Episode 186: Synod 2024 - A Confessional, Diverse, and Missional Church - Andy Sytsma (Part 2)
“In terms of…our heart posture…stay both vigilant but grateful for what happened at synod… and then also looking ahead, hopeful but focused…—hopeful [on] what God's going to do, focused [and] leaning into discipleship…What I see with this whole issue…in the last couple of years is both kind of biblical [illiteracy and] gospel fuzziness…Here we have an opportunity to get our theology clear on the gospel, but then also practically live that out in people's lives with discipleship.” -Andy Sytsma
Summary of this Episode
Jason and Willy’s conversation with Rev. Andy Sytsma, pastor of Life in Christ CRC in Salt Lake City, UT and delegate and chair of Synod 2024 Advisory Committee 9, picks back up as Andy is sharing about the global vision aspect of Synod and going forward. He’s had the opportunity through Classis Rocky Mountain previously and in other ways to watch connections being made church planters and believers in Venezuela, Columbia, Mexico, Argentina, and the Philippines. The global vision report is not pushing to try and evolve the CRC into some massive global denomination, but Andy shares our approach, framework, and process is much more as an alliance. The ministry partnerships are rooted locally and are theologically Reformed. Jason points out that the global church is increasingly looking for a confessional church—there are opportunities. Andy sums up an ongoing shift, “In the past, Europe and North America were the senders of missionaries…Now it’s very much…missions from everywhere to everywhere.”
Looking back on Synod, Jason asks if there was anything that discouraged Andy. The only thing he notes is the social media commentary from people who were not at Synod, and as they talk about this, it’s not just people who disagree with “conservative” or “orthodox” views. Jason describes in the tension, high investment culture of the denominational moment, you can feel helpless and lack control when you don’t get to be in the room. Andy reminds us how these are weighty things being handled in a weighty way, and there are real people and real relationships formed and impacted.
Willy checks in on how Andy felt things went, especially in regard to Advisory Committee 9’s work. While it was exhausting and long at times, he thinks it went well. He appreciated the space to start out slow, but then stewarding time with the logical impacts of previous decisions got through their work faster. As a chair and for his reporter, he notes their role was to answer questions and clarify things so the delegates could make good decisions. “Synod did a good job of trying to process it and listen and, in the end, the Spirit was leading.”
When it comes to the impact on his congregation, Andy has filled his Council in but with the members, it’s more of a one-on-one conversation. He does see the distance from the denominational center meaning more people tend to be less denominationally and classically-minded, but he’s willing to share with those interested. Jason shares a shift to be more connected in his own congregation has been impacted by providing opportunities to pray for those who are affected by the implementation of discipline as well as the denomination present and future.
Where are we heading? Andy has a few solid reflections. First, he reminds us to keep a Christ-like posture. It’s time to lean into active ministry; we’ve been focused on what we believe and what is true, but ministry needs to be done among people. Second, in terms of this connection of being more diverse and confessional, keep developing members and officebearers as synod called for. Third, “In terms of…our heart posture…stay both vigilant but grateful for what happened at synod… and then also looking ahead, hopeful but focused…—hopeful [on] what God's going to do, focused [and] leaning into discipleship." Jason shares a practical application of that, especially the long perseverance and slowness that discipleship can have, is evident in a five-year journey of someone he and others have come alongside of who had struggled with gender identity, but currently isn’t. Reformation—personal and church-level—is possible. Looking at the past and looking ahead, Andy shares, “What I see with this whole issue…in the last couple of years is both kind of biblical [illiteracy and] gospel fuzziness…Here we have an opportunity to get our theology clear on the gospel, but then also practically live that out in people's lives with discipleship.”