The United States ministry board of the Christian Reformed Church in North America interviewed and appointed Dan DeKam, a Christian school administrator in Muskegon, Mich., as its first permanent U.S. director of ministry operations. Joel Huyser has been serving as interim director since the board established the position in May 2022. The role manages the affairs of CRCNA’s U.S. ministry organization and supervises the central services departments of the U.S. ministry office. It’s similar but not identical to the executive position for the Canadian ministry board, which is currently served by Al Postma as transitional executive director.
DeKam starts in the role July 3.
“I think there’s a ton of similarities in the organizational structures,” he said of moving from the West Michigan Christian Education Collaborative, where he is executive director, to this ministry context. "One of the things I’ve enjoyed over the years is bringing people together,” he added, and translating that to the CRCNA will mean “seeking ways we can become more interdependent.”
DeKam is married with five children and is a member of Bethany CRC in Muskegon. As the director of U.S. ministry operations he will report to the U.S. ministry board, just as the executive director in Canada reports to the Canadian ministry board. DeKam and Postma will work in partnership with Zachary King, the CRC’s general secretary, which is an ecclesiastical position that reports to synod.
About the Author
Alissa Vernon is the news editor for The Banner.
