Looking Back at 2019
In 2019 the Christian Reformed Church in North America responded to hardships and turmoil at home and around the world; held its annual synod, in June to handle a range of issues; and observed the passing of several beloved members.
Also over the past 12 months the church gathered leaders from congregations across North America in Windsor, Ont., for three days of worship, prayer, and thought-provoking presentations. In addition, the church issued heartfelt and theologically rich statements on important issues for society and people of faith.
Using a web-based analysis of the 200 most-read stories in CRC News this year, we are offering a sampling of those stories, separated into categories and based loosely on how they showed up in the computerized ranking.
Synod 2019
Meeting in June on the campus of Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Mich., delegates to Synod 2019 discussed an interim report from the committee charged with looking at issues of human sexuality, including same-sex attraction and issues related to marriage, divorce, pornography, polyamorous relationships, and gender fluidity.
In addition, Synod 2019 declared kinism a heresy. Kinism teaches that the races should be kept separate in racially pure “religioethnic states,” supporting white supremacy.
Meanwhile Synod 2019 adopted a proposal to reimagine ministry shares; received 42 candidates for the ministry of the Word, four of whom wanted to remain anonymous because they plan to serve in places where doing Christian ministry is risky. In addition, Steven Timmermans reported on some of the trends he sees as executive director of the CRCNA.
Breaking News
In late August, an arsonist set fire to and seriously damaged the Naschitti (N.Mex.) Christian Reformed Church. The congregation’s former church building and two abandoned buildings, all about 50 yards away from the current church, were set ablaze and destroyed. In November, however, with thanks to God and recognizing the help of World Renew, other organizations, and the work of many volunteers, the congregation celebrated the recovery and remodeling of their church building on the Sunday before Thanksgiving.
When large demonstrations paralyzed much of Haiti early in 2019, some CRCNA staff chose to temporarily leave the country.
For the first time in 20 years, an extensive survey was completed to explore how Christian Reformed congregations in North America do worship. Some of the results showed intriguing changes.
Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich., officially became Calvin University on Wed., July 10. The date coincided with Reformer John Calvin’s birthday, for whom the institution was named at its founding in 1876.
In October, the Council of Delegates approved a renovation project and potential land sale at the CRCNA’s Grand Rapids, Mich., facilities.
Courtney Lanting had a difficult feat ahead of her as she climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, but the Byron Center, Mich., woman made it to the 19,341-foot summit on Aug. 9. Lanting was part of a group that climbed to the top of the peak. She made the ascent for personal reasons but also to raise awareness of and funding for World Renew through Growing Hope Globally, a World Renew partner.
Denominational Statements
After three mass shootings in one week this past summer — two of them by gunmen who posted white supremacist rehetoric online — the CRCNA stated, among other things: “As Christian Reformed people, we grieve this loss of life. We grieve the hatred and extremism behind these acts of violence. We, as God’s church and society, grieve that we’ve been unable to put a stop to mass shootings.”
Concerned about a proposal by some U.S. officials that no refugees be admitted to the U.S. in 2020, the CRCNA issued a statement, reading in part: “A drastic reduction in the number of refugee resettlements allowed next year would prevent our churches from following our longstanding calling to extend hospitality to refugees.”
Inspirational Gatherings
When it comes to raising up the next generation of church leaders, we need to be willing to have frank conversations about money, sex, and power, said Dr. Mary Hulst, the opening speaker for Inspire 2019, the second binational gathering for ministry leaders of the CRCNA. Held Aug. 1-3 in Windsor, Ont., the event offered worship and a range of other speakers addressing such topics as the importance of lament in worship and living lives of abundant hospitality.
Representatives from CRCNA congregations across Canada met May 24-26 at The King’s University in Edmonton, Alta., for the Canadian National Gathering 2019. The event brought people from each of the 12 Canadian classes (regional groups of churches) to pray, discuss ministry in the Canadian context, and discern where God is leading the CRCNA and how we can join the work he is doing.
