MINISTER RESOURCES

Since ministerial credentials are tied to a specific call within the CRCNA, if the congregation leaves, the ministers and commissioned pastors will have to: 

1. Remain in the CRC and be released to take another call, or 

2. Be released from the office of minister altogether, or

3. Transfer credentials to another denomination before the congregation disaffiliates.

Ministers who stay in the CRC would be released from their call by Art. 17-a and be declared eligible for call. They would normally have a two-year grace period to accept another call, and that period could be extended by Classis on an annual basis. They would no longer be with your congregation. Their credentials would be transferred to another CRC while they await a new call.

Ministers who leave the CRC would be released from CRC ordination by Art. 14 and Classis would declare them honorably released, released, dismissed, or in the status of one deposed, depending on the manner and spirit in which they acted. The last option is to be considered if the minister promoted schismatic activity. The minister would no longer be an ordained minister once the classis acts to release him or her, unless or until s/he became ordained by another church or denomination. Art. 14-b is release to enter another ministry; Art. 14-c is release to a non-ministerial vocation.  For some ministers, such as chaplains, continuous ordination is needed for their positions, so timing is important. 

Commissioned pastors who leave the CRC also need to be released by classis with one of the four declarations (Art. 24-d). 

Ministers who transfer their credentials to the RCA while remaining in a current CRC call would have to transfer to a specific RCA Classis. This process varies classis by classis, so you have to talk to your local RCA Classis Clerk. See more information below. 

Church Order Article 18 allows ministers to retire with the approval of classis, and to then retain the honor and title of the office and the authority to perform official acts of ministry.  They are still called "Reverend" and can preach, officiate, administer sacraments, etc.   

There is some dispute about this, but technically retired ministers are no longer in office. Reading the Church Order carefully, retired ministers are under the supervision of the council of the church of their membership, because a council has to be responsible to monitor the retired minister's life and doctrine as one who is allowed to perform official acts of ministry.  Since they are no longer under call as active ministers, they don't have ministerial credentials, but are simply under supervision.

Switching CRCs: According to the Supplement to Art. 18, if a retired minister moves his or her membership to another CRC congregation, then that supervision will also be transferred, with the approval of both councils. Classis is usually informed, but does not need to approve of such a transfer of supervision, unlike ministers with active calls.

Leaving the CRC: Retired ministers do have to be CRC members to maintain emeritus status in the CRC. If they leave the denomination and join a church in another denomination, they lose their status in the CRC. This transition does not need approval of classis--there's no release involved.  Usually the classis simply takes note that the individual has left the CRC and therefore no longer retains the title of the office or the authority to do official acts of ministry.  The stated clerk informs the Yearbook office accordingly.

Discipline: Relatedly, if retired ministers deviate in doctrine or in life, they are not put under special discipline, because they are no longer under a call and technically not active officebearers. If disciplinary action is needed, what Classis can do is remove the honor and title of the pastoral office and remove the person's ability to perform official acts of ministry.  In other words, that which was granted upon retirement can be taken away.

How does disaffiliation of a church from the CRCNA affect retired ministers?  

• If they are receiving pension payments from the minister's pension fund, that will continue, regardless of their church membership. 

• If they wish to remain in the CRC and retain the honor and title of a minister in the CRC, they would need to find another CRC congregation to accept their membership and take over their supervision.

• If they wish to leave the CRC with the disaffiliating church, they will lose the privileges and status of a retired minister in the CRC. (Depending on the state or province in which they live, their ability to officiate any weddings might also be affected.)

• Some denominations are willing to receive retired ministers and give them the status they had in the CRC. We've been told by RCA classis reps that this is possible, but we’re not sure about other denominations. (Note–the CRC has no procedure for receiving retired ministers from other denominations and granting them status or privileges.)

Ordained Ministers of the Word who serve as Chaplains follow the same general ministerial processes as other active ministers, such as parish pastors and denominational staff, but may have some additional requirements or endorsements by their employers or denominational staff. 

Tim Rietkerk wrote on July 23, 2024:

This is a note from the official chaplain endorser of the CRCNA to all chaplains who are affiliated with the denomination. Synod 2024 laid out a path and timeline to call for compliance for churches and office bearers who disagree with CRC teachings. Within our chaplain community, there are chaplains who unreservedly agree with the recent Synodical decisions and chaplains that no longer feel there is space for them in the denomination. Some chaplains are in churches that have started the process of disaffiliation. In this weighty time, the Office of General Secretary has been tasked to provide further resources for congregations and pastors who decide to disaffiliate.

As the chaplaincy endorser for Thrive and the CRCNA, my commitment is to listen and provide whatever assistance that I can to help you continue in your calling to serve as a chaplain in the CRC or in another denomination. If you decide to join another denomination, I can provide letters of recommendation to communicate with other endorsers.

For those who might be in a congregation that decides to disaffiliate, but if you want to remain in the CRC, I can assist in the process of transferring your ministerial credentials to another CRC church and establishing a new Covenant of Joint Supervision.

My prayer is for all of us to embody grace in these challenging times as we face saying goodbyes to colleagues, friends, and family members, who we had shared the connection with of being members together in the Christian Reformed Church. There is pain and grief in these goodbyes and people are in mourning. 

