Classis and Denomination - January 26, 2022

In this third installment of sharing how I see things at Mountainview after being here for a year, I would like to talk about how I prefer to deal with things in our region (Classis Niagara) and denomination (Christian Reformed Church in North America CRCNA). Feel free to follow the links to learn more about these Ministries.

Let me start with my basic philosophy.  There is great value in belonging to a community of churches for reasons of support and accountability.  At the same time, there is a lot of energy that goes into running, managing and sustaining these broader ministries.  So from my perspective, my job as lead pastor is to filter all the ideas, opportunities and information that come to us and give the Mountainview congregation those items I think are most helpful and relevant.  This means that you will not often hear me talking about what is happening at Classis (Niagara regional meetings) or at Synod (CRCNA annual meeting).  I want to encourage you to participate in our local ministry first and foremost.  And, if you have interest, awareness, and energy, to then feel free to engage in the broader work of the church.  To be clear, I have nothing against the broader ministry.  I simply see my primary task as leading the local congregation in local ministry.

Quite soon after moving here I became the chair of the Classis Ministry Committee.  This is the team (I prefer team over committee in most situations) that plans and oversees the process for our region.  I saw the vacancy and took it because I knew that at some point I would have to get involved and since I have served in a similar capacity in Toronto, it seemed to be a good fit.  I am glad to say we have an excellent team with strong administrative people and so leading and chairing is pretty straight forward.

I have also been involved denominationally in the last year.  With the turmoil surrounding the firing of Darren Roorda and the ongoing conversations about how Canada and the US can best work together in the CRCNA, I felt the need to participate.  This work will culminate with the event this Saturday January 29 with a meeting of delegates from all 12 regions of the CRC in Canada where we will discuss how best to set up for good Canadian ministry.

I tell you about these specific things simply to illustrate that I am not uninterested or uninvolved in the broader church.  However, you will not often hear from me or read things I have written that include much about the process.  If you want to know more or have an interest or a role in these things, feel free to connect with me about that. Beyond that let’s focus on how we can be the church in the Grimsby area that benefits from the accountability and support of our regional and denominational systems.

One final thought on this:  beyond the formal and institutional systems, I have built up some fabulous relationships with other Christian Reformed leaders over the years.  These I value immensely.  I am grateful for the gift of colleagues and friends who share a similar journey and are wise and loving traveling partners.

Pastor Erick Schuringa