Ministry Overseas
Jordan Roeda felt as if the door to international mission was closed. So he pursued studies in international development instead. However, he continued to ask difficult questions of faith and to try to reconcile his experience of doing mission work in Nigeria with his desire to be a full-time missionary. Then he met Rebecca Deng, a South Sudan civil-war survivor, who helped him see God’s care in deeper ways and whom he eventually married.
One day, Katherine Alen Williams, after years of helping her husband nurture a growing church in the small state of Mizoram in India, was pondering how they could support an evangelist who had almost no income. Then she recalled what members of the Khasi tribe in another area had done. It had to do with setting aside a handful of rice – for Jesus.
Rev. Hirotsugu Mochida’s eagerness to represent his denomination at Synod 2019 came as a result of his deep gratitude for the years of mission work done in Japan by the CRCNA’s mission agencies — work that ultimately brought Mochida to faith in Christ.
Ministry at Home
When Najib and Nurhan Kahya arrived with their children in Canada, the first thing they asked was, “Will we be safe here?” As Syrian refugees who have experienced the horrors of war and the uncertainty of living without a home, their safety was a never-ending concern.
In the home of Karen Wilk, the weekly gathering for worship on most Sundays begins with a potluck brunch. The former youth minister and church-plant pastor now leads a ministry called Neighbourhood Life in Edmonton, Alta.
Discipleship ministry starts small — one person mentoring another — and can seem like a slow way to grow the church. But when disciples are trained to make disciples who make disciples, growth can be exponential. Leaders of the Discipleship Lab, part of the Center for Church Renewal, have a vision for a movement in the Christian Reformed Church of just this kind of growth.
World Renew’s Disaster Response Services readied volunteers and equipment in early September to respond to Hurricane Dorian as it slowly moved toward the East Coast of the U.S. as a Category 2 storm. Meanwhile, World Renew workers were finishing work begun more than two years ago after Hurricane Harvey hit Texas.
Transitions
Sam Huizenga was appointed as the next director of Raise Up Global Ministries, an umbrella name for three like-minded programs that work to develop Christian leadership around the world.
Chris Schoon was appointed the next director of Faith Formation Ministries, And at a meeting in May, the Council of Delegates voted to ratify this decision.
As the new Dwell curriculum coordinator for the CRCNA, Jill Benson is playing a key role in helping the CRCNA continue to provide wide-ranging and scripturally solid Reformed children’s ministry curricula to churches and families.
Delegates and visitors to Synod 2019 took time to attend a retirement lunch in June to honor Gary Bekker for his varied career of many years that included work as an educator, a missionary, a pastor, and an agency director who helped unite Christian Reformed World Missions with Christian Reformed Home Missions into the new agency Resonate Global Mission in 2017.
Special D-Day Remembrances
John Van Til entered the army in 1942, and after basic training he did officers’ training in Shrivenham, England, as a second lieutenant in the 110th field artillery battalion of the U.S. Army, landing on Omaha Beach on D-Day.
When World War II began, Sam Black, an art teacher in Scotland, enlisted in the Royal Scottish Fusiliers and, eventually, after being called up, received a commission in the Officer Corps. Before he landed at Normandy, he was asked to come up with a drawing for the cover of the top-secret plans for Operation Overlord.
Passings
More than 300 people filled the sanctuary and the choir loft on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 8, for a service at Seymour Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Mich., to memorialize the life of Diet Eman, a member of the Dutch resistance who found safe homes for dozens of men, women, and children fleeing the Nazis during World War II.
William "Bud" Ipema, a Christian Reformed Church pastor who died on Apr. 14 at the age of 81, was remembered by friends and colleagues for his long career in urban ministry throughout Chicago and beyond.
Herb Start, the founder and long-time director of Hope Network and long-time choir director in his church, died in early November.
On February 25, God called his faithful servant Jerry Jonker home at the age of 98. A longtime volunteer, entrepreneur, and supporter of Back to God Ministries International, Jonker leaves a legacy of building ministry and relationships with ministry leaders, staff, and donors who became his friends.
