Executive Director’s Report Calls Churches to Action

Christian Reformed Church executive director Steven Timmermans spent part of his annual state of the church address calling the denomination to continue its tradition of ministering to a hurting and broken world.

Timmermans gave his address on Saturday, June 10 to the delegates of synod, the annual general assembly of the Christian Reformed Church. The talk was also live streamed over the internet for people to watch at home.

“My intent is not to provide a comprehensive report on the state of the church,” he said, “but rather to offer three highlights of things that have much to do with all of us today and in the weeks and months and even years ahead.”

Timmerman’s report was built around answering the question, “Where is the Lord taking us in the future?”

The first highlight was about Our Journey 2020, the ministry plan of the CRC. This plan, he said, indicates a change in posture for the denomination that is really geared towards helping local congregations thrive.

“In a bureaucratic, centralized organization, a ministry plan or a strategic plan often dictates what the upper echelon hopes to accomplish by making assignments to the lower echelon,” he reported. “Truly, that’s not the case with Our Journey 2020. It grew out of church basements and meeting rooms.”

He went on to provide a few examples of how churches are already engaging the plan to improve their ministry, and how denominational staff are supporting them in this endeavor.

“The end goal is for the ministry of each and every congregation to thrive,” he said. Where is the Lord taking us in the future?  “I hope towards a denomination that is oriented toward and effective in empowering congregations, through the Holy Spirit, to flourish in ministry.”

Next, Timmermans reported on ministry prioritization and evaluation. Synod 2016 had tasked staff with evaluating and prioritizing all existing programs and ministries with the goal of “reducing the institutional footprint” of the denomination. This included producing a detailed chart indicating when each ministry started, why they started, and what their current budgets are.

That synod also asked staff to evaluated and prioritize these ministries by Synod 2018 with an end goal of “re-evaluating ministry shares” by Synod 2019. Ministry shares are the system by which all members of the Christian Reformed Church are able to contribute financially towards the denomination’s shared ministry. 

Timmermans said that following up on these tasks from Synod 2016 is “what we’ve been doing and where we are headed.” 

The topic will be discussed in depth by delegates during their Monday, June 12 session, but Timmermans did share a few recent highlights about ministry shares, estate giving, and support from external foundations.

“Where is the Lord taking us in the future?  I don’t know all the details, but I do know that God provides,” said Timmermans, thanking congregations and individuals for their generous support.

Timmermans third highlight was about the church’s responsibility to minister to a hurting and broken world.  To explain this point, he told a personal story about his son Paul, who has Down syndrome.

When Paul graduated from the federally-mandated special education system at age 21, there was no longer any funding for the state-funded system that typically supported vocational training and other support for adults with disabilities.

Timmermans and his wife had to figure out next steps. They found work for Paul at a local book cafe and paid for the job coaching he needed. “What happened to all the other ‘Pauls’ who finished special education that year?” he asked. “My heart bled for parents who couldn’t hatch a plan.”

Timmermans said that when he recounted that story on Facebook, “[A] commenter wrote ‘Could we all just relax a bit? The best thing citizens can do is write letters to congressmen and pray for lawmakers and not just play political games.’”

Timmermans said he did not take kindly to that as a parent or as a leader of a Christian institution.

“To be vigilant is the responsibility, I believe, God places on those with family members who are disabled, struggling with health issues, and the like,” said Timmermans. “I believe God places that responsibility with all of us as well.”

This includes the institutional church.

  Timmermans wondered if the person making the comment wishes to leave it all up to individuals to write letters and pray. He added, "This person’s words are not unlike phone calls and emails I have received this past year."

He ventured that such comments suggest that some do not expect or want to hear any calls to action from the pulpit, believing that the church doesn't​ have a role in a broken and hurting world.

Similarly, Timmermans said that some say the CRC doesn’t need an Office of Social Justice or a Centre for Public Dialogue. Or World Renew.

“I disagree vigorously,” he said. “This posture that it is just an individual matter, not a matter for the church to speak the gospel truth from the pulpit or in the public square—it’s just plain wrong. It’s the wrong posture for us as believers to take in a broken and hurting world.”

Timmermans told delegates the church must speak the gospel truth, and that will require addressing matters about which there is disagreement. “It is time we stop fussing about whether church should address a broken and hurting world, whether offering gospel words from pulpit or in the public square, or doing the gospel by our deeds.”

He said that individuals and churches must speak the saving gospel and all of the implications Christ taught, about abortion, health care for people with previous conditions, advocacy for wrongs done to First Nation peoples, and more.

“The Lord is not telling us to ‘relax a bit.’ He’s saying, ‘Speak the gospel truth, be my servants.’ We in the CRC have a faithful track record of speaking the gospel in Word and in deed to a hurting and broken world. It’s not time to slow down and relax a bit.”

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.