Episode 184: Synod 2024 - Cultivating a Christ-Centered Vision - Derek Buikema (Part 2)
“Trust Christ, and may that be what animates everything we do.” -Derek Buikema
Summary of this Episode
Welcome back to the Messy Reformation podcast where Jason is joined again by Rev. Derek Buikema. The conversation picks up with how Derek hoped to work through the business of synod–dealing with significant things early that would let people know where things were at. In doing that, there was the hope that overall anxiety would decrease. He didn’t expect that synod would be easy, but he hoped and trusted that having these important discussions and deliberations would enable more peace and less fear. He hopes that carries over to the classis level in the months ahead.
The conversation moves on to the overall flow of Synod 2024. Jason noticed there was not as much repetition in speeches as in previous years. Derek was really encouraged by so many delegates. He shares about the full-hearted participation of young adult representatives and the wisdom shared by ethnic advisors. How well synod went was in part because of the delegates and how they handled themselves and the matters before them.
While there is much that was encouraging, what was discouraging for Derek? He shares his sadness that there will be people leaving. He shares the genuine love that he has for people like Trish Borgdorff and others who are expected to leave. He acknowledges that much of the meeting didn’t feel like “us vs. them,” but rather we are in a family, and you don’t want to see people exit the family. He agrees with Jason–there are times when you have to part ways, but that doesn’t take away the heaviness of it.
Derek takes up the question of where the CRC goes from here. He’s leaving that in the Lord’s hands, but his hope is that the Christian Reformed Church “cultivates a positive theological vision for what it means to be part of the [CRC] at this particular time…There are so many assumptions…and different people have different ways of thinking about that…And I think that has to influence the way that we do our mission work…[and] worship.” Two contemporary examples of people and groups that have done this are Tim Keller and 9Marks. Keller cultivated a theological vision for how to do ministry in the cities that many urban church plants have utilized. 9Marks focused on what makes for a healthy church and that has flowed into church planting and revitalization. Every part of the CRC should be looking at a CRC-specific positive theological vision.
Part of being able to move into the future is what Derek shares from a friend that we need to know when to fight and when to garden, or cultivate, and how to do those things well. We’re heading into needing to work on our gardening skills. Jason reminds us–if you get locked only ever in battle-mode, you’ll always go looking for enemies. Derek encourages avoiding entrenchment and remembering that orthodox does not just conservative and that we should pursue catholicity–being part of the one church of Jesus Christ. Sometimes that may bring accusations of being fundamentalist and other times of being liberal.
As the episode starts to wrap-up, Derek shares his appreciation and being impressed with the work of those in our denominational institutions and structures. He commends Zach King, Joel VandeWerken, Ashley Medendorp, Al Postma, and Susan LaClear (to name a few) for the good work that they are doing, their desire to serve the Lord, and doing so joyfully. His final words are that if we are to have a Christ-centered vision, then “Trust Christ, and may that be what animates everything we do.”