This is also the very space where chaplains are equipped and called "to provide spiritual care to people in pain or spiritual distress." I have received and continue to receive spiritual care and support on my grief journey by members of our chaplain community and I know first hand how God's grace is embodied through your calling to chaplaincy. I know that God will continue the work of redemption through you in "the moments that matter."

Grace and Peace,

Tim Rietkerk

Thrive Ministry Consultant/Chaplain Endorser

Commissioned Pastors, by definition, serve a particular ministerial role in a particular place for a limited time, and the role is not transferable to another ministerial calling. A commissioned pastor would be released from the commission by Art. 24-d, and classis concurrence is needed, as well as a status declaration similar to those required in Art. 14-b for ministers (honorably released, released, dismissed, as deposed).

Notably, the RCA does not have an office of Commissioned Pastor in the same way the CRC does. They do have commissioned pastors, but they are ordained as elders and then commissioned for a particular pastoral ministry in a local church for a particular time.  They can still be called Commissioned Pastors. 

The RCA does not have a process for the transfer of the CRCNA ordination of a Commissioned Pastor into the RCA as it does for ordained Ministers of the Word. Instead, a commissioned pastor in the CRC would have to join an RCA church (or move with their congregation to the RCA) as a regular member, and then be ordained in that RCA congregation as an elder, applying to be commissioned by the RCA classis for a particular pastoral ministry in the RCA. 

More information is needed on the possibilities for Commissioned Pastors in other denominations. 

There are several confessionally Reformed denominations a minister may join. Due to the shared history, a streamlined process, and the openness to RCA Ministers sharing in a variety of contexts, including serving in PCUSA, ECLA, and UCC denominations, as well as independent churches, many CRC Ministers may wish to transfer their ordination to the Reformed Church of America. The Task Force on Ministerial Credentials and the RCA exists to help you and to help the RCA help you. Please visit our separate crc2rca website for more information and to fill out a contact form. Or email crc2rca@gmail.com with questions. 

Article 14

a. A minister of the Word shall not leave the congregation with which the

minister is connected for another church without the consent of the council.

b. A minister of the Word who resigns from the ministry in the Christian

Reformed Church to enter a ministry outside the denomination shall

be released from office by the classis with an appropriate declaration

­ reflecting the resigned minister’s status and with the concurring advice of

the ­ synodical deputies.

—Cf. Supplement, Article 14-b

c. A minister of the Word, once lawfully called, may not forsake the office.

A minister may, however, be released from office to enter upon a nonministerial

vocation for such weighty reasons as shall receive the approval

of the classis with the concurring advice of the synodical deputies.

—Cf. Supplement, Article 14-c

d. A minister of the Word who has entered upon a vocation which classis

judges to be non-ministerial and forsakes the calling of a minister of the

Word shall be released from office within one year of that judgment. The

concurring advice of the synodical deputies shall be obtained at the time of

the judgment.

e. A former minister of the Word who was released from office may be

declared eligible for call upon approval of the classis by which such ­ action

was taken, with the concurring advice of the synodical deputies. The ­ classis,

in the presence of the deputies, shall conduct an interview that examines

the circumstances surrounding the release and the renewed desire to serve

in ministry. Upon acceptance of a call, the person shall be reordained.

—Cf. Supplement, Article 14-e

(For proposed changes for Synod 2025, visit the CRCNA Book of Church Order HERE.)

Supplement, Article 14-b

Declaration regarding ministers who resign from the CRC

a. Synod directed the churches and classes dealing with ministers who depart from the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA) in order to seek ordination in the ministry of the Word in another church to take note of the statement made by Synod 1978 that “Synod has instructed all our churches and classes that in all cases of resignation a proper resolution of dismissal must be adopted with the concurring advice of synodical deputies” and to realize that this statement allows for a broad degree of flexibility in responding to such situations (cf. Acts of Synod 1978, p. 73).

b. Synod directed the churches and classes to take into account the manner and spirit in which a minister has acted during the time leading up to and including departure from office when determining what action to take. (Some situations may require a deposition; others may require only a simple release from office.)

Article 14

2) To make a declaration reflecting the resigned minister’s status that is appropriate to the way and spirit in which the minister acted during the time leading up to and including the minister’s resignation from office. Such a declaration could reflect one of the following:

a) The resigned minister is honorably released.

b) The resigned minister is released.

c) The resigned minister is dismissed.

d) The resigned minister is in the status of one deposed.

Note: In distinction from a minister who retires, any resigned minister no longer retains the honor and title of minister of the Word in, nor has an official connection with, the Christian Reformed Church in North America (cf. Church Order Article 18-b).

d. Synod encouraged churches and classes to prayerfully consider the following principles in their deliberations:

1) Schismatic activities are to be considered a serious violation of the sacred trust associated with ordination and a dishonoring of God which results in pain and brokenness in the body of Christ.

2) All declarations by churches and classes should clearly evidence hope for the possibility of restoration and mutual reconciliation.

(Acts of Synod 1993, pp. 581-82)    

(For more supplemental material on Article 14 and to read proposed changes for Synod 2025 visit the CRCNA site. )