Toward a Canadian Christian Reformed Church*

Our Vision Statement

As followers of Jesus Christ
Living in this world –
Which some seek to control
But which others view with despair
We declare with joy and trust:
Our world belongs to God. (1) 

With gratitude for more than a century of nurture in the Christan Reformed Church of North America, we now seek to live out our faith through a Reformed witness in our distinctive Canadian culture. As redeemed followers of Jesus Christ, we confess that our only comfort in life and death is that we belong to our faithful Saviour, and that Christ, through the Holy Spirit, assures us of eternal life and makes us wholeheartedly willing and ready to live for him. (2) As we follow the central call to love God and our neighbor, we seek to embody and witness to the gospel in the Canadian context. We commit to use all our gifts to serve God and others in diverse local communities, and to work together to witness to God’s love, justice, peace, and care for all creation at regional and national levels of Canadian Society. Set free for joyful praise, we offer our hearts and lives to do God’s work in God’s world. (3) 

Our new life in Christ
is celebrated and nourished
in the fellowship of congregations,
where we praise God's name,
hear the Word proclaimed,
learn God’s ways,
confess our sins,
offer our prayers and gifts,
and celebrate the sacraments.(4) 

United by God’s Word, creeds, confessions, sacraments, and covenant relationships, we also value the diverse ways in which local congregations live out our common faith. With respect for the original authority of the local church in the life of each community, we covenant to minister together in a pan-Canadian denomination of churches, to deepen and expand an engaged, public witness to God’s grace and restoring love for every aspect of creation and society. We do this by drawing on a rich Reformed heritage, and by listening, learning, and co-opera)ng with believers from other branches of the Christian faith. As full partners in global ministry, we will support ministry with sister Christian Reformed denominations from the Philippines, Nigeria, the United States, Nicaragua, and other distinct countries. From diverse local ministries to global witness, we join and rejoice in God’s mission of reconciliation through historic, current, and future contexts, hopeful for the day when all nations will declare in one voice that our world belongs to God. 

(1) Our World Belongs to God, Contemporary Testimony, paragraph 1. 

(2) The Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 1, Question 1 

(3) Our World Belongs to God, Contemporary Testimony, paragraph 6

(4) Ibid, paragraph 3 

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Kitchen Table Conversation, Round 2 - Toward Canada CRC.mov

Getting more in-depth!

Rachel Vroege from Diaconal Ministries Canada & Paul Verhoef, University Chaplain speak about what difference it could make to ministry in Canada if the CRC in Canada were truly an independent, national denomination.

Check it out!

 

News, Archives & Newsletters!

Find articles (new and old) connected to an independent Christian Reformed Church in Canada here.

How did the Kitchen Table Conversations go? Find out here!


A separate CRC in Canada?

"Toward a CRC in Canada" is a group of people who believe that the time has come for the Christian Reformed Church in North America to birth into two distinct and separate—yet collaborative—national denominations; one for each of our two wonderful nations: Canada and the United States of America.

Since the very first CRC worship service held in Canada at Lethbridge, Alberta on May 14, 1905 the relationship between our siblings in Christ from the CRC all across North America has been invaluable! We would never want to abandon that relationship.

Canada and the US have different and diverging cultures, contexts, challenges and opportunities, however, and the gap between the ministry realities in each country seems to be widening as the years go by. How can CRC folk within each country be best equipped to respond to God's calling best within their own unique settings? We believe that this can be done most effectively through two completely independent denominations. These two denominations would be able to more freely contextualize their mission and ministry, while still being able to work together through already established and new Joint Ministry Agreements. For more information see this open letter that we recently sent to the Canadian Ministries Board of the CRCNA, along with reactions to it!

the Christian Reformed Church in Canada

What would an independent CRC in Canada mean to you?

From that very first CRC worship service in Lethbridge, Alberta, to the founding of hundreds of CRCs in the post-war era, to the vital justice, reconciliation, chaplaincy and church planting ministries of today, the Christian Reformed Church in Canada has had an impact on many people. What impact has it had on you? We'd love to hear your story. 

We know that many stories will be filled with joy and gratitude for what God has done. We also know that some of the stories people have to share may be hard to hear. We want to hear as many stories as possible, and we welcome all Canadians from coast to coast to coast to share their stories of the CRC in Canada with us. Hearing from you will help a Canadian CRC to be better than ever!

Who are we?

We are a growing group of members of the Christian Reformed Church in North America who feel that the time is right for the CRCNA to birth a distinct, independent Christian Reformed denomination in Canada that will continue to partner with the Christian Reformed Church in the U.S.

Our steering team:

*This website is in no way affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church in North America, and the views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Christian Reformed Church in North America, Canada Corp.