Our 25 Most-read Online Articles in 2024

Online Banner readers gravitated to news, analysis, and reflection about the Christian Reformed Church’s annual general assembly, synod, in 2024, with continued interest in Cross Examination, Big Questions, and Faith Matters columns and past features on zionism, trees, hypocrisy, and the rapture.

This mix indicates an audience for the various aspects of The Banner’s mandate—to convey “what is happening in the CRC as well as the church at large,” to “provide articles that edify and encourage Christian living,” to “stimulate critical thinking about issues related to the Christian faith and the culture,” and to “offer tools to help readers find fresh awareness to seek, learn, worship, and serve as Reformed Christians in contemporary society” (from The Banner’s synodical mandate).

Thanks for reading! The Banner team looks forward to continuing to live up to this mandate in 2025. For more about that, check out our editor-in-chief’s December editorial “Anti-echo Chamber” with an appeal for continued support.

These are the 25 most-accessed articles on thebanner.org between January and December 2024, in order of most views to fewer:

1. Synod Sets a Course of Discipline for CRC Churches Acting Contrary to CRC Teachings (News; June 19, 2024)

2. Did God Order Genocide in the Old Testament? (Cross Examination; July 12, 2022)

3. Synod Hears a Farewell From Grand Rapids East Delegate (News; June 20, 2024)

4. Why I’m Not a Christian Zionist (Feature; Dec. 16, 2019)

5. Some Delegates Don’t Stand for Public Declaration of Agreement with CRC Beliefs (News; June 14, 2024)

6. Synod Defines Confessional Difficulties, Removes Ambiguity in Gravamen Process (News; June 19, 2024)

7. The Spiritual Significance of Trees (Feature; April 13, 2020)

8. Synod 2024 Declared Disciplinary Measures for Those ‘In Protest’ (News; June 20, 2024)

9. Synod 2024 Elects Four Midwest Pastors as Officers (News; May 30, 2024)

10. Should Christians support Israel no matter what it does to the Palestinians? (Big Questions; Jan. 5, 2024)

11. Jesus Came to Bring Joy (Feature; April 17, 2023)