Episode 258: From Reformation to Rebuilding — Cameron Oegema (Part 2)
“Continue to find the joy even in the hard moments...There has been joy in the re-establishing trust. Don’t lose sight, too, of the ordinary joys in your local church…Find the joys in the work that God is doing, whether that is denominationally [or locally], as we seek to build what God has entrusted to us.” —Cam Oegema
Summary of This Episode
Welcome back to The Messy Reformation for part two of Willy and Dan’s conversation with Rev. Cam Oegema, co-pastor at Bethel CRC in Listowel, ON. After talking about how things are in Classis Huron, Dan asks how Cam perceives “the Canadian context” and if or how it’s different from the United States in our binational denomination. Cam recognizes there are differences, as could be seen in the handguns discussion at Synod 2025. However, he shares, “There are certain pockets within Canada that make more of it than there is…like Towards Canada…We’re not this…monolithic…group-think that is going a certain way.” He doesn’t think of Americans as all being or thinking a certain way either. He does see a difference in that Canadians tend to be more willing to disagree but Americans can also disagree and be together. He states clearly, “It’s not my nationality that determines my faith; it’s my Savior.”
Willy shifts gears and asks Cam to take a stab at what phase we’re in as a denomination. He describes it as “a feeling-out process.” “There was a lot of hay made about trust…We’re learning how to trust each other again.” He recognizes it will likely take time, and can be done through repeated contact through classis meetings and the Canadian National Gathering.
He also points out that the CRC needs to think about where it’s going in this post-Christian era. Numbers are shrinking, and at least partially then, finances shrink. He feels we’ve set plans for what we want to do, “Now we’re just figuring out the best way to do the work well. For me, that’s kind of a hopeful place to be because I can look ahead but I’m also looking back and realizing, “Hey, this is what the Lord has brought us through [and] this is what the Lord has brought us to….He’s doing something good.” Willy shares an appreciation for signs of faithfulness among churches that may have been struggling while also naming the rebuilding of trust is likely to take consistency over several years.
Willy invites Cam to share what challenges he think we’ll be facing in the next five or so years. Cam shares a heartfelt summary of the importance of ministry to young adults. Generations have had different experiences, something things coming easier than others. Right now, young adults are facing economic issues, social media pressures, and mental health issues, and he wonders if many truly are adequately prepared for adulthood. “It’s such a formative time in life, because a lot of these guys really get to figure out [who they are], this is where I’m gifted, and they get to have people come alongside of them…” He describes these as not just “out in the world” issues, but they matter for the church and how we disciple well in a holistic perspective—spiritually, physically, mentally. He highlights and we would encourage especially Canadian churches, youth leaders, and young adults to check out the Young Adult Winter Retreat held in Woodstock, ON each January (Insert link: https://www.facebook.com/YARetreat?ref=br_tf).
For his final thoughts, Cam encourages us, “Continue to find the joy even in the hard moments...There has been joy in the re-establishing trust. Don’t lose sight, too, of the ordinary joys in your local church…Find the joys in the work that God is doing, whether that is denominationally [or locally], as we seek to build what God has entrusted to us.”