Pastoral Ministry in the Canadian Context
Earlier this fall, 15 students in the Ecclesiastical Program for
Ministerial Candidacy (EPMC) took part in a four-day “connection trip” designed to deepen their understanding of pastoral ministry within the Christian Reformed Church’s Canadian context.
Hosted by Susan LaClear, the CRCNA’s director of Candidacy, and Shawn Brix, Canadian church relations liaison at Calvin Theological Seminary, the trip brought participants together for worship, learning, and reflection on topics such as pastoral identity, ministry health, and the denomination’s commitment to justice and reconciliation.
Fourteen participants attended in person in southern Ontario, while one joined virtually due to visa complications.
During the trip, students spent time at Crieff Hills Retreat and Conference Centre in Puslinch, Ont., for a retreat focused on spiritual and emotional well-being; visited Six Nations of the Grand River for On-the-Land Learning with Adrian Jacobs, senior leader for Indigenous justice and reconciliation with the CRCNA; and met with ministry leaders at Willowdale CRC in North York, Ont., to hear how the congregation is engaging its intercultural community. The experience concluded with conversation and hospitality at a local Persian bakery.
One of the participants, [David] Sungkyu Jee, is part of the prayer ministry at ClearView CRC in Oakville, Ont., and completed his M.Div studies at Gordon-Cornwell Theological Seminary. He said, “What really stuck with me was seeing how hard the denomination is working to support its pastors. It was just so encouraging to see that care in action. It made me feel truly grateful and gave me a lot of hope for our ability to build healthy ministries together.”
The EPMC program, offered through a partnership between Calvin Theological Seminary and the CRCNA Candidacy office, helps students who have completed a master of divinity degree at seminaries other than Calvin Seminary to meet the CRC’s requirements for ordination as ministers of the Word. A key component of the program is the opportunity to participate in connection trips to experience the CRCNA’s denominational ministry firsthand. This often has included a visit to one of the CRCNA’s ministry support centers in Grand Rapids, Mich., or Burlington, Ont.
“This year we decided to require all participants to attend a second connection trip in Ontario,” explained LaClear. “Our goal was to provide opportunities for American participants to experience the binational flavor of our denomination so that they could begin to understand and appreciate the broader context of the CRCNA. I believe that outcome was achieved.”
The trip also gave participants an opportunity to see how the CRC’s ministry in Canada engages with both historical and contemporary challenges. Through visits, discussions, and immersive experiences they were able to connect the denomination’s broader values with tangible initiatives in local communities.
Brix said, “One focus of the CRC's work in Canada is in the area of justice and reconciliation with our Indigenous neighbors. The legacy of the residential school system has left deep wounds between ‘settlers’ and those who belong to First Nations communities. . . . Our CRC Indigenous ministry centres in Winnipeg, Regina, and Edmonton, as well as the Hearts Exchanged cohorts sponsored by the denomination's Canadian Indigenous Ministries Committee (CIMC), are evidence of our commitment in Canada to work toward being ‘ambassadors of reconciliation.’”
From learning about the impact of residential schools to witnessing the vibrancy of intercultural congregations, the trip provided EPMC participants with a picture of the CRC’s mission in Canada.
