Synod 2013 turned down requests from two Canadian classes (groups of churches).
Classis Toronto had requested that Canadian members of the Board of Trustees conduct separate meetings to discuss Canadian issues.
BOT President John Terpstra said that during regular board gatherings, Canadian board members have met informally about their country’s concerns.
“What brought this overture is that there are some items that are very different in Canada versus the U.S.,” such as immigration issues, said Rev. Henk Bruinsma, Classis Toronto.
Classis Niagara asked synod to form a task force in response to the “Canadian Catalytic Conversation,” a recent gathering of Canadian Christian Reformed leaders.
That overture (formal request) was rejected on the grounds that “the requested reflection is already taking place and will continue to take place within the Task Force Reviewing Structure and Culture.”
Synod 2013 is meeting at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich. from June 7-14. For continuous Banner coverage of Synod 2013, please follow The Banner on Facebook or @crcbanner on Twitter. You can find more tweeting by following hashtag #crcsynod. News stories will be posted at www.thebanner.org several times daily. For CRC Communications releases, webcast, and live blogging, please visit www.crcna.org/synod. Unless noted otherwise, all photographs are by Karen Huttenga.
About the Author
Roxanne VanFarowe is a freelance writer who claims both Canadian and American citizenship and grew up in the Christian Reformed Church. She is a member of Blacknall Presbyterian Church in Durham, North Carolina.
