Rev. Caleb Ahima brought greetings to the Christian Reformed Church in North America from the Christian Reformed Church in Nigeria.
Ahima said, “We remember with nostalgia your service of sacrifice” as expressed in the ministry of Johanna Veenstra, the first CRC North American missionary to Nigeria. He recalled divisions in his church where the CRC in North America was a catalyst in achieving the measure of peace and unity the Nigerian church now enjoys.
He noted that in Nigeria has endured great loss and great pain but that also a great deal of help has come from North America for the widows and orphans through the African Fund for Widows and Orphans. He thanked the Lord for the CRC and its World Missions ministry, asking for prayers for God’s protection from harm for both the CRCN and CRCNA so that they may continue to be agents of grace, healing, and peace.
Synod 2016 is meeting at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich., from June 10-17. 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/synod. Unless noted otherwise, all photographs are by Karen Huttenga.
About the Author
George Vink is retired after 50 years as a Christian Reformed pastor. One of his sons is an accident investigator for the Calgary (Alta.) Police Service, and his two brothers are retired from that position. He and his wife, Shirley, are members of Covenant CRC in Cutlerville, Mich.
