Ethnic Pastors Learn About CRC

James Black was grateful to have had the chance to make the trip from his church in Los Angeles, Calif. to join 22 other ethnic pastors for a gathering last week in the Grand Rapids office of the Christian Reformed Church.

Like the others attending the meeting, Black, who is African American, is on the road to becoming a commissioned pastor in the CRC.

Others who came to the meeting included a Afghan pastor of an independent church, Hispanic and Asian church planters, and Native American pastors. They are serving in communities all over North America and help to represent the changing face and future of the church, said Rev. David Koll, director of the CRC’s Candidacy Committee.

“The goal of the meeting was to provide a hospitable orientation for ethnic minority pastors,” he says.

“It was a wonderful time of building fellowship, gaining an understanding of the Reformed perspective, and gaining an understanding of the CRCNA. The teaching sessions by seminary professors and others were wonderfully received.”

Ethnic Ministries of Christian Reformed Home Missions, along with the Candidacy Committee, helped to sponsor the event.

James Black works at Azusa  Family Church, a CRC congregation in California. He ministers to young married couples with children and disciples a group of men.

“I really enjoyed gathering with other ethnic pastors,” he says. “The conversations and sessions were enlightening.”

He especially appreciated the efforts of Rev. Bob Price, chair of the ethnic ministries council for Home Missions, to help bring people together to learn more about Reformed theology.

“Being able to fully embrace my heritage and culture through the lens of Reformed theology is something I treasure. I hope this gathering continues to grow and receive support from the Christian Reformed Church denomination,” he says.

Many of those who attended the meeting are already involved on some level in ministry and are interested in becoming ordained to serve more fully in the contexts in which they find themselves, said Rev. Charles Kim, director of Asian ministries for Home Missions.
 
“We brought them together for an orientation to the church,” he says. “Some of them have attended seminary, but others haven’t, and they are not able to go through the process of receiving the formal M. Div. degree.”

Now that they have gone through the orientation, they will be assigned individual mentors through their various classes that will draw up learning plans for them to become commissioned pastors.

Commissioned pastors are normally ordained to serve as pastors in a particular congregation, where they can preach and administer the sacraments.

“This was a way for us to identify key leaders who are already doing ministry. This is just the beginning. The more we do this, the more diverse the denomination can become and the greater impact our denomination can have on the kingdom,” says Kim.

Rev. Stanely Jim, director of Native American ministries, says six Native American pastors, including two couples, came from New Mexico to participate in the gathering.

Bob Price says the CRC at one time held gatherings like this during synod, but had stopped doing that. He is hopeful that this first meeting will expand into many more with an increasing number of potential commissioned pastors.

“We see this as a movement in the church,” says Price. “This is a demonstration that the CRC takes ethnic ministry seriously.”

He says those who attended — and they aren’t all currently working in the CRC — had the chance to learn about the church, but they also got to know one another and to create a collective spirit.

“When ethnic  people see other ethnic people who are doing ministry, they are motivated to move forward in the church or in some cases to join the church,” he says.