Synod 2015 Dismisses Sermons for Reading Services Committee with Thanks

Synod 2015 formally disbanded the Sermons for Reading Services committee of the Christian Reformed Church and expressed its thanks to those who served on it. The committee’s task was to “solicit sermons and worship liturgies from CRC pastors primarily for use by churches who do not have a pastor to lead a Sunday service.” Those services are often led by a local elder.

The decision was based on the difficulty in finding ministers willing to submit sermons that meet the committee’s qualifications, lack of usage among churches without pastors, and availability of other resources.

Rev. Frank de Boer, Classis Alberta South/Saskatchewan, asked which other resources would be available for use. Calvin Theological Seminary and the Center for Excellence in Preaching are asked to make sermons and sermon resources available to the churches.

The CRC’s Ministry Support Services will maintain the Sermons for Reading Services website for the foreseeable future. In the words of  Rev. Bruce Persenaire, synod president, this decision was “very, very historic,” as the Sermons for Reading Services committee has been in existence for decades.

Synod 2015 is meeting at Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa, from June 12-18. For continuous Banner coverage, please follow The Banner Magazine on Facebook or @crcbanner on Twitter. You can find more tweeting by following hashtag #crcsynod. News stories will be posted at thebanner.org several times daily. For CRC Communications releases, webcast, and live blogging, please visit crcna.org. Unless noted otherwise, all photographs are by Karen Huttenga.