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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

Rev. Mark Bennink

Rev. Mark Bennink has been the chaplain for the Grand Rapids team of Hospice of Michigan for over four years and as a church pastor for twenty-four years. He served as the pastor of Newton (Iowa) CRC, the Pastor of Congregational Life at First (Fremont, Michigan) CRC, the Senior Pastor at 12th Avenue CRC (Jenison, Michigan), and an interim pastor at First (Zeeland, Michigan) CRC. He has been a member of several Classis committees including the Classis Muskegon Ministries Board and the Classis Georgetown Vision Team (Classical Interim Committee). He was the Synodical Deputy for Classis Georgetown. He has mentored youth pastors and trained new hospice chaplains. He is a member of Holland Heights CRC and involved in their worship, teaching, and youth prayer ministries. He has been married to wife Sheri for over thirty-two years and is the father of two adult children.

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.

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.

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.

Rev. Michael Koetje

Rev. Michael Koeje is currently pastor at Westwood CRC in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He also served as pastor at Second CRC in Grand Haven, Michigan, and Hope CRC in Hull, Iowa. He is a graduate of Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary. Mike has served on the board of Calvin University and most recently on the Council of Delegates where he chaired the Synodical Services Committee and was a member of the Executive Committee and two COD task forces. He currently chairs his classis' interim committee and previously served as a stated clerk. He and his wife Mindy have three adult children.

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

Shawn Brix

Shawn Brix

Victor Chen

Rev. Lora A. Copley

Timothy Joo

Tim Kooiman

Michael Koot

Daniel Mouw

Benjamin Oliveira

Marg Rekman

Jack Van De Hoef