Pastoral Letter Regarding U.S./Canada Relationship

Dear churches and members,

In his first letter to the Corinthian church, the apostle Paul reflects significantly about the unity of the church using the metaphor of the body: “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12). As a small portion of Christ’s universal body, the Christian Reformed Church in North America is made up of many parts, including citizens of both Canada and the United States.

Paul also writes, “If one part [of the body of Christ] suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26). It is with that spirit that we are writing this today.

CRCNA leaders have received many notes of concern and pain from CRC members regarding recent statements made by the U.S. government administration detracting from the national sovereignty of Canada. Other expressions of concern and pain have been shared regarding threats of a potential trade conflict coming from U.S. leadership. 

As brothers and sisters in Christ, we lament the brokenness we are experiencing in our cross-border relationship. We feel the hurt that is being experienced by comments that belittle one country at the expense of the other. We urgently desire a relationship of justice, peace, and mutual respect.

The synod of the Christian Reformed Church in North America has spoken many times about our vision for the relationship between Canadian and American congregations—for example—“The CRCNA values being a binational denomination for the opportunity it provides to combine pursuit of a common mission with an intentional and meaningful engagement with different national, regional, and local contexts for ministry. Binationality in the CRCNA fosters a culture of gracious space that encourages different expressions of common convictions to achieve common goals of meaningful witness and effective, holistic ministry in different contexts” (Acts of Synod 2013, pp. 451, 467, 610-11). 

As a community of churches in both Canada and the United States (and now a handful in Venezuela), we seek to live into these types of relationships that offer opportunities to contextualize ministry and give witness to a kingdom that is larger than any one nation.

In Romans 12:18 Paul encourages believers, “As far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” In a time when churches are divided across many lines, we, as CRCNA members from Canada and the United States, have an opportunity to display kingdom values of love, respect, peace, and justice in our words and actions, and to encourage our leaders to do the same. May God give us strength to live out these values.

Your partners in ministry,

Zach King
General Secretary

Al Postma
Executive Director-Canada

Dan DeKam
Director of U.S. Ministry Operations