Synod Addresses Dykstra Resignation
A report from the advisory committee that studied the matter on synod’s behalf acknowledged that “the events surrounding Rev. Dykstra’s resignation caused deep pain for Rev. Dykstra, the members of the BOT, other denominational leaders, and the denomination as a whole.” The committee led synod in a prayer for healing.
Synod also appointed a task force to “conduct a review of the organization, culture and leadership within the CRCNA” and to make recommendations to Synod 2012.
Initially, synod discussed going into executive session to talk about the resignation. But Rev. James Dekker, president of Synod 2011, said he urged delegates not to discuss the issue behind closed doors.
Dekker said it was important for synod to be transparent, since a seeming lack of transparency had already caused concern in the denomination and led to rumors and gossip.
“I would like to deal with this report in candor and appropriate love and remain in full session as long as possible,” said Dekker. Should the discussion get too personal, he said, he would call for an executive session, but both he and the advisory committee thought it would not be necessary.
The advisory committee told synod that, “In April, 2011, after a thorough and independent performance review of Rev. Jerry Dykstra, the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to ask Rev. Dykstra to resign as Executive Director of the CRCNA.
“The BOT and Rev. Dykstra mutually agreed to inform the denomination that Rev. Dykstra resigned 'for personal and family reasons'. The Board appropriately honored this agreement in its limited communications about the matter.”
It said that the Board of Trustees “also agreed with Rev. Dykstra to a mutual non-disparagement agreement. In fulfillment of that promise, the Board of Trustees decided to make no further comment about Rev. Dykstra’s resignation until the convening of Synod 2011....”
Although careful not to get into personal matters, the reporter for the advisory committee made it clear that the resignation had nothing to do with matters of morality.
The committee said that Dykstra “worked diligently to fulfill the CRCNA’s calling of him to serve as the ED as he understood that call...” and acknowledged that the events surrounding the resignation “at times fell short of good order and grace.”
Rev. Mark Vermaire, president of the Board of Trustees, was asked why the board did not seek to remedy the difficulties through training or other means before asking for Dykstra’s resignation. He replied: “Processes for helping growth were offered and suggested.”
Synod joined the committee in a series of prayers and laments honoring Dykstra and acknowleding the pain the situation has caused him, his family and others in the church. Later, Dykstra was honored as part of a banquet honoring retirees.
Synod also accepted a recommendation to appoint a Structure and Cultural Review Task Force to review of the organization, culture and leadership of the CRCNA.
Delegates also listened to and watched an informative presentation from Back to God Ministries International (BTGMI) that described evangelizing people around the world using old and new media tools.
Robert Heerspink, director of Back to God Ministries International, spoke about the BTGMI’s ministry as well as the growing partnership between his organization and Words of Hope, the media ministry of the Reformed Church in America.
He spoke of how BTGMI continues to provide radio broadcasts, which were the initial ministry of his agency. ItI now broadcasts programs in many languages on more than 2,000 radio stations around the world.
He also described how BTGMI is expanding through the use of new media such as blogs, cell-phone evangelism, and social networking. It also is starting or growing its work in India, Indonesia and other countries.
In addition, it offers various programs such as “Church Juice” that provide assistance to congregations that want to take advantage of new media tools, from websites to using the social networking provided by Facebook to spread the Reformed message of transformation through the grace and love of God.
“We are living in the communications age,” said Heerspink. “The ways we can reach out today are vast...Increasingly, we are using a relational model … We use tools that help people create circles of dialogue.”
At the end of the afternoon session, delegates finished their work on and adopted, with a few changes, additional recommendations contained in the the report on issues of diversity in leadership of the CRCNA.
Synod had dealt with the major parts of the diversity in leadership report in the morning, approving recommendations to create a more racially and ethnically diverse leadership.
In the afternoon, after more discussion, synod instructed the Board of Trustees to appoint an expanded task force to, among other things, “develop further short-term and long-term strategies for increasing multiethnic representation within the leadership of the denomination and report through the BOT to Synod 2013.”
For more coverage while synod is in session, including webcast, webcast archives, photos, discussion forum, reports, and more visit the Synod 2011 website.
