CRCNA Stated Clerks

On behalf of the Office of General Secretary, we invite you to reserve Monday, January 12, from 2:00-3:30 pm Eastern Time for training, reviewing resources, and connecting with staff and other Stated Clerks. 

An agenda with a Zoom link will be sent out ahead of the meeting, but you are invited to submit questions for the staff using this Google Form.

Staff who will be attending this Connect include:

- Zach King - General Secretary

- Susan La Clear - Candidacy Director

- Joel VandeWerken - Director of Ecclesiastical Governance

- Ashley Medendorp - Coordinator of Synodical Operations

- Dave DenHaan - Ministry Consultant-Classis and Church Leadership Support

- Rebekah VandenAkker - Yearbook Coordinator

For those who are unable to attend, the meeting will be recorded and posted on the Stated Clerk Website. 

Resources for Classis Meeting Chairs

We are living during what is becoming an inflection point in the history of the CRCNA. What is an “inflection point?” In short, a time of significant change. We have weathered a lot together. At recent Synod gatherings, we have named our growing desire for God to bring renewal and to see a renewed passion for church planting continue to grow in our denomination. 

In response to Synods 2023 and 2025, Thrive and Resonate Global Mission, in collaboration with the Office of General Secretary, are taking the lead to develop strategic plans for church renewal and church planting in the CRCNA. 

Throughout the history of the church, extraordinary prayer and fasting have been an integral part of God’s people uniting together for renewed passion for God’s mission. As we seek to catalyze the CRCNA for renewal and for growing our church planting efforts for the next decade and beyond, we believe it is critical to issue a call to prayer and fasting as an integral part of our strategies. We see the Spirit of God already at work in our denomination renewing prayer for God to raise up leaders and renew us in mission. Starting in January 2026, we are planning to issue a weekly call to prayer and fasting that will invite others into this emerging movement of the Spirit. If you would like to join us, please complete this form and we will add it to our weekly email distribution list. 

Serving together,
Elaine May, Thrive Congregational Renewal Leader
Jon Hoekema, Office of General Secretary, Prayer Shepherd
Tim Sheridan, Resonate Director of Church Planting

Dear Councils and Stated Clerks of Classes:

The Synodical Services Office is in the process of preparing for the meeting of Synod 2026, scheduled to meet virtually on May 27 to elect officers and to meet on the campus of Calvin University in Grand Rapids, MI, United States, June 12-18. Members can watch for information to be added over the coming months to the Synod website at crcna.org/Synod.

Below you will find information for Synod 2026.

Agenda Materials - Overtures and Communications 

Please submit any overtures and communications for Synod 2026 adopted by your classis to the Office of General Secretary (synod@crcna.org) by March 15. Be sure to review the Overture and Communication Process document and share at your next classis meeting to assist member churches with the rules for submitting overtures and communications. As items become available, they will be posted to crcna.org/synodresources.

Appointment of Delegates

• Appoint your classis delegates to synod and forward the completed “Credentials for Synod” to the Synodical Services Office by March 15. Stated clerks are expected to include the full names of all delegates and their alternates as well as ensuring that their contact information and office is correct.

• Stated Clerks are responsible to indicate whether language interpretation is needed for any of their delegates.

• Synod 2023 decided that: “each classis shall ordinarily delegate one minister, one elder, one deacon, and one other officebearer to synod. A classis may send no more than two delegates bearing the same office (Church Order Article 45).” You must still send one delegate from each office if you are able. If you are unable, you may send two delegates from two of the offices.

• Please also give careful consideration to the decision of Synod 2019, which encouraged that “each classis include at least one woman or one ethnic minority person in its delegation” (Acts of Synod 2019, pp. 814-15). Synod 2019 also encouraged classes “to send one or more delegates to synod for two consecutive years, if possible, to build continuity from synod to synod” (Acts of Synod 2019, pp. 809-10).

• Synod 2011 adopted rules to ensure the reasonable accommodation of disabled and nondisabled persons alike at synod (Acts of Synod 2011, pp. 817-18). When delegates register they will have an opportunity to share with us how we can make their experience more meaningful.

Who is eligible to serve as a delegate? 

• Church Order Supplement, Article 5-a states that officebearers who hold a confessional-difficulty gravamen should “recuse oneself from being delegated to broader assemblies while the confessional difficulty remains unresolved” (Church Order and its Supplements 2024, p. 16). Councils and classes are asked to keep these decisions in mind as they appoint delegates to Synod 2025.

• Employees of the CRCNA cannot serve as delegates to synod, unless they receive prior approval from the General Secretary.

