Entering Ordained Ministry
Entry into ordained ministry in the Christian Reformed Church is governed by Church Order Article 6 (candidates who have the prescribed seminary training), Article 7 (those without seminary training deemed to have exceptional gifts), and Article 8 (ministers from other denominations).
With the new exception of Reformed Church in America pastors, every person who enters ordained ministry in the CRC must be examined by a classis in the presence of synodical representatives (deputies). This winter, classes examined and approved the following:
Article 6: Carol Muller
Article 8: Darwin Glassford.
Leaving a Congregation
When neither retirement nor discipline is involved, a minister can, for weighty reasons, be released from ministry in a specific congregation, at the request of the pastor, the church council, or both. Classes released the following ministers: Rev. Jack DeJong from Caledonia (Mich.) CRC; Rev. Steven Baarda from Immanuel CRC, Simcoe, Ontario; Rev. Spencer Tuttle from Covenant CRC, Grand Ledge, Mich.; and Rev. Bruce Ballast from CrossPoint CRC, Chino, Calif.
Leaving Ordained Ministry
Classes may end ordained ministry status of a pastor if the minister has voluntarily left the CRC or has taken up a nonministerial vocation. A classis may also end ordained ministry status if a minister released from a congregation does not receive a call to another church within two years. The ordained ministerial status of Rev. Mark Mayer was ended by classis.
Deposed
Classes may depose a minister for disciplinary reasons involving abuse or neglect of office, deviation from sound doctrine, or ungodly conduct. The following person was deposed: Tony W. Koeman.
—Banner News Correspondents
