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CRC Deepens Relationship with Church in Sierra Leone

June 13, 2017
Kathy Smith, Classis British Columbia North-West: “It’s a gift to see how God has protected and blessed the church.”

Kathy Smith, Classis British Columbia North-West: “It’s a gift to see how God has protected and blessed the church.”

Karen Huttenga

Synod 2017 accepted a request from the Christian Reformed Church in Sierra Leone to forge an ecumenical relationship with the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA). As a “church in dialogue” with the CRCNA, the Christian Reformed Church of Sierra Leone is still a step away from the closest level of ecumenical relations, called “ecclesiastical fellowship.”

CRCNA missionaries and relief workers jointly planted a church in Sierra Leone beginning in 1980. Despite many setbacks, the church survived Sierra Leone’s decade-long civil war that began in 1991. In 2005, CRCNA missionaries passed their work in Sierra Leone on to local leaders.

“It’s a gift of God to be here making this decision,” said Kathy Smith, Classis British Columbia North-West, a former missionary to Sierra Leone. “It’s a gift to see how God has protected and blessed the church.”

But Smith and other delegates wondered why the ecumenical and interfaith relations committee (EIRC) did not recommend the closer category of “ecclesiastical fellowship”-- since this church was actually birthed from the CRCNA’s work.

“This [Sierra Leone] church is quite young, ten to 15 years old,” answered Jim Payton, chair of the denomination’s Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations Committee (EIRC). “It seemed a wiser course of action to establish a relationship that would not expose us to criticism if there were any problems in their churches.”

“Let’s give thanks for God’s grace in spite of setbacks and even the horrors of civil war,” said Phillip Leo, who reported to Synod on interfaith matters. “This is a success story.”

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.