The Council of Christian Reformed Churches in Canada

From CRCpedia

The Council of Christian Reformed Churches in Canada was an organization of Canadian classes of the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA) that functioned jointly to address ministries particular to Canadian churches in the CRCNA. It was formed under the provision of article 44 of the CRCNA church order. Thought it did not have any formal representation in the structure of the CRCNA and was not listed as an assembly, its committees, together with its executive secretary, established many social, justice ministries and ecumenical relationships in Canada.

Key Dates

June 1966: Synod adopts directives for the formation of a council of Canadian classes to deal with specific matters of the Canadian Churches.

November 2, 1966: All the classes with churches in Canada accept the Agreement of Cooperation for a period of five years.

June 1967: Synod approves and adopts the Agreement of Cooperation between the Classes of the Christian Reformed Church in Canada.

November 1968: The Council holds its first meeting in the Kildonan CRC, Winnipeg.

1977: The Council hires an executive secretary; Classis Eastern Ontario withdraws from the Council.

1980: Office for Canadian employees of the denomination opens, as approved by Synod

1981: Joint Venture agreement established between the CRC in NA Michigan Corporation and the CRC in NA Ontario Corporation.

1998: CCRCC dismantled.

History

The origins of the CCRCC began with a movement in Canada toward regional synods. The idea of regional synods did not originate in Canada, but as the Canadian churches grew in cultural awareness and engagement, there grew an increased interest in a Canadian regional synod. The CRC in Cananda grew throughout the 1960s and became more “Canadian” by way of language, customs, and identity of its members, and churches began to think about how they should relate to their own Canadian culture and society, by way of witness and vocation.

In 1965, Classis Chatham overtured synod for permission to convene a regional synod for the four classis of Eastern Cananda: Chatham, Eastern Ontario, Hamilton, and Toronto. Synod 1965 appointed a committee to study this proposal. The committee was sympathetic to the concerns of the Canadian churches. They offered five areas that concerned Canadian classes in particular: Matters of public relations as: Canadian Centennial in 1967, government control of radio and television, and press releases; spiritual care of those in the Canadian armed forces; contacts with other churches and/or denominations in Canada; liaison with Canadian Christian institutions of mercy and social-cultural organizations. It was agreed that Canadian churches can “best fulfill their responsibility towards their nation in a somewhat independent manner within the broader framework of the international Christian Reformed Church.”

Since previous synods had ruled out regional synods, the committee recommended another way. They found their solution in the newly adopted article 44 of the revised Church Order, which reads:

“A classis my take counsel or joint action with its neighbouring classis or classes in matters of mutual concern.”

Article 44 would be a way for Canadian churches to address matters of mutual concern without changing the structure or adding layers to the bureaucracy of the denomination. This recommendation was approved and adopted by synod 1966.

The outcome of this decision from Synod 1966 was the formation of the Council of Christian Reformed Churches in Canada (CCRCC). There were eight Canadian classes at the time: Alberta North, Alberta South, British Columbia, Chatham, Eastern Ontario, Hamilton, Minnesota North, and Toronto. Delegates from each Canadian classis met on November 2, 1966, and drafted their Agreement of Cooperation between the Classes of the Christian Reformed Church in Canada, pledging themselves to mutual consultation and cooperation and to “work together in assembly for such consultation and joint action.” Their agreement was approved and adopted at the following Synod in 1967.

Rev. Arie Van Eek, 1932-2023Rev. Arie Van Eek, 1932-2023 In 1977 the CCRCC hired Rev. Arie Van Eek as executive secretary. In this role, he reported to and assisted in the work of several committees, such as the Committee for Contact with the Government. He served in this role until 1998 and was the only person to ever hold this position. The decision to include a paid position in the work of the council, however, led classis Eastern Ontario to withdraw its membership the same year.

