The Christian Reformed Church in North America is pursuing “a vision, plan, strategy, and financial proposal for church planting for the CRCNA for the next decade,” as requested by Synod 2025 (Agenda and Acts of Synod 2025, p. 709). Here’s a snapshot of where we are now.Church plants by region compa
Born in Korea on Dec. 11, 1932, Rev. James Jungkyu Park embarked on a remarkable life journey, spreading love, hope, and inspiration of Jesus Christ worldwide. He died Oct. 29, 2025, just short of 93 years.Rev. Park’s studies included law at Central University in Seoul, Korea, and theological studie
Bill Van Dyk, who served the Christian Reformed Church as a pastor and administrator for over 40 years, has been described as a cherished pastor, an excellent preacher, and an academic highly respected by his peers at Calvin Theological Seminary. Bill, 95, died Nov. 15.He felt God’s call to pastoral
At its meeting Oct. 21-23, the board of directors for the Alliance of Reformed Churches, a network of formerly Reformed Church in America congregations, voted to recognize church in communion status with the Christian Reformed Church in North America. That designation is the closest form of ecumenic
Harrison (S.D.) Community Church lives into its name. The congregation has built community between what had been one Christian Reformed congregation and Harrison Reformed Church, originally a Reformed Church in America congregation, over the past 60 years—first sharing special services like Ascensio
When he retired in 1996, the Christian Reformed Church’s media ministry, then called The Back to God Hour, noted that the name Joel Nederhood “has been synonymous with The Back to God Hour.” At that time he’d served as a radio minister, host of the daily Faith 20 television program, and director of
The Banner has a subscription to republish articles from Religion News Service. This story combines two articles by Claire Giangravé, published Nov. 26 and Nov. 28, 2025 on religionnews.com. The combined article was edited for length and Banner style.U.S.-born Pope Leo XIV on his first international
A Christian Reformed Church task force working to “develop Church Order procedures to discipline officebearers, including disaffiliation of a council or classis initiated by a major assembly” completed its report at the end of October. “What is especially crucial at this time is that synod make expl
Finding Freedom Ranch, a biblically based eating disorder clinic, founded to provide residential treatment not currently available in Michigan, seeks to help young women "find peace with God, peace with themselves, and peace with food." It's one of only a few Christian focused eating disorder clinic
In September Ivanrest Christian Reformed Church in Grandville, Mich., piloted a Biblically Faithful, Courageously Loving workshop to equip its council members to lead in a “posture of radical hospitality” within biblically faithful guidelines in terms of human sexuality.“Our congregation has a real
Calvary Christian Reformed Church in Flamborough, Ont., created and hosted a display of handmade poppies to mark Remembrance Day 2025, with help from members of the church and the surrounding community.The cascade of 1,700 crocheted or knitted poppies was assembled on the front of the church buildin
Having a personal Bible is a very treasured possession for many people. This includes members of Cornerstone Prison Church in Sioux Falls, S.D. That is why Bingo for Bibles has become an activity staple for the congregation that meets within the South Dakota State Penitentiary. Usually hosted twice
The Office of General Secretary of the Christian Reformed Church in North America announced Lora Copley as the newly appointed interim editor of The Banner on Nov. 18. The publication has been without an editor-in-chief since Shiao Chong resigned the position in June.Copley, currently a campus pasto
The group called Toward CRC Canada, a movement formed in 2023 to promote an independent Canadian Christian Reformed Church distinct from the binational denomination it grew up in, is still working to develop “a new way of being Canadian churches together.” About 150 people met under that umbrella fo
Retired Christian Reformed pastor and one-time home missionary serving two Chinese churches in California, Peter S. Yang now lives with his wife, Li Ui Yang, in San Bruno, Calif. This summer as he attended 60th anniversary celebrations for Golden Gate Christian Reformed Church in San Francisco, The
The World Communion of Reformed Churches met Oct. 14-23 for its General Council in Chiang Mai, Thailand, a gathering that convenes about every seven years. Zachary King, general secretary of the Christian Reformed Church in North America, and Elly Boersma Sarkany, a commissioned pastor and member of
The board of trustees at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Ill., announced Nov. 4 that the school will close at the end of this academic school year. The final convocation for the 66-year-old school will be May 8, 2026.Board chair Ken Dryfhout and acting university president Jeanine Mozie,
As regional groups of churches, or “classes” as we call them in the Christian Reformed Church, gathered for meetings this fall, there were heavy and celebratory things to note.This report records actions—including the welcoming of new ministers, separations of pastors and congregations, departures o
Two west-coast churches celebrated anniversaries recently, recovering the memory of a cross-border gift. In 1951 a communion serving set no longer used by the then 50-year-old First Christian Reformed Church in Lynden, Wash., was gifted to the newly established Ladner (B.C.) CRC.The need had been br
This month we celebrate church anniversaries in 2025. From Ajax, Ont., (25 years) to Grand Rapids, Mich. (100 years), Kelloggsville, Mich. (150 years), Lynden, Wash. (125 years), Norfolk, Va. (50 years), and Zeeland, Mich. (75 years), 41 congregations of the Christian Reformed Church celebrated sign