Recapping Synod 2017
Karen Huttenga
At a Sunday worship service for Synod 2017, Rev. Drew Brown, pastor of Crossroads Community CRC in Schererville, Ind., urged delegates to pray for humility.
“Humility is a submitted willingness” to be servants, he said to the roughly 200 people gathered as part of the annual general assembly of the Christian Reformed Church. While true service is difficult, Brown said, if you are to be a true follower of Jesus, “you must put yourself in a position to be humbled.”
Seeking to act as servants for the CRC’s annual business meeting, delegates from all over North America came to Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Ill., June 9-15 to pray, sing, gather for fellowship and committee meetings, and make a series of decisions.
The decisions ranged from changing the status of the Belhar Confession to approving the bylaws for a new governing structure for the church.
They also heard Steve Timmermans, executive director of the Christian Reformed Church in North America, call delegates to keep the needs of the poor and marginalized in their hearts and on their minds and to seek to follow the gospel in what they say and what they do.
The church must speak the gospel truth, and that will require addressing matters about which there is disagreement, he said.
“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 preexisting conditions, advocacy for wrongs done to First Nations peoples, and more.
Speaking to this very matter, Synod 2017 urged “CRC members, congregations, and agencies to remember and renew [the] passion to serve God by serving the poor and oppressed in ministries of relief, development, proclamation, and advocacy for justice.”
Synod also approved Resonate Global Mission as the name for the new agency that is emerging from the unification of Christian Reformed Home Missions and Christian Reformed World Missions. Delegates also ratified the appointment of Rev. Zachary King to serve as the director of this new agency.
One issue that drew lengthy discussion on the floor of synod had to do with an overture expressing concern about some of the content of the Do Justice blog offered through the Office of Social Justice and the Centre for Public Dialogue.
Suggesting violations of the second and perhaps first commandments, Classis Minnkota, which had submitted the overture, asked synod “to establish oversight of the blog Do Justice to ensure that posted articles are in line with Scripture and our confessions.”
After much discussion, synod asked those who have oversight of the blog, which addresses a wide range of issues from various points of view, to ensure that the articles are written in such a way that they encourage a Reformed understanding of Scripture.
In addition, given that membership in the Christian Reformed Church has dropped more than 13 percent in the past decade, Synod 2017 discussed this trend and encouraged churches and denominational staff to make church renewal a priority.
In other actions, synod
- explored the ongoing partnership between the CRC and the Reformed Church in America.
- called for patience in addressing the issue of same-sex marriage.
- denied accreditation for funding Operation Christmas Child.
- deepened the relationship between the CRC and the Christian Reformed Church in Sierra Leone.
- listened to Rev. Patrick Jok Ding Wic of the Sudanese Reformed Church recount both the hope and the horror caused by the civil war in South Sudan.
- approved 39 candidates for the office of minister of the Word.
For all of the coverage of Synod 2017, including the live webcast, news, video recordings, photos, reports, social media links, and more, visit www.crcna.org/synod.
