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Members

The Candidacy Director and Candidacy Committee oversee the processes of ordination in the Christian Reformed Church.

Candidacy Committee, April 2024
Candidacy Committee, April 2024

Andrew Beunk

Andrew is currently serving as Lead Pastor of New Westminster CRC in the Vancouver area of British Columbia. Ordained in 2000, he served his first congregation, Fruitland CRC, Stoney Creek, ON, for 9 years, until moving to his current home in 2009. After graduating from the University of Waterloo (B.A.Sc. - Mechanical Engineering) he worked for Ford Motor Co. for 6 years then began attending Calvin Seminary graduating in 2000. Serving a vibrant and increasingly multicultural congregation like New West has been a great joy and privilege. Andrew enjoys hiking, tinkering, golfing, and movie nights with the family.

Deb Chee

Although Deb was born and raised near Grand Rapids, Michigan, in a small town called Cedar Springs, she has lived on the Navajo Reservation for the past 36 years. Deb began a teaching career in Early Childhood in 1978, and then in 1984, received a BA in Elementary Education (K-8) from Calvin University and an MA in Education in 2006 from UNM. She moved to New Mexico in 1985 to teach first grade at Rehoboth Christian School where she taught for over six years. One of her favorite teaching assignments was teaching middle school science courses and holding after school science activities and competitions. In 2013 she received the NM Science Teacher award. Currently Deb is an Early Childhood instructor at the University of New Mexico in Gallup, NM. She received a license to exhort from the Leadership Development Network in Classis Red Mesa in 2014. After completing a Commissioned Pastor’s program for three years, she is a part-time pastor of Fort Wingate CRC. It is, and has been her great joy, to work and minister on the Navajo Reservation for the past 36 years.

Judy Cook

Judy Cook

Judy has a BA (Psychology) from Dordt College and an M.Ed in marriage and family therapy from the Univ. of Toronto. She has worked as a family therapist in various agencies since l986. The last 15 or so years before retirement she was the Clinical Director of Shalem Network (formerly Salem Chr. Counselling Services) in Hamilton, Ontario until retirement in 2010. She was certified as a Restorative Justice practitioner circa 2005, and helped to pioneer FaithCARE, one of Shalem's programs for churches. Judy has been an active member of the CRCNA since age 12.

Rev. Lora A. Copley

Lora, a member of Rehoboth CRC in Rehoboth, New Mexico, presently is employed as a doctrine teacher at Rehoboth CRC. Rev. Copley has served as chair of both the Outreach Committee and Congregational Care Committee, as secretary of Classis Red Mesa Teams Committee, and has been a member of the Grand Rapids Christian School Board. She currently is on the Classis Red Mesa Theological Education and Ministry Skills Committee and is a consultant for the Faith Formation/Education Committee at Rehoboth Christian School.

Caleb Dickson

Caleb Dickson

Caleb was ordained as a commissioned pastor in Classis Red Mesa in 2018 for the role of pastor at Red Valley (Ariz.) CRC. He has been involved in ministry in Classis Red Mesa since 2011. He became a graduate in 2011 of the Classis Red Mesa Leadership Development Network and has since served on the oversight committee for that program. He served in the capacity of long-term pulpit supply at the Naschitti CRC from 2014 until he was called to Red Valley CRC.

Felix Fernandez

Felix is the lead pastor of South Kendall Community Church in Miami, Florida. He has served as a contributor of the Discover God Study Bible (published in 2007), as a chaplain for the Atlanta Braves minor league team in Orlando, and as a church planter in Central Florida. Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Felix spent many summers in New York City and the Dominican Republic. He has been married to his wife, Keri, since 2000 and God has blessed them with three children.

Moon B Kim

Moon B. Kim

Moon graduated from Calvin Seminary and was ordained in 1995. Moon is the pastor of Korean Grace Church of Grand Rapids. Moon is married to Soonhwa, and they have two sons and one daughter.

Henry Kranenburg

Henry is currently serving as Lead Pastor of West End CRC in Edmonton, Alberta. He has been at West End for just over 5 years after serving in longer pastorates in Hamilton, Ontario, and Brockville, Ontario. Henry did his undergraduate studies at Calvin University and the University of Toronto, graduating from Calvin with a degree in Psychology. He received his M.Div. and later a Th.M. in Pastoral Care and Counseling from Calvin Theological Seminary. Henry, together with his wife Marnie, enjoys outdoor opportunities on land and water and regularly pursues those.

Susan LaClear

Director of Candidacy

Susan currently serves as the Director of Candidacy for the CRNCA. Previous to taking this role, she served as the sole pastor of Maranatha Fellowship CRC in Farmington, NM for eleven years; and as the Discipleship and Care Pastor for Alive Ministries in Jenison, MI for five years. Susan is married to Michael LaClear, and they have two adult children.

877 279-9994 Ext 2676

Jul Medenblik

Jul is a former attorney who entered Calvin Theological Seminary as a second career person. Upon graduation, he served for 16 years as the founding pastor of New Life Christian Reformed Church in New Lenox, Illinois. He also served for four years as the Church Planting and Development Point Team Leader for Christian Reformed Home Missions. On August 1, 2011, Jul took up the position of President of Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Andy Sytsma

Andy grew up in Japan as a missionary kid, came back to the States for college and now serves as pastor of New Life CRC in Spring, Texas, where he has served since 2009. Prior to moving to Texas, Andy served in New Jersey (Bridgeway Community CRC) and Seattle (Emmaus Road CRC). He received his training at Calvin Theological Seminary (M.Div. 1997) and Calvin University (BA - Psychology 1993). Andy is a local mission leader with Resonate, and has worked with over 20 church planters and leaders from various cultural backgrounds in the processes of art. 6, art. 23 and art. 8 credentialing. Andy has served on several regional and classis committees.

EPMC Facilitation Team

Maria Bowater

Shawn Brix

Shawn Brix

Victor Chen

Charles Dillender

Al Gelder

Kelsi Jones

Timothy Joo

Tim Kooiman

Michael Koot

Daniel Mouw

Benjamin Oliveira

Marg Rekman

Jack Van De Hoef

Geoff VanderMolen