Episode 210: The State of the CRCNA Following Synod 2024 — Jason Ruis (Part 1)

“If we’re going to survive as a denomination, we have to lean out the bureaucracy that’s grown up…One of the benefits of doing that is that it forces us to have some really hard conversations about who we are…and what should a denomination do...If you could only have one denominational agency, what would they be, and what would they do?…Think of how effective we could be–instead of having all of our energy and resources trickling off into all these tributaries…we’d just have one river heading in one direction.” — Jason Ruis

Summary of This Episode

This week on The Messy Reformation Podcast, Jason begins to offer his version of the “State of the CRC.” He starts out by addressing a few of the biggest anxieties expressed over the last few years. When it comes to classes being in turmoil or conflict because of the decisions of Synods 2022-2024, the number is relatively low; the majority are thankful and excited about the direction of the denomination. When it comes to the number of congregations who are in the process of leaving, he estimates it’s around 30 churches or only 3% of the denomination, which is far better than even synod’s 3-to-1 votes. Also, he’s encouraged by the denominational staff. While they are not necessarily as bold or courageous as desired, “They haven’t tried to back away from it…They’ve…said, ‘These are the decisions we’ve made as a denomination. This is who we are.’” 

While those are all positives, there are still some things that could improve. “There’s this interesting dynamic going on with denominational staff where they’re still holding [The Abide Project] at arm’s length a little bit.” Jason supports viewing Abide as really being at the center of the denomination. The hesitancy to engage Messy Reformation or Abide-associated people has been decreasing, but there are still people who have a bad taste about these, which he’d like to see that shift. He encourages listeners to not worry about the slander, but to live in such a way that accusations fall flat; don’t give validity to the negative views that some have through previous interactions or rumors. 

Jason, then, moves to focus on an area needing improvement: “Denominational staff need to really focus on restoring trust in the denomination.” Trust has eroded because of previous actions and inactions. While Jason has heard the desire to rebuild trust by “being in relationship and getting to know each other,” he points out the agencies and institutions of the CRC need to prove they can be trusted. He draws on an idea from Tod Bolsinger’s “Canoeing the Mountains” that people don’t follow others “off the map” or into “unchartered” territory if they don’t trust them “on the map.” Competence must be proven to follow. “If they want us to trust them, they need to start living and acting and serving in ways that rebuild that trust.” A significant way to help build that trust would be to hire people that the denomination has already begun to trust; people that seem to have been pushed out or blacklisted from positions to this point.

Looking at the landscape of the CRC’s congregations, one struggle many classes face is churches being vacant of pastors and struggling to find new ones. The current time a church should expect when entering the search process is about three years, but–without change–we’re likely looking at a “crisis” in the next 5 years. This is why The Messy Reformation pushes local churches to do the work of raising up leaders rather than expecting “the denomination” to do it for them. If you see gifts for ministry in someone, express that to them. We can also make connections and recruit from other seminaries. Jason sees the present as a moment that young or new ministers can be a significant part of a reformation movement.

Jason closes this episode with the dream of a “Department of Denominational Efficiency.” Even if churches that remain in the CRC give to ministry shares, the current financial expectations likely can’t be met after departures. “If we’re going to survive as a denomination, we have to lean out the bureaucracy that’s grown up…One of the benefits of doing that is that it forces us to have some really hard conversations about who we are…and what should a denomination do...If you could only have one denominational agency, what would they be, and what would they do?” The idea here is not to consolidate a bunch of things into one office like Thrive did, but to literally cut things out–which is difficult, but if we don’t it’s hard to see how we don’t go belly-up. “Think of how effective we could be–instead of having all of our energy and resources trickling off into all these tributaries…we’d just have one river heading in one direction.”