Just weeks after serving the Christian Reformed Church as vice president of Synod 2010, Rev. Peter Slofstra found himself dining with Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, and Stephen Harper, the prime minister of Canada.
Slofstra, pastor of Hope Fellowship CRC in Courtice, Ontario, said he felt a “mixture of nervousness and excitement” as he met the queen.
Slofstra was one of 300 guests at a state dinner held in Toronto. Surprised by the invitation, Slofstra discovered that others at his table—clergy from Lutheran, Presbyterian, and United Church of Canada denominations—also didn’t know why they had been invited, though it became clear that he was in attendance as a representative of the Christian Reformed Church.
Despite a widespread power outage, the black-tie event was a wonderful experience, Slofstra said. “The truth is, I don’t know why I was invited, and I may never know. But I feel humbled and honored and undeserving, much the same way as all of us will feel when we meet the King of Kings and say, ‘Why me, Lord?’”
About the Author
Brenda Visser is the Banner's regional news correspondent for classis Eastern Canada.
