Synod 2015 received the unified budget of the Christian Reformed Church’s agencies and institutions as information and approved ministry shares of $339.48 for the calendar year 2016. It did so after noting that ministry shares comprise only a part of the budget.
Synod (the annual leadership meeting of the CRC) also took note of the need for congregations to understand and appreciate “the blessings and faithfulness of our congregations.” Over the past 15 years, the CRC has consistently received close to $24-25 million dollars annually through ministry shares giving.
Despite that, synod noted a need to recognize the challenges local congregations face regarding ministry shares giving and understanding it. With that need in mind, Synod 2015 requested the executive director to send a letter to congregations that communicates the encouraging information synod learned and that “challenges them to be thoughtful and prayerful about their ministry share gifts.”
Synod also learned that while churches of various sizes contribute more than asked, many churches do not pay 100 percent of their ministry shares.
Synod 2015 is meeting at Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa, from June 12-18. For continuous Banner coverage, please follow The Banner Magazine on Facebook or @crcbanner on Twitter. You can find more tweeting by following hashtag #crcsynod. News stories will be posted at thebanner.org several times daily. For CRC Communications releases, webcast, and live blogging, please visit crcna.org. Unless noted otherwise, all photographs are by Karen Huttenga.
About the Author
George Vink is retired after 50 years as a Christian Reformed pastor. One of his sons is an accident investigator for the Calgary (Alta.) Police Service, and his two brothers are retired from that position. He and his wife, Shirley, are members of Covenant CRC in Cutlerville, Mich.
