastor to live into his or her call. “Ministry is getting tougher out there,” said Rev. John Berends of San Jose (Calif.) CRC, who has been mentoring younger pastors formally and informally for more than a decade. “The roles, responsibilities, and dynamics have all changed, and [pastors] need all the help we can get.” Berends added that out of the numerous conferences he has attended, this one was by far the best. Others who attended gave similar praise.

“The conference was hugely affirming to me,” said Rev. Pieter Pereboom of First CRC, London, Ontario. Pereboom has met with two mentors since his ordination in 2001. “It’s a deep, growing experience, and a reciprocal relationship,” he said.