Classis Watch: Fall 2024

Two or three times each year, Christian Reformed churches each send representatives to its classes, a regional assembly of churches.

Many of the actions taken by classes are governed by the CRC’s Church Order, the rules that govern denominational life. Here are some of the actions by classes in the past several months. (Unless otherwise noted, quotations come from minutes of the classis. Links to the relevant articles of Church Order are included.)

Welcomed into Ministry in the CRC

Candidates examined and approved for ministry in the Christian Reformed Church (Arts. 6 and 10): Josiah Huisman, Nick Vander Ploeg, Micah VanDyken, Sarah VerMerris, Matthew D. Timms, Patrick Y. Lin, Austin D. Kammeraad, Caleb Harper, Daniel Unterkofler, Rebecca Bokma, and Yohan Lee.

Ministers welcomed from other denominations: Revs. Kyung Phil Kim, Insuk Shin, and Yeontae Kim (Art. 8-c) and Frank Gipson (Art.8-b).

Classis Ko-Am reinstated the credentials of Rev. Young Wook Kim, mistakenly released by Classis Hanmi in 2019.

Other Actions for Pastors

Ministers loaned (Art. 13-c): Revs. Josiah Huisman to First Reformed Church (RCA), Zeeland, Mich.; and Fred DeJong to First Reformed Church (Kingdom Network), Orange City, Iowa.

Ministerial loan extended for: Rev. Caleb Lai

Ministers released from ministry in a congregation (Art. 17-a): Revs. Stephen De Wit from Alger Park CRC in Grand Rapids, Mich.; Ram Aryal from Maranatha Fellowship CRC in Farmington, N.M.; and John Cleveringa from Haven CRC in Zeeland, Mich.

Eligibility of call extended for: Revs. Marcel Kuiper, Joshua Amaezechi, Adam Stout, and Kyung Lok Jang.

Leaving Ministry in the CRC

Classes may end a pastor’s ordained ministry status guided by Church Order articles 14 and 17. In the case of Art. 14, designations of release (reflecting the manner and spirit in which the minister acted during the time leading up to and including resignation from office) are “honorably released,” “released,” “dismissed,” or in the “status of one deposed.”

Honorably released via Art. 14-b: Steve Dozeman, Benjamin Schaefer, Heidi DeJonge, Peter Rockhold, and Jeff Kroondyk; via Art. 14-c: Suzanne McDonald, David Bouma, Aaron Winkle, Chad Vandervalk, and Joseph Kim.

Released: Michelle Vandenberg (Art. 14-b), Daniel Joo (Art. 14-d), Phil Covert (Art. 17-c).

Ministers retiring (Art. 18) (granted emeritus status): Revs. Jesse Powell (effective June 30, 2022), Daewoo Park, Henry Lengkeek, Neal Plantinga, Kasey Vander Veen, Jin Choi, Sun Il Kim, Mark Deckinga, Jack VanderVeer, Charles Gregg Lawson, Joan DeVries, Aldon Schaap (effective Nov. 16), Barb Sanders and Paul Sausser (effective Dec. 31), Doug De Groot (effective Jan. 1, 2025), Joseph Vanden Akker (effective Feb. 3, 2025), Randy Ledeboer (effective March 1, 2025), Tim Hoekstra (effective March 4, 2025), John Greydanus (effective March 15, 2025), Vicki Cok (effective May 1, 2025).

Classis Lake Superior acknowledged the resignation of CRCNA membership by retired pastor Stan De Vries.

Commissioned Pastors

Approved as commissioned pastors called to specific roles within their classes (Art. 23): Stephanie VanRooyen (Ontario Southwest), Tyler Kirkbride (Huron), Ben Petersen (Columbia), Kenny Yu (California South), Morne Marais (Grand Rapids South), Jon Coupal (Central California), and Kyle McKrill and Nicole Davis (Thornapple Valley).

Bryce Langley (Illiana), DonJin Polo Kim (Atlantic Northeast), Aaron Au (Alberta North), Emily Hull (Thornapple Valley), and Nick Lang (Arizona) were honorably released, and Nate Rusticus (Grandville) and Matt Tuininga (Grand Rapids East) were released from ministry as commissioned pastors (Art. 24-d). Langley “has discerned that his gifts and ministry style are better suited for a different ministry setting and has accepted a position at a Reformed Evangelical Church in the St. Paul, Minn., area.” Moises Pacheco (Classis Chicago South) was released “to Elmhurst CRC and Northern Illinois Classis to continue the work of planting Grace in Garfield Park.”

