National Strategies for Revitalization
And, again, the usual disclaimer – I have no credentials, no connections, and speak with no particular authority. And I realize that some of the suggestions here may set the cat among the pigeons. But I’m not really on board with the whole concept that “The future is non-denominational.” It’s possible that the CRC will become more of a regional entity. Or affiliation of regional clusters. But I think a lot of these ideas would translate to that, too. Still, take from them what you will, and leave the rest.
The Need for National Reform
The Christian Reformed Church (CRC) has historically been a strong, confessional denomination. However, institutional drift, declining membership, and weak theological formation have left the denomination in a precarious position. Without decisive national strategies, individual churches and regional Classes will continue to struggle.
This section outlines key national initiatives aimed at:
- Reforming denominational institutions to better serve local churches.
- Strengthening theological education through the Timothy Cohort and an alternative seminary option.
- Developing a national church-planting framework that avoids past failures.
- Creating networks of confessional renewal to reinforce biblical faithfulness.
- Opening a new confessional conversation on contemporary challenges.
Institutional Reform at the Denominational Level
Many churches and Classes feel disconnected from denominational leadership, with institutions often acting as bureaucracies rather than servant organizations.
1. Reforming the CRCNA Bureaucracy
- Decentralize denominational power, reducing bureaucracy and shifting resources toward local church support.
- Re-evaluate ministry shares to ensure they are funding theological education, church planting, and pastoral support rather than bloated administration.
- Establish direct accountability between denominational leadership and local congregations, making sure national agencies are serving churches, not dictating policies.
2. Strengthening Synod as a Confessional Safeguard
- Require all denominational leaders and agency heads to publicly affirm the Three Forms of Unity and demonstrate commitment to historic Reformed orthodoxy.
- Establish regular theological review sessions at Synod to assess denominational drift and recommend corrections.
3. Reforming Denominational Agencies
- Conduct an audit of denominational agencies to determine which are still aligned with CRC priorities.
- Consider shutting down or restructuring agencies that are no longer serving the core mission of the CRC.
- Redirect resources toward church planting, theological education, and pastoral development rather than social programs disconnected from the gospel.
The CRC and Calvin University – Navigating a Precarious Relationship
The historic relationship between the CRC and Calvin University (and by extension, Calvin Seminary) has grown increasingly complicated.
- While Calvin Seminary remains the official seminary of the CRC, concerns about theological drift and progressive influence have caused many churches to look elsewhere for pastoral training.
- Calvin University has demonstrated a pattern of prioritizing academic independence over denominational accountability, leading to tensions between the institution and CRC churches.
- Instead of severing ties outright, the CRC should focus on building alternative educational pipelines that provide a confessionally grounded training path for future pastors.
The solution is not necessarily replacing Calvin Seminary, but rather offering an alternative that is less vulnerable to theological drift—ensuring that CRC churches always have access to sound, Reformed pastoral education.
The Timothy Cohort & An Alternative Seminary Option
One of the greatest challenges in the CRC is ensuring that church leaders are both theologically grounded and confessionally committed. While confessional training remains available, churches often struggle with a shortage of pastors and an inability to support them. Additionally, in the interest of expediency, leadership positions are sometimes filled by individuals who may not be fully aligned with the denomination’s confessional commitments.
1. The Timothy Cohort: A Local Church-Based Training Network
Rather than waiting for a denominational seminary overhaul, the Timothy Cohort will train the next generation of pastors through local churches and Classis-driven mentorships.
- Local mentorship: Prospective pastors will be discipled by seasoned ministers in strong, confessional churches.
- Hybrid education model: The Cohort will partner with faithful Reformed seminaries (Mid-America, Westminster, Puritan, Greenville, etc.), offering a blend of academic training and real-world pastoral experience.
- Funding & support: A national funding mechanism will help Timothy Cohort students with seminary costs and church internships, ensuring they are not burdened with debt.
- Accountability & theological integrity: Candidates will be held to a rigorous confessional standard, ensuring they are prepared for faithful pastoral ministry.
2. Addressing the Pastor Shortage & Small Church Viability
- Many CRC congregations are too small to support a full-time pastor, leading to difficulty in filling pulpits.
- The CRC should explore alternative models of pastoral support, including:
- Bivocational pastor training, equipping leaders to serve while working outside the church.
- Shared pastoral models, where multiple small churches pool resources to support a single pastor.
- Stronger Classis-level cooperation, ensuring that churches in a region support one another rather than struggling alone.
3. Developing an Alternative Seminary Option
If the CRC is serious about long-term reform, it may need a new, confessional seminary to complement (or compete with) Calvin Seminary.
- Modeled after Westminster & Mid-America: The new seminary would be deeply confessional, emphasizing biblical exegesis, systematic theology, and Reformed ecclesiology.
- Church-based partnerships: The seminary would function in close connection with strong CRC churches, ensuring practical training alongside academic work.
- Flexible training for bivocational pastors: Offer options for part-time, remote, and hybrid learning, so men can be trained without uprooting their families.
A National Church-Planting Framework
Data from CRC history demonstrates a clear pattern: Isolated church plants fail. Clustered church plants succeed.
1. A Church-Planting Network with Cluster-Based Strategy
- New churches should not be planted in isolation. Instead, church plants should be established in clusters, ensuring mutual support.
- Church plants should be connected to strong, existing CRC churches whenever possible.
2. The Role of Christian Education in Church Planting
- Many successful church plants in CRC history have grown alongside Christian schools.
- Church-planting efforts should consider including a Christian school, homeschool co-op, or hybrid educational model as part of their launch strategy.
- A network of church-supported education initiatives could be a major driver of both church growth and covenantal faithfulness.
3. A National Church-Planting Residency Program
- Create a national church-planting residency where candidates spend 1–2 years training in an existing church before planting their own.
- Offer financial incentives for churches willing to sponsor church planters.
A New Confessional Conversation
There have been multiple calls—both from confessionalists like R. Scott Clark and from more progressive figures—for a Reformed theological conversation about contemporary challenges.
1. A Broadly Reformed Discussion, Not a New Confession
- This conversation should include representatives from across the Reformed spectrum, including:
- Confessional CRC members
- Representatives from the URCNA, OPC, PCA, and other conservative Reformed bodies
- CRC figures who lean in a more progressive direction
- No one would be obligated to adopt any document produced.
- The goal would not be to replace the Three Forms of Unity (as the RCA essentially did with the Belhar), but to offer guidance for Reformed churches facing modern issues.
2. Key Topics for Discussion
- How should Reformed churches respond to modern cultural and ethical issues (gender, sexuality, politics, etc.)?
- What does faithful church discipline look like in an era of mass media and online culture?
- How can churches recover strong covenantal and ecclesiastical identity in a fragmented society?
- What is the role of Christian education in church revitalization?
A Call to Bold Action
If the CRC is to be faithful and growing in the next generation, decisive national strategies are needed. By reforming institutions, strengthening pastoral training through the Timothy Cohort and an alternative seminary, developing a cluster-based church-planting framework, and opening a serious confessional conversation, the CRC can recover its historic strength as a confessional, missional, and covenantal denomination.
Now is the time for churches, Classes, and denominational leaders to step up and commit to real renewal—for the glory of God and the health of His Church.