• Ministers of the Word serving a local congregation, as well as those serving in noncongregational ministry (unless classis rules prevent it) qualify to serve as minister delegates. 

• Retired ministers of the Word must be serving either in a specialized ministry (e.g., chaplaincy, transitional pastor) or as an elder or deacon to be delegated. They should be delegated according to the office they are currently serving in. Some classes have adopted rules with regard to the appointment of retired ministers as delegates to synod (please consult your classis rules). 

• RCA pastors called as ministers of the Word to serve CRC congregations are eligible to serve as delegates (see Church Order Supplement, Article 8, D, 10). 

• Elder and deacon delegates must be ordained in their respective offices at the time of synod (ministers should not be appointed to serve as elders or deacons unless serving in the office of elder or deacon at the time of synod).

• Commissioned pastors (see Church Order Supplement, Article 45):

  • if serving in emerging churches and associate staff positions may only be delegated as elder delegates to synod. 

  • if serving as a solo pastor of an organized congregation may only be sent as ministerial delegates to synod. 

Expectations of Delegates

• Delegates are expected to attend the virtual convening session on May 27, 2025, 7:00 - 10:00 pm Eastern. 

• Delegates are expected to arrive on time and attend all scheduled meetings of synod on June 12-18, 2025 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. 

• Delegates, and alternates, are asked to complete the Delegate to Synod Information form by March 15 or earlier.

• As a reminder, all delegates who need to cross an international border will need an enhanced Drivers License, passport or Nexus card. If you need a new passport, please give yourself a minimum of 8 weeks for this process.

• The document, What to Expect as a Delegate to Synod, is a helpful tool to learn more about the logistics and expectations for Synod 2025.

Virtual Convening Session of Synod 2026

At its October 2024 meeting, the Council of Delegates adopted a recommendation to move forward with a virtual convening session of Synod 2025 and following.

As part of these recommendations, classes and Stated Clerks are asked to ensure all delegates have access to a device and internet for the convening session, whereas synod will ensure that all delegates have access to a device, if needed, and internet for the in person sessions of synod. Stated Clerks and Classes are also asked to support the Office of General Secretary in providing technological support to delegates in accessing the secure delegate website and Zoom meeting. Lastly, classes are asked to ensure that all delegates are able to attend both the virtual May 27 session as well as the in person sessions from June 12-18, in Grand Rapids, MI.

Advisers and Young Adult Representatives

Synod has benefited from having ethnic advisers (since 1995) and young adult representatives (since 2010) who attend synod and offer input into the deliberations. We ask that you consider nominating young adult persons and persons from our ethnic minority communities to add to the diversity of voices in the classis delegations to synod.

1. Ask the nominee(s) to complete the “Adviser and Representative Nominee Form”

2. Please complete the “Adviser and Representative Nomination Form”

Nominations are due to the Office of General Secretary by January 10, 2026.

Appointments of young adult representatives and ethnic advisers to synod will be made by the Council of Delegates (COD) in February 2025; correspondence will be sent to all nominees following the COD meeting.

Praying for Synod 2026

Rev. Jon Hoekema, the denominational prayer shepherd, will be leading a number of prayer initiatives in preparation for synod. The COD approved the theme of God’s Faithfulness for synod prayer and worship this year, in conjunction with the 150th anniversary of Calvin University and Theological Seminary. We will once again be walking through 40 days of prayer before synod. To learn more, please visit crcna.org/synod/prayer or email synodprayer@crcna.org to get involved.

As part of the celebration of God’s faithfulness, we are asking each church and/or classis to send pictures, videos (3 minutes), and stories of God’s faithfulness in their context to synod@crcna.org. Many of these videos, stories, and photos will be displayed throughout synod worship times.

For your convenience and easy access, refer to the Synod page on the Stated Clerk website to access the documents mentioned in this correspondence. We are extremely grateful for your assistance to the Synodical Services Office in preparing for synod. It is a privilege to serve with you!

Please email the Synodical Services Office (synod@crcna.org) or call  (616-224-0733) with any questions.

Gratefully,

Ashley Medendorp

Coordinator of Synodical Operations

Please see the resources for a reflection and feedback exercise, directly inspired by the Gather initiative, available here.

Please contact Elaine May (emay@crcna.org) with any questions about the materials.

Here is a letter and a video to classis, for inclusion in the fall agenda materials.  

More than ever, I'm grateful for your service, and all the detailed work you manage.

Blessings, 

Zach

AGENDA

Thank you for joining us at the Stated Clerk Connect. The recording is now available here. 

Meeting notes are available here.