Synod 2016 approved 47 candidates for Ministry of the Word in the Christian Reformed Church. They are now eligible to be called as pastors by congregations.
Twenty of those candidates were present in Grand Rapids, Mich., and were led in procession into the auditorium by David Koll, the CRC’s director of the Candidacy Committee. Synod is the general assembly of the Christian Reformed Church
The candidates were joyously received and celebrated by delegates, along with families and friends of the candidates.
Jul Medenblik, president of Calvin Theological Seminary, spoke words of encouragement to the candidates. Noting that the synod Agenda contains the names of 132 ministers who have served a combined 7,776 years in ministry, he encouraged the candidates—on this their first day—to live “a long obedience in the same direction.” He said, “You received a call from God to go to seminary. Thank you for taking that step of obedience, and may you continue on the journey of obedience.”
After a time of worship, synod president Paul De Vries prayed for the candidates. Candidates and their families stood with delegates who may have touched their lives. In small circles, with the hands of delegates, family, and friends laid on the candidates, De Vries prayed that God would be with them for the long obedience of faithful ministry.
Synod 2016 is meeting at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich., from June 10-17. 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/synod. Unless noted otherwise, all photographs are by Karen Huttenga.
About the Author
Clayton Libolt was the long time pastor of River Terrace Church in East Lansing, Mich. Since his retirement, he has served in a variety of interim positions. He is presently serving as the interim senior pastor of Sonlight Community CRC in Lynden, Wash.
