General Synod 2014 met June 12-17 on the campus of Central College in Pella, Iowa, and addressed many aspects of ministry and mission in the RCA.
RCA and CRC Synods The synods of the RCA and Christian Reformed Church in North America met simultaneously and gathered in a variety of settings that included worship, meals, fellowship, and several joint sessions that highlighted a growing commitment to collaborative and cooperative ministries.
At a joint session on Saturday night, delegates gave unanimous approval to a resolution that provides common language for future actions together. Declaring that “the principle that guides us, and the intention that motivates us, is to ‘act together in all matters except those in which deep differences of conviction compel us to act separately,'” the resolution instructs the CRC Board of Trustees and the RCA General Synod Council to be guided by this principle “in looking to the future relationship between our two denominations.”
Addresses Synod President Carl Boersma focused on the new 15-year vision for the RCA, Transformed and Transforming: Radically Following Christ in Mission Together, which he called “a future that we did not design nor create, but discovered in submission to the Holy Spirit’s leading.” Boersma urged delegates “to consider how you, your church family, consistory, and classis can participate in this exciting new adventure as the RCA prepares for our four hundredth anniversary.”
In reviewing progress on Transformed and Transforming, General Secretary Tom De Vries said, “We are moving from preparation to destination to connection to dedication. From being ready for a significant and lengthy journey, to defining where we are going and what it means, to recognizing that how we engage is as important as what we engage in, and finally, to testing our devotion and dedication in living out the journey.”
Elections Delegates elected Greg Alderman president of General Synod. Alderman is pastor of Christ Community Church in Carmichael, California. Referring to a time earlier at synod when 2014 President Carl Boersma had batons passed out to delegates, Alderman said, “I accept the baton and am reminded that we run the race in front of a great cloud of witnesses. I want to remind you that we carry the baton of the one who wins, Jesus Christ.”
Delegates elected Evan Vermeer vice president of General Synod. Vermeer is an elder at First Reformed Church in Sioux Center, Iowa, and current president of the Regional Synod of the Heartland. “I thank you for your faith in me,” he said. “I ask that you will pray for me.”