39 Candidates Approved as Ministers of the Word
Twenty-two of the candidates for the office of Minister of the Word.
Karen Huttenga
In a ceremony marked by joy and laughter, synod, the general assembly of the Christian Reformed Church (CRC), received 39 new candidates for the office of Minister of the Word.
Twenty-two of the candidates were in attendance at the synod, many accompanied by family. All The candidates were asked to stand in front of synod, while the director of the Candidacy Committee, David Koll, read their names. When all of the names had been read, the candidates were welcomed with a standing ovation.
The candidates and delegates also clapped for the family members, churches and classes who have supported these men and women as they studied and prepared for ministry.
Jul Medenblik, president of Calvin Theological Seminary, reminded the candidates of three “markers of ministry in a world of division and separation: unity in Christ, unity of purpose in the mission of Christ, and unity in Christ’s body, the church.”
Led by Koll, synod delegates moved into worship. This also included a time of prayer for each candidate by their regional classis. International candidates and those without a classis were prayed for by other synodical delegates.
The celebration was brought to a close with coffee and cake shared with the delegates of synod.
For continuous coverage of Synod 2017 including the live webcast, news, video recordings, photos, reports, liveblog, social media links, and more visit www.crcna.org/synod.