Throughout the 1980s the council struggled to be effective in its ministry. The council itself was limited to social-cultural issues and ecumenical relationships, oversight and execution in ministries such as church planting, evangelism, sending missionaries, broadcast ministry were administered by synodical agencies, even when these ministries occurred in Canada. The Council itself was not even formally part of the organizing structure of the CRCNA. Furthermore, activities of CRCNA ministries increasingly fell under scrutiny by the CRA, which objected to charitable funds raised in Canada falling under the control of an American entity. This issue was addressed separate from the CCRCC with a joint venture agreement between CRC in NA Michigan Corporation and the CRC in NA Ontario Corporation, established in 1981. This joint venture agreement would allow synodical agencies to function in Canada, and would do so apart from the ministry of the CCRCC.

In addition to their limited mandate, Synod 1966 had also put a number of constraints on the Council. They were not to act as a court of appeal, could not submit overtures to synod, and membership was entirely voluntary.

Due to these challenges, seven Canadian classes overtured synod with the proposal of the CCRCC to once again consider a Canadian regional Synod. Once again, synod said “no” to regional synods and instead doubled down on article 44 to help address these concerns. The study committee for Regional Synods recommended to synod that the role of the CCRCC be enhanced “by giving it direct access to synod and by having its representatives take part in the planning and coordination of denominational ministries, particularly those in Canada. This solution was meant to give the CCRCC greater interaction between the Council and synod, as well as between the council and synodical agencies. To this end synod approved the following addition of article 44-b to the Church Order:

“Wherever such joint action on the part of five or more classes requires the creation of an official organization composed of classically elected delegates, that organization’s mandate and constitution shall be approved by synod. Such an organization shall have direct access to synod in all matters pertaining to its mandate and shall be accountable for its activities to synod as well as to its constituent classes.”

Over the next few years, this solution was not found to adequately address the concerns of the Canadian churches. Ministries in Canada were now proposed, supervised, and implemented through the “corporation” and joint venture agreements, synodical agencies, and the CCRCC. By 1995, there was again a movement toward restructuring. And by 1997, the study committee of synod was recommending a change toward the creation of board in place of a council. The study committee gave as reasons for this move:

the connection between the local church and the ministry of the agencies needs to be enhanced so that there is greater sense of local ownership.

Agencies of the church need to enhance their coordination in delivering ministry to and for the church.

The current structure does not ensure adequate decision making in Canada. This is important both to members in the CRC in Canada and to Revenue Canada.

The ministries of the CCRCC need to be woven into the fabric of the denomination.

The ministry of the deacons and diaconal organizations needs to be more effectively included in the denominational decision-making process.

Congregations need stronger support from denominational agencies and better coordination of the delivery of resources in order to carry out their mission.

The CRC needs to position itself better in Canada to do more effective outreach ministry.

The CRC in Canada needs better ways of coordinating all its ministries.

Synod 1997 adopted the recommendation of this study committee to dismantle the CCRCC and to establish a “Canadian Ministries Board as the agent responsible to coordinate and hold accountable all ministries for the CRC in Canada with the policies set out by Synod, the Board of Trustees, and the core values in this report.” The CCRCC’s final meeting would take place November 1996, with all its committees functioning under a Council Interim Committee until the Council Ministries Board is organized. After 3 years, this plan would give way to yet another structure involving a binational Board of Trustees, which would itself be replaced by the Council of Delegates by 2015.

Activities

The CCRCC operated by way of six committees under an executive secretary: Native Ministries, Electronic Media Communications, Committee for Contact with the Government, Consultative Committee for Task Forces, Committee for Racial Reconciliation Canada, and Inter-church Relations Cananda.

Much of their work involved Regular contact with government on moral issues such as gambling, abortion, and Sunday shopping, criminal justice, economic justice, and international responsibilities of Canada.

In addition to these communications with the government on moral issues, the Council also launched and engaged in social-cultural ministries. Through its committees, The council developed Native friendship centres in Winnipeg (1974), Regina (1978), and Edmonton (1993). These centres serve the spiritual and social needs of Indian and Metis people in those cities. The council was also active in refugee sponsorship, orchestrating sponsorships in 80% of Canadian churches.

As part of their inter-church relations mandate, the Council initiated and nurtured affiliation with the Evangelical fellowship of Canada, The Canadian council of churches, Canadian foodgrains bank, and Ploughshares.

