Episode 142: Conversation with Ken Benjamins (Part 1)

“We have a true, deep faith in Jesus Christ…and with that we go into our homes, into our marriages, in our schools, in our politics, [and] we apply the gospel there as much as [we] can. But if we ignore the faith aspect, then we’re going to get just social justice…If we ignore the structures of creation, [we get] a kind of fundamentalism—just love Jesus.” -Ken Benjamins

Summary of This Episode

This week on the Messy Reformation, Jason is joined by Rev. Ken Benjamins. Ken is the pastor of Calvin CRC in Dundas, Ontario, just outside of Hamilton. Over the last twenty-plus years, he has served elsewhere in southwestern Ontario at Hope CRC (Brantford), Ebenezer CRC (Jarvis), and Wyoming CRC. His background includes being raised in a Dutch immigrant family that farmed, and he initially pursued being a mechanic, where he would converse about the gospel and decided he needed to learn more. He eventually went to Redeemer University, which was in its infancy, and to this day has strong ties with that institution.

Throughout the episode, Ken shares quite a bit of his own theological foundation and framework, and how that contributes to Christians living out the faith as well as what he values of the Christian Reformed Church. In his remind, he holds together Afscheiding values and Kuyperian thought (for more context, search Dutch Secession of 1834; Abraham Kuyper). These bring together the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, experiencing the gospel, and not presuming about one’s salvation _with_ all of life is religion and the wideness of the gospel. Jason reminds us that the CRC historically tries to hold these thoughts together as well with the confessional, pietistic, and Kuyperian (or transformationalist) streams of Reformed thought. 

This leads Ken into sharing his interest and thesis work on common grace at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary under Dr. Joel Beeke. Jason asks if there are parallels between the 1920s, when Rev. Herman Hoeksema and the Protestant Reformed Churches broke off from the CRC, and the tension of the 2020s. Ken points out that Hoeksema was concerned and warned, “Common grace thinking is just going to make us worldly in the end…[It] would cause us to baptize too much stuff in our culture.” He sees that having happened over parts of evolution, sports and Sunday observance, as well as watching church online versus attending in-person. These things aren’t neutral; there are worldviews behind them that conflict with our faith and Scripture. People work to rationalize participation in things because we’re using our God-given gifts while ignoring biblical directives. Jason shares about a conversation in which one man pointed out to a friend, “You can make anything sound good, if you want to.” Somewhat connected to this view of common grace, people twist and justify things for their wants.

There’s a bit of what we heard in the previous episodes about genuine conversion, which leads Jason to ask how Ken sees these different parts of what the gospel is for or what it does hold together in doing ministry. Ken touches a bit on Albert Wolters “Creation Regained,” and the view that all of creation’s structures are good but can be used for the glory of God or the glory of man. Our involvement of reconciling creation with God is only possible, “If we have a true, deep faith in Jesus Christ…and with that we go into our homes, into our marriages, in our schools, in our politics, [and] we apply the gospel there as much as [we] can. But if we ignore the faith aspect, then we’re going to get just social justice…If we ignore the structures of creation, [we get] a kind of fundamentalism—just love Jesus.” Jason shares his philosophy matches with that: “Changed hearts change lives. Changed lives change families and workplaces.” In order to capture all this, though, the church needs a revitalization of what the gospel really is—you’re not just forgiven, but you’re also transformed and being transformed. 

The pair talk about confessional integrity and how ministry can be done across disagreement. They share how that’s visible when ministers are part of ministerials. We respect each other’s differences. We acknowledge that if we were to join a particular tradition or denomination, we’d expect their theology and doctrine to continue. At the end of the day, if you are part of the CRC, you are expected to adhere to “our” confessions. If not, then the CRC may not be the place for you. 

This week wraps up with Ken laying out what the Christian Reformed Church is about and what he cherishes of Reformed perspective. He offers five distinctives: 1) The sovereignty of God: He is sovereign over and in all things, including salvation, politics, home, education, and even illness. 2) Our doctrine of covenant: A personal relationship with Jesus is not just friendship imagery, but marriage with Christ, and faith carrying on through generations. 3) Our doctrine of creation: “All that God has given us is good, all has fallen, but in Christ, all things are reconciled to him; it’s a high view. 4) Our particular view of history: There is one story of salvation—the Old Testament leads to the New Testament, the Old Testament people of God are the church in its infancy, and the kingdom is coming. 5) Institutional View of the Church—We recognize offices, ordinary means of grace, and church discipline.