Synod 2026 approved the appointment of Rev. Lora Copley as editor-in-chief of The Banner, magazine of the Christian Reformed Church. Copley has served as interim editor since December.
The magazine was in need of a new editor after the resignation of its previous editor, Shiao Chong, who left the publication over Synod 2025’s revisions to its mandate.
Synod 2025 emphasized The Banner’s role to “represent the denomination publicly to the broader Christian church and to the world at large … in line with our confessions and synodical decisions, representing the CRCNA as its official publication.” It removed part of the previous editorial guidelines to show diverse positions held within the church and instead solely the positions of the church.
Copley, a campus minister at Iowa State University since 2022, has served in several ministerial and teaching roles, including minister of congregational life at Calvin CRC in Grand Rapids, Mich., and instructor with the Classis Red Mesa Leadership Development Network.
Mother of four, Copley told delegates she’s excited to attend the wedding of her son this coming Saturday, joking that she thinks she will be the first editor-in-chief of The Banner to also have the title of mother-in-law. She is the first woman to serve as chief editor in The Banner’s 160-year history.
Dan Tracy, Classis Heartland, interviewed Copley prior to the vote on her appointment. She shared that editorial work at The Banner has theological, writing, and leadership components. “The Banner exists in a very interesting space… we don’t speak for the denomination,” Copley said. “We really exist to speak with and within the denomination.”
Copley celebrated The Banner’s diversity of voices, noting that at least 27 writers this year were first-time contributors.
Copley also shared theological groundings for the work of journalism. “We are people of the Word; our job is to communicate.” She emphasized that her experiences in spaces of tension will inform her tenure. “An editor has to be able to navigate criticism and conflict, and I’ve had experience navigating conflicted spaces for years.”
Caleb Dickson, Classis Red Mesa, noted Copley’s work at Synod 2024 and voiced appreciation for her “grasp of seeing and expressing both sides of a given issue.” He also said he hoped the magazine would continue to review a wide range of books, movies, and media.
Joseph Bae, Classis Lake Erie, shared how he first read The Banner when he came to the United States 35 years ago. “The Banner was a really important tool for me to understand about the CRC,” Bae said. He shared how his family would read The Banner together around the dinner table. “From that time, The Banner was a good tool for me to join the CRC.”
Votes on personnel matters, such as appointments, are taken in “executive” or closed session when synod’s president asks all non-delegates to leave the room and the livestream is stopped. When observers and Copley returned after the vote, president Chad Steenwyk congratulated Copley on her appointment, to standing applause.
Copley’s husband Joel Copley, a delegate to synod from Classis Northcentral Iowa, led the synod prayer over Lora’s tenure as editor.
Synod 2026, the annual general assembly of the Christian Reformed Church in North America, is meeting June 12-18 on the campus of Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Mich. Go to crcna.org/synod for the livestream, photos, reports, and a live blog of synod proceedings and decisions. Find daily news and our video Synod Recap at thebanner.org/synod.