Commissioned pastor emeritus status (Art. 24-e) was granted to Carol Sue Kuipers (Central California).

New Ministries and Ministry Changes

An emerging (unorganized) church does not have its own council and is under the care of the council of a neighboring CRC. An organized church has its own council (Art. 38).

Na Sung Gloria Church in Los Angeles, Calif., received organized status.

Closed: Spring Rain Church in Malden, Mass.; Southern California Marathon Church in West Hills, Calif., (had been "emerging").

Disaffiliated: The Table Church, an emerging congregation in Tucson, Ariz., has merged with Alta Vista Bible Church and is no longer a CRC church plant. (Churches in the process of disaffiliation, several of which sent resolutions to their classes this fall, are not typically reported in Classis Watch until a classis acts to recognize the completion of a process. Emerging churches may disaffiliate without the action of classis.)

Affiliated: Pleasant Valley Reformed Church in Holland, Iowa (pending receipt of their revised Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws to reflect the changeover from the Reformed Church in America to the Christian Reformed Church.)

Name changes: The merged congregations of Friendship Community Church in Toronto, Ont., (now disbanded) and All Nations Christian Fellowship in North York, Ont., are renamed Friend of Nations Church. Love Global Vision CRC in Clifton, N.J., has changed its name to Global Vision Church.

Classes Hudson and Hackensack have dissolved their joint ministry association, Mid Atlantic Ministries, which began in 1918. “Assets (were) distributed among both classes so that each can re-form their own home missions committees.”

Classis Alberta North dissolved the Northern Alberta Diaconal Conference, intending to "reevaluate the need for a ministry like NADC in 2027."

Other Matters

Synod 2024 approved a motion requiring all delegates to classis meetings to sign the Covenant for Officebearers once each year. The following classes implemented Synod 2024’s requirement at their fall meeting: Illiana, Minnkota, Lake Superior, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids South, Thornapple Valley, and Zeeland.

Some classes noted the annual signing would happen at a Winter or Spring meeting: Holland, Lakota, Hackensack, Central Plains, Arizona.

Some classes noted other approaches. Classis Grand Rapids South heard a church visitor report from a “meeting with Community CRC (Wyoming, Mich.), as it pertains to the seating of their delegates. ‘The delegates from Community have committed themselves to do our work in accordance with our confessions,’” the report said. Classis Ontario Southwest’s classical ministries committee “decided to defer the implementation of this (signing) requirement until after they have an opportunity to reflect on it further.” One member church, First CRC in Sarnia, Ont., did not send delegates to Ontario Southwest’s September meeting, which was maintaining the practice of requiring first-time delegates to sign but not yet implementing a re-signing for all delegates. “First CRC council does not agree with the requirement that first-time delegates must sign the Covenant for Officebearers, when all delegates are not require(d to) at this meeting.” Classis Northern Michigan will have delegates “stand to affirm their agreement to the covenant.” (A motion that delegates of Classis Northern Michigan physically sign the Covenant of Officebearers every year was defeated.) Classis Red Mesa kept with its practice of having the Covenant signed by first-time delegates to Classis, stating “that the rules of Classis procedure supersede the decision made by Synod 2024. … No motion made on the floor of Classis to change its bylaws on this matter.” Classis Atlantic Northeast will have those delegated to classis sign the Covenant for Officebearers at the beginning of each classis meeting.

Classis Ontario Southwest is hosting an “informal discernment meeting” in November, guided by Rev. Sean Baker of Thrive, “to share, listen, graciously discuss, and pray about the impact of Synod on our congregations, classis and denomination. … A summary report from this discussion will be reported back to the churches of classis and will be used as a resource for CMC (classical ministries committee) to further develop a plan.” Classis Hackensack hosted a special meeting in October “to discuss the needs and commitments of being part of Classis Hackensack.”

Classis Illiana approved the request of a member congregation to proceed with a formal announcement of excommunication for a church member (Art. 81). The matter was dealt with in executive session.

Classis Central California approved a request “to appoint a study team or committee to review policies of our classis and denomination regarding sexual misconduct and the establishment of official confidants who can help classical ministry leaders” with “counsel, repentance, and restoration.”

Editor's note: This article was updated Nov. 4, 2024 to correct a misidentification of Classis Ontario Southwest.