Dale and Dwayne Nienhuis are identical twins at Synod 2022, the general assembly of the Christian Reformed Church. Dwayne is attending synod as a delegate from Classis Holland, and Dale came Tuesday morning as his guest.
The two brothers attend churches just 2.5 miles apart, yet they find that they don’t get to see each other as often as they’d like. Dwayne invited Dale as his guest. Dwayne said, “You only go through life once, and I want to experience every single thing.” Dale added, “I like to experience things too, and we like to do things together.”
This is Dwayne’s second time attending synod. He said, “What amazes me is the community and devotion from so many over North America.” He continued, “I don’t question their commitment, even if we don’t always agree.”
Dwayne Nienhuis' congregation, South Olive CRC in Holland, Mich.. plans to call one of the candidates approved on Tuesday. Dwayne brought the letter of call with him to synod, delivering it to candidate Joe Steenholdt soon after the candidates' presentation.
Seeing the brothers laugh with each other and reminisce, and it was evident that Dwayne and Dale enjoyed catching up. Dwayne chuckled as he said, “I look at him, and I think, ‘Oh! I hope I don’t look that old!’” The twins are 77.
Synod 2022 is meeting at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Mich., from June 10-16. Find daily coverage from The Banner news team at thebanner.org/synod, download the Banner app on your mobile device, or follow The Banner Magazine on Facebook. On Twitter follow #crcsynod or twitter.com/crcna. Synod is the annual general assembly of the Christian Reformed Church (it did not gather in 2020 or 2021). Connect to the meeting’s livestream, read advisory committee reports, and find other resources at crcna.org/synod.
About the Author
Kristen Parker is a freelance writer. She has a passion for words and creativity. Kristen and her husband Chris, enjoy board games and thrift shopping. They attend Stratford CRC in Stratford, Ont.
