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 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 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 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
By sharing preaching responsibilities, Sunday evening services have been reestablished for three Christian Reformed Church congregations in the northwest corner of Indiana. About 70 congregants attended the first evening service Oct. 5 at New Life Christian Reformed Church in Highland, Ind.New Life,
Peter Timmerman, a former Southern Africa team leader with World Renew who continued his international development work with World Vision and the global literacy organization CODE, started as World Renew’s director for Canada this week. The board announced his appointment at the end of September.Tim
In a joint conference with the Institute of Christian Studies in Toronto, Ont., independent Canadian monthly newspaper Christian Courier celebrated its 80th year of redemptive journalism with workshops, art, and a panel of authors Oct. 18.Having recently written publicly about her intention to step
Pastor Andrew Zomerman can remember his high school league retreats and hearing about youth roller skating nights and other gathering events that connected widespread Christian Reformed youth groups together "back in the day." Three years ago, post-COVID, he and Margi Sipkens, Zomerman’s cousin and
The Banner has a subscription to republish articles from Religion News Service. This story by Helen Teixeira, was published Oct. 2, 2025 on religionnews.com. It has been edited for length and Banner style.When it comes to going to church, a generational pattern is playing out in many households arou