The total operating budget of the council was $437,371.00 in 1995, the year the synod study committee recommended CCRCC be dismantled.

Controversies

Mandate

In 1977, Classis Eastern Ontario withdrew from the CCRCC due in part to the hiring of a paid executive secretary, but also because of a disagreement over what constituted the CCRCC’s mandate. The Committee had prepared a number of statements for the government relating on social justice issues. Some people believed that this kind of lobbying was not part of the Council’s task. In an overture to the November 1972 meeting, Classis Alberta North wanted “Denominational Ministry Shares reduced and redirected to ‘Kingdom Causes’ (CLAC, CJL). This overture was defeated on the grounds that “Council should not obligate membership of the CRC to support non-ecclesiastical causes” and “The church concern itself with causes that are ecclesiastical in nature for which the CRC is jointly responsible.”

To address this controversy, the Council formed a study committee to review its scope and task. The council adopted its recommendation that with respect to social and political issues, by revising their mandate in the following way:

These edits were meant to ensure their testimony was from the church and not one individual’s point of view, and that the church would fulfil its primary task while equipping the saints to engage in politics organically as disciples of Jesus Christ.

Settled and Binding

In 1978, Classis Eastern Ontario overtured synod to clarify the authority of the Council. The classis felt that Council decisions should bind every classis, but that each classis should be free to opt out. Synod disagreed and did not accede to this overture.

Who pays?

Synod 1970 instructed council to pay a pension for Mr. C. Steenhof, who had served as a fieldman in Canada. The council of Second CRC of Toronto appealed this decision to synod and was sustained. Council complied with synod’s decision but asked that synod would not make decisions that obligate the Council financially without first consulting them.

Notes

Endnotes

CRCNA Acts of synod 1993, p. 256. https://digitalcommons.calvin.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1231&context=crcna_synod-agendas

Acts of synod, 1966, p. 144. https://digitalcommons.calvin.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1234&context=crcna_synod-agendas

Christian Reformed Church in North America. (2025) Church Order and Its Supplements. Grand Rapids MI. https://www.crcna.org/sites/default/files/Church%20Order%202025%20-%20English.pdf

Acts of synod 1967, p. 124 (Supplement 5 the Council of Christian Reformed Churches in Canada).

Janet Greidanus, Banner. November, 2023, https://www.thebanner.org/news/2023/11/celebrating-the-legacy-of-a-canadian-crc-leader-rev-arie-gideon-van-eek

Acts 1993, p. 259 https://digitalcommons.calvin.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1187&context=crcna_synod-agendas

1993, p.260

1966, p. 143.

Christian Reformed Church Order and Its Supplements.

Acts of Synod, 1997 https://digitalcommons.calvin.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1235&context=crcna_synod-agendas

Acts 1997, p. 629

Acts, 1997, p. 412

Arie Van Eek, Christian courier, “The Canadian Story of the Christian Reformed Church.” June 12, 2017 https://www.christiancourier.ca/the-canadian-story-of-the-christian-reformed-church/

Acts 1993

Acts 1990

Arie Van Eek, Christian Courier https://www.christiancourier.ca/the-canadian-story-of-the-christian-reformed-church/

https://www.indigenousfamilycentre.com/history

https://icfregina.ca/about-icf

Janet Greidanus, The Banner. December 3, 2016 https://www.thebanner.org/news/2016/12/edmonton-native-healing-centre-celebrates-25th-anniversary

Arie Van Eek, Christian courier, https://www.christiancourier.ca/the-canadian-story-of-the-christian-reformed-church/

https://towardcrccanada.net/learning-fromhistory/#:~:text=The%20Council%20of%20Christian%20Reformed,Two%20Different%20National%20Paths

Acts 1995

Acts 1993, p. 258

John Bolt (2015), For Truth and Liberty: The Story of the Christian Reformed Church in North America.. (Unpublished Manuscript). Church History, Calvin Theological Seminary, p. 163.

Acts 1997, p. 418

Acts 1997, p. 417