If a group of 45 people who gathered in Washington, D.C., have their way, Christian Reformed congregations are going to hear a lot more about justice.
The group gathered for the CRC’s first-ever Justice Seekers Conference. Sponsored by the Christian Reformed Church’s Office of Social Justice and Hunger Action (OSJHA), the conference attracted people from eight countries.
This conference marked a kick-off for OSJHA, the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, and Christian Reformed World Missions to bring a renewed focus on justice among the churches in our denomination.
“The Bible is clear that we are to use our voices on behalf of the voiceless, but so often Christians find it difficult to know how. The dream of this Justice Mobilization project is to provide real tools for every individual or congregation in the CRC who yearns for a more just world,” said Kate Kooyman, congregational justice mobilizer.
Cory Verner, a member of Crossroads CRC in San Diego, found the conference inspiring and life changing, yet sobering because of the complexity of political institutions and legislation. Peter Vandermeulen, coordinator of OSJHA, dreams of serving “CRC congregations as they become active and effective in challenging the unjust systems that harm the least, the lost, and the last—those whom Jesus constantly reminds his followers to embrace.”
