Synod Opts to Continue Written Reading Service Sermons
Ken Benjamins, chair of the Sermons for Reading Services committee.
Karen Huttenga
A report to Synod 2014 from the Sermons for Reading Services Committee noted that written sermons for reading services are now available on a website instead of booklets previously commended to every church council room.
Rich De Lange, reporting to synod, indicated that there’s a continuing desire for these sermons to be available to the churches temporarily without a pastor. However, he said, “the Committee for Reading Services is finding it ...harder to get new sermons because pastors are not writing out their sermon.”
Rev. Joshua Van Til of Classis Columbia asked about video sermons. “Why not get a list of sermons by the best available preachers in the room using the technology we have today?”
Synod president Scott Greenway expressed his concern about being replaced by video. “Congregations could find out it really works,” he quipped.
Other delegates indicated that not all churches have the technology to show video sermons, having to remain content with the written sermons provided by the committee.
Rev. Ken Benjamins, the committee’s chairperson, told delegates that where the sermons are available on the website, information is given about their author and a possible website where the sermon can be viewed or heard in its original context. Synod voted to continue the work of providing written sermons.
For continuous coverage of Synod 2014 including the live webcast, news, video recordings, photos, liveblog, social media links, and more visit www.crcna.org/synod
