CRC Members Share Meals, Conversations with Local Muslims

Seeking to build better inter-faith relations, two Christian Reformed Church congregations in West Michigan recently sat down for dinner with members of a pair of area mosques.

In one case, Trinity CRC in Grandville invited Majid Al-Taweed to the church for a meal on Christmas Eve. In the other, Church of the Servant in Grand Rapids attended a dinner put on by the Islamic Mosque and Religious Institute in early January.

“This evening was such a powerful blessing for all who attended,” said Rev. Jerry Koning, pastor of Trinity, which partnered with its church plant Strong Tower Ministries to hold the dinner. 

“I know members of my own congregation were impacted by it, but even more exciting is the fact that many people from the Muslim community also relayed to me how much they appreciated our reaching out to them with such great hospitality. 

“The imam told me that this was the first time they have been invited to a church for a meal. We are even talking about having our next meal together at the mosque."

Jack Roeda, pastor of Church of the Servant, said the meal offered church members a chance to get insight into the beliefs and practices of Islam, as well as provided an opportunity for valuable one-on-one conversations.

“It was a wonderful event. I look forward to ways we can join together and continue to build a relationship in the future,” he said.

These events came as the Office of Social Justice and Race Relations are asking CRC constituents to think a little more deeply about what is happening in Canadian and U.S. society regarding attitudes and statements about those of other faiths, most importantly, Muslims, said Peter Vander Meulen, coordinator of OSJ.

As a result, OSJ and Race Relations are suggesting people check out resources regarding  Christian-Muslim dialogue and ways of working with Muslim refugees to learn about some of differences and similarities among religious groups with the goal of bridging the gap of misunderstanding that often exists between people of various faiths, said Vander Meulen.

Especially helpful for him, said Vander Meulen, was attending the dinner at which Church of the Servant members met with members of the Islamic Mosque and Religious Institute.

“You never really quite understand the differences and similarities until you see the face of the other, to actually be there and hear them talking about their religion and realize we have so much in common,” he said.

As he considers the issue, Vander Meulen said he thinks of a meeting he and other CRC leaders had more than a year ago with a Muslim leader in Egypt. The leader told them that arguing over differences between their religions missed an important point.

“He talked of the cultural challenges that we have in common,” such things as violence, sexual immorality and various forms of injustice, he said. “As many cultural concerns that we have as Christians, they have in Islam. There are a number of social issues that we could  speak about together.”

Paul Kortenhoven, a former Christian Reformed World Missions missionary who worked with Muslims when he served in Sierra Leone, helped to coordinate the dinner for about 40 Church of the Servant members.

“My view has been that we ought to get to know people who attend this mosque, which is right in our neighborhood,” said Kortenhoven. “When I spoke to the imam about it, he was very interested in learning more about Christians.”

Before the dinner at the mosque, there was a presentation on Islam in which the speakers talked of such things as their belief that the Quran contains the holy, inspired words of Allah.

They also discussed a number of other beliefs and practices.

Kortenhoven’s wife, Mary, said she appreciated getting to know people she might see on the street or in the store or elsewhere, but not really having an idea who they are and what they believe.

“We were not unfamiliar to them, or they to us, but we really didn’t know each other,” she said.

After the presentations on Islam, there was time for questions and answers and for Church of the Servant members to attend the Muslim evening prayer. At dinner, they ate at the same tables.

“We were so impressed with their hospitality and their spirit of generosity,” said Joel Westmas, a Church of the Servant member.

“Praise God for helping us to recognize our common humanity at a time when many are anxious and fearful. May we all continue to appreciate and understand others."

Looking to the future, they hope to have another dinner at Church of the Servant at which they can share more deeply their Christian beliefs, said Kortenhoven.

“We can talk about how we believe God leaves us a huge reservoir of grace that we have in Jesus Christ.”

For Kortenhoven, the dinners aren’t about trying to win someone who is Muslim to Christianity. Rather, they are a chance is to share in words and by example what Christians believe and how they live out their faith.

In addition, these gatherings can be an opportunity for people of the two faiths to consider practical ways, such as in mentorship programs or in reaching out to the homeless, that they might be able to work together in the community.

Above all, holding these dinners is a way to celebrate the truth that everyone is a child of God, and to honor what they have in common, rather than focus on differences, said Kortenhoven.

“If God values every single human being he’s made equally, this has to be fundamental,” he said. “On this basis, we will not be judged on how we treat fellow church members, but how do we treat those who were created in the image of God.”