Interim Canada Director Appointed

Ben Vandezande has been appointed as the interim Director of  Canadian Ministries for the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA).

Rev. Joel Boot, CRCNA executive director, announced the appointment to the denomination’s Board of Trustees, which is meeting this week in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Vandezande, who recently had been interim director of Christian Reformed Home Missions, will replace Rev. Bruce Adema, who stepped down in late August.

Before serving as interim director of Home Missions, Vandezande was Home Missions regional team leader for Eastern Canada.

Prior to that, he had served as director of Diaconal Ministries Eastern Canada (now Diaconal Ministries Canada). He has also worked as a development coordinator, a municipal politician, and an educator.

“As interim DCM, Ben will have overall responsibility for the work of Canadian Ministries, providing leadership during this time of transition,” Boot said in a letter to CRCNA staff in Canada.

He also will lead a team to review the position of DCM.

“I want to assure you that we are not studying the position with a view to eliminating it, but rather to make sure it is clearly defined and structured to meet the needs of Canadian Ministries, churches and classes,” writes Boot.

He said that Vandezande, who plans to spend two days a week in the Burlington office,will appoint deputies to assist in the specific tasks of supervising Canadian Ministries and that Rev. William Koopmans will serve as the ecumenical officer for Canadian ecumenical affairs.