Canadian National Gathering 2026
Over 100 Canadian CRC members gathered at Redeemer University in Ancaster, Ont., May 28-31 for the Canadian National Gathering. Springing from a 2013 report on “Cultivating Binationality in the CRCNA” (see Acts of Synod 2014, pp. 432, 440-42), the Canadian National Gathering provides a time to strategically celebrate, discern, and envision bold next steps for the CRCNA in Canada locally, regionally, and nationally.
The theme of this year’s gathering was “Foundation to Future.” Al Postma, executive director-Canada of the CRCNA, spoke throughout the weekend about “Gathering the Builders” and concluded with a message titled “Sending the Builders,” challenging participants to carry the event's insights back to their home communities.
Six-Stream Focus
Participants at the gathering were grouped into six streams identified by the event’s steering team as representing key priorities for churches across Canada today: Leadership Ecosystem, Conflict Navigation, Faith Formation for Children and Youth, Discipleship Pathways, Community Outreach, and Building Authentic Community.
The focus of the Leadership Ecosystem stream was on equipping the next generation of ministry leaders. Stephanie VanRooyen, pastor of faith formation and worship at Grace CRC in Chatham, Ont., found encouragement in the denominational support available. She said, “I am really encouraged about all of the resources that are available within our own denomination for emerging leaders. Thrive has tons of coaching. There are grants you can use to create a mentoring group. There's the Berkman assessment. It’s awesome that the leaders of our denomination see that we need empowerment and training, and they're taking really concrete steps to provide that.”
Participants spent time together in their small groups participating in activities, teachings, and discussions related to their streams. They also enjoyed times of worship together. The final evening of the gathering concluded with each stream presenting their primary findings, focusing heavily on specific barriers and wisdom they uncovered during their sessions.
Uncovering Barriers and Wisdom
In the Leadership Ecosystem stream, there were conversations on how current church structures are struggling to meet rapidly changing societal realities. Participants noted that leaders are often caught trying to “do more with less” amid a shifting public perception of ministry. The wisdom uncovered here points to a more holistic approach: focusing on whole-person mentoring—including theology, character, and spiritual formation—while celebrating leaders and identifying individual callings through incremental, continuous practice.
A similar call for cultural reassessment emerged in the Building Authentic Community stream. Rather than separating challenges from solutions, this group focused on a holistic call to belonging. Participants discussed the need for congregations to be deeply honest about their behavior, to listen well, and to reexamine the narratives that form their identity. By wrestling with core questions of identity—Who am I? Where do I fit? What’s my purpose?—the stream emphasized that every individual has a place and a purpose, focusing heavily on the truth that everyone belongs.
In the Discipleship Pathways stream, the primary hurdles identified were a lack of clarity, intentional direction, and an internal resistance to personal growth. The antidote, participants discovered, is in remembering that discipleship is a lifelong, grace-driven journey rather than a destination. Formation happens relationally and communally, leading to a life of devotion rooted in love and a missional lifestyle marked by hope and hospitality.
The Community Outreach stream wrestled with heavy emotional constraints, including fear, mistrust, a desire for control, and a systemic “savior complex” that often hinders genuine engagement. The breakthrough realization for this group was a shift from traditional “outreach” to “relationship.” Wisdom lies in recognizing that the triune God is already at work in the neighborhood; the church’s role is to pivot to the Spirit’s leading, to allow grace to dictate movement, and to focus on a community’s existing assets rather than just its needs.
The Faith Formation for Children and Youth stream addressed a lack of resources—specifically, money, people, and experience—and a perceived fear of trying new things. The overarching wisdom from this stream was that while previous generations built physical buildings and programs, it is now time to build up the people. Participants concluded that the necessary resources and tools exist but that churches must be intentional with their priorities, equip individuals by walking alongside them, and simply be willing to do hard and challenging things.
The Conflict Navigation stream took an honest look at dynamics that tear communities apart, identifying past trauma, difficulty in communication, and situational dynamics as major barriers. Leaders noted a common cultural tendency to look for “quick fixes” or shortcuts when tension rises. To counter this, the wisdom they shared focused on a commitment to slow down and pray first. Participants were challenged to “own their 10 percent 100 percent of the way,” learning how to lean into complex polarities while always honoring a greater shared purpose.
Alison Pyper, a member at New Life CRC in Guelph, Ont., took part in the Conflict Navigation stream. She wasn't drawn to the track because of an active crisis at home, she said, but because she recognized it as a universal skill. “Whenever I tell people I'm in this stream, they kind of look at me like, ‘Oh,’ but I just feel like all of us can learn to deal with conflict a bit better,” she said. “The first thing we learned was that conflict is everywhere. . . . I can use these skills at church, of course, but also at work and at home.”
Pyper said that having tough, vulnerable conversations in table groups was a highlight of the weekend. “We tackled some tough questions,” she said. “No subject was off the table, and it just felt really, really great that everyone was kind of bringing their most vulnerable and true self. Even with all this heavy conversation, there was laughter interspersed, and that was a bit surprising to me—and I was grateful.”
Returning Home with Hope
Participants left the university campus feeling deeply encouraged and hopeful about the future of the CRCNA in Canada. Postma shared his appreciation for the gathering: “I am consistently impressed with the leaders in CRC churches across Canada. This gathering helped us learn and imagine together what our future can look like. As a binational denomination, it’s especially valuable to look at what God’s call is for us here in Canada and how we can best leverage the strength of our shared ministry to impact our communities locally, regionally, and nationally.”
Lee Carter, the newly appointed director of Thrive said, “I had a lot of really phenomenal conversations with church leaders, pastors, people that are serving as volunteers.” He said it was “interesting to just start to learn about what the Spirit is saying to the church in Canada and get to know what's happening.”
That sense of spiritual clarity was echoed by Jeff Bokma of Faith Community Church, Milford, Nova Scotia: “God's working in the CRC, and we just have to be available for him. It’s not about the church and the building, it’s about us developing relationships in our community and showing the love of Jesus.”
Kevin Lobert, pastor of discipleship and care at Langley (B.C.) Immanuel CRC and a member of the Canadian National Gathering steering team, summarized the collective mission moving forward: “The weekend was a huge blessing, where we learned and talked and discussed so many great things and met so many good people from so many different churches. The goal now is to head home to our churches and, perhaps even more importantly, to our classes and bring what we have learned to the different churches and ministries there in order to encourage and equip and bless them to do the work of disciple-making.”
