Episode 240: Rootedness in an Unmoored Culture — Brandon Seaver (Part 1)
“We have an opportunity here that I haven’t seen The Banner embrace…Our youth, this next generation, is so hungry for truth, and we have an opportunity to have a publication…that can reach them more, that can speak to the youth, and find ways to embrace our confessionality and not just question it.” —Brandon Seaver
Summary of This Episode
Welcome to part 1 of our conversation with Brandon Seaver, an elder at Hillcrest CRC in Hudsonville, MI who was delegated by Classis Georgetown to Synod 2025. Brandon is another late joiner to the CRC, who grew up in an independent Baptist family. He shares his appreciation for the Reformed faith was largely that it answered a lot of questions he had. His influences have been people like R.C. Sproul and John Piper. Jason points out the common influences of the “Young, Restless, and Reformed” movement tend to be more in the Reformed Baptist and Presbyterian Church in America (PCA); not so much CRC-associated theologians. Perhaps that shows an area in the contemporary CRC that needs to grow.
The conversation heads to this last synod pretty quickly, particularly with the discussions around The Banner. Jason really appreciated hearing the sentiments, “We want the truth. We don't want all this questioning. We don't want any more like fluff…Tell us what we believe and why we believe it.” Brandon shares, as he was one of the delegates who spoke on the floor, “…We have an opportunity here that I haven’t seen The Banner embrace…Our youth, this next generation, is so hungry for truth, and we have an opportunity to have a publication…that can reach them more, that can speak to the youth, and find ways to embrace our confessionality and not just question it.” Jason adds how it’s difficult to really find “Christian Reformed theology” somewhere, and that’s what The Banner can offer. We find that with the podcast—people from the outside want to know and listen in. The Banner with its larger audience could do even more of that.
Jason backs up and asks Brandon what made him want to go. He shares that it fits his giftings and what others have encouraged. “I feel like some of my skill set in terms of collaborating and navigating difficult conversations, being a deep thinker that can…try to, as best I can, look at both sides of an issue.” He wanted to be of use to the church. He really enjoyed his experience, and thinks he was able to follow through on that. He admits there was a learning curve. It’s not just that people come to issues with different perspectives or content for what they believe, but you also have polity and procedures that play important roles and that some delegates are able to utilize to accomplish certain things. Overall, he would be willing and hopes to be able to go again in the future.
This episode concludes with Brandon sharing his experience on Advisory Committee 5, which was tasked with Congregational Care and Justice matters, including Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD/assisted suicide). One of the biggest takeaways for him on that committee was writing a minority report and the impact of that on one’s synod experience as well as the importance of writing a preamble to convey the intent. Stay tuned for more of his experience on part 2.