Vandezande Named Interim Canadian Director

Ben Vandezande will serve as interim director of Canadian ministries, filling the role left vacant after the August resignation of previous director Rev. Bruce Adema.

Ben Vandezande

The Board of Trustees of the Christian Reformed Church made the appointment at its September meeting.

Vandezande will work part time in the Burlington (Ontario) denominational offices. He will be assisted by two or three deputies who will help supervise the Canadian ministries of the denomination. Rev. William Koopmans of Chatham, Ontario, has been appointed as the church’s ecumenical officer in Canada.

One of Vandezande’s tasks will be to review the position of the director of Canadian ministries. He will participate in conversations about the role of Canadian ministries in the church’s structure with the task force appointed by Synod 2011 to review the structure and culture of the denomination’s administration. He will also engage Canadian churches and classes in conversation about the ongoing role of the director of Canadian ministries, reporting his findings by May 2013.

Vandezande served most recently as interim director of Christian Reformed Home Missions.