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Episode 260: Is the CRC Cutting the Wrong Things?
This is part two of our team update — and we're getting into some specifics. The big topic: the COD's recommendation for biennial synods, which will come before Synod 2026. Willy serves on the Council of Delegates and voted against the recommendation, and he explains why.
The proposal came from a task force looking to cut costs. Their solution? Hold synod every other year instead of annually. But as Willy lays out, this isn't just a budget issue — it's an ecclesiology issue. Synod has its authority because synod is the church. It's not something we get to skip when money's tight. And here's the kicker: under this plan, COD would meet six times in two years while synod meets only once. That should concern all of us.
Coming out of the battles over human sexuality, departures, and division, this is the wrong time to pull back from gathering. We need more connection, not less. And as Willy points out, it's ironic that the denomination just ran a whole initiative called Gather — and now wants to gather less as a synodical body.
On the encouraging side, Lora Copley has been hired as interim editor of the Banner — and that gives us real hope. Herb Scheur's recent article was exactly the kind of accessible, Reformed content the Banner should be putting out. If you stopped reading the Banner, now's the time to come back. And if God's tapping you on the shoulder to write, submit something.
We close with a call to serve — on COD, committees, boards, wherever God is leading. The priesthood of all believers isn't just a doctrine we confess; it's how renewal actually happens.
Timestamps:
- 0:00 — Intro
- 2:11 — The biennial synod recommendation explained
- 4:33 — "Synod has its authority because synod is the church"
- 5:14 — Why Willy voted against it: COD meets 6 times, Synod just once
- 7:02 — "A recommendation for biennial synods coming out of a war like we've had is foolish"
- 9:30 — Churches feel disconnected from Grand Rapids
- 11:10 — Biennial synods would undo efforts toward unity and vision
- 13:00 — You need a vision before you write a budget
- 16:29 — The denomination needs to cut bureaucracy
- 18:16 — Lora Copley hired as interim Banner editor
- 20:49 — Herb Scheur's article and the call to support the Banner
- 24:47 — Call to serve: COD, committees, boards
- 28:47 — Renewal of ecclesiology and the priesthood of believers
- 33:22 — Final words: pray for the church, act boldly from a place of victory
Join and support us on Substack: https://themessyreformation.com/
Check out the Abide Project: https://www.abideproject.org
Intro music by Matt Krotzer
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By Jason Ruis
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3838 ratings
This is part two of our team update — and we're getting into some specifics. The big topic: the COD's recommendation for biennial synods, which will come before Synod 2026. Willy serves on the Council of Delegates and voted against the recommendation, and he explains why.
The proposal came from a task force looking to cut costs. Their solution? Hold synod every other year instead of annually. But as Willy lays out, this isn't just a budget issue — it's an ecclesiology issue. Synod has its authority because synod is the church. It's not something we get to skip when money's tight. And here's the kicker: under this plan, COD would meet six times in two years while synod meets only once. That should concern all of us.
Coming out of the battles over human sexuality, departures, and division, this is the wrong time to pull back from gathering. We need more connection, not less. And as Willy points out, it's ironic that the denomination just ran a whole initiative called Gather — and now wants to gather less as a synodical body.
On the encouraging side, Lora Copley has been hired as interim editor of the Banner — and that gives us real hope. Herb Scheur's recent article was exactly the kind of accessible, Reformed content the Banner should be putting out. If you stopped reading the Banner, now's the time to come back. And if God's tapping you on the shoulder to write, submit something.
We close with a call to serve — on COD, committees, boards, wherever God is leading. The priesthood of all believers isn't just a doctrine we confess; it's how renewal actually happens.
Timestamps:
- 0:00 — Intro
- 2:11 — The biennial synod recommendation explained
- 4:33 — "Synod has its authority because synod is the church"
- 5:14 — Why Willy voted against it: COD meets 6 times, Synod just once
- 7:02 — "A recommendation for biennial synods coming out of a war like we've had is foolish"
- 9:30 — Churches feel disconnected from Grand Rapids
- 11:10 — Biennial synods would undo efforts toward unity and vision
- 13:00 — You need a vision before you write a budget
- 16:29 — The denomination needs to cut bureaucracy
- 18:16 — Lora Copley hired as interim Banner editor
- 20:49 — Herb Scheur's article and the call to support the Banner
- 24:47 — Call to serve: COD, committees, boards
- 28:47 — Renewal of ecclesiology and the priesthood of believers
- 33:22 — Final words: pray for the church, act boldly from a place of victory
Join and support us on Substack: https://themessyreformation.com/
Check out the Abide Project: https://www.abideproject.org
Intro music by Matt Krotzer
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