Delegates meeting at Synod 2022. Photo by CRCNA
Church members rally at Synod 2022 in support of the LGBTQ+ community. Photo by Steven Herppich
Response to Synod 2022 Decisions
In June of 2022, the Christian Reformed Church synod (annual gathering of leaders) defined “unchastity” to include “homosexual sex,” effectively making opposition to gay marriage something that all CRC office bearers and members are expected to adhere to. There are a variety of perspectives among Church of the Savior’s members regarding God’s will for human sexuality, and some of us are still working out our views, but the majority of us are in disagreement with this decision made by our denomination. For that reason, we are spending time in a process of discernment and education about what that decision means for the future and direction of our local church community. As we seek God’s will together, we remain deeply committed to CotS’ vision: A safe and authentic community where we are known and loved as we experience and share the grace of Jesus Christ.
Next Steps Discernment Process
In February 2023, our church started the Next Steps Discernment process, a tool developed by Pastor Church Relations, who have spent the last forty years "inviting Christian Reformed congregations to embrace challenging conversations and lean into spiritual discernment rather than avoid them and hope their questions just disappear or resolve on their own." You can learn more at their website or by watching the video.
The Process
Training
On January 14, 2023, six members of the congregation were trained as Listening Circle Facilitators.
First Stage
From February 26 through March 4, six different small groups met in listening circles with facilitators.
"Remain in Christ" - two opportunities for a scripture practice of "Holy Reading" (Lectio Divina) were offered the week before the listening circles.
"Love One Another" - the respectful and loving listening that took place in the circles.
"Not My Will, But Yours" - a guided prayer before each listening circle helped us to enter into this attitude.
Second Stage
On March 21, the Council had its own listening circle to process the information received in the First Stage. They met again on March 28 to continue the discussion. After these discussions and reviewing the comments from the first stage of listening circles, the Council recognized that our options boiled down to three paths – leave the CRC denomination; remain in the CRC and comply with its teachings on human sexuality; or remain in the CRC without complying with those teachings. Of these, Council unanimously chose the last one in a commitment to unity and a commitment to love. While they discuss exactly what that means in financial, educational, and practical terms, Council decided to postpone any further Listening Circles until there is a specific scenario on which more feedback is needed.
Meanwhile, the Council will pursue further education for itself and the congregation about:
-
the theology of sexuality, church, and denomination;
-
our practical connections to and disciplinary exposure within the CRC; and
-
how we might join with and learn from other similar CRC congregations.
Look for specific opportunities starting this summer.
On June 4, the Council communicated where it currently stands on human sexuality as it pertains to aspects of church life based on conversations they had in May. The basis for their discussions was a set of statements they drafted to identify and distinguish those various aspects. Although they took no formal votes (and will not do so until the education initiatives are complete), in the interest of transparency they shared those statements, along with a rough sense of Council’s current support for each. Please click/tap here for the full communication and the specific statements.
Summer 2023
Members of the church were invited to read the book, Heavy Burdens: 7 Ways LGBTQ Christians Experience Harm in the Church by Bridget Eileen Rivera. The adult education team facilitated a series of meetings to discuss the material of the book.
Fall 2023
Several educational events were hosted for the benefit of the church and community:
-
September 9: Author Bridget Eileen Rivera spoke about her experience and her book Heavy Burdens: 7 Ways LGBTQ Christians Experience Harm in the Church.
-
October 13: Dr. Christiana de Groot presented an “affirming” approach to LGBTQ inclusion in the church, making a biblical case for supporting marriage equality. Dr. Benj Petroelje gave a response to the presentation from a “traditional” perspective.
-
November 4: Dr. Jeffrey Weima presented the “traditional” approach to LGBTQ inclusion in the church, making the case that the Bible does not support same-sex relationships. Dr. Warren Campbell gave a response to the presentation from an “affirming” perspective.
-
November, 5, 12, & 17: Adult Sunday school series addressing intellectual humility, loving others while following our conscience, the other educational events, and a panel discussion about the current status and possible avenues for CotS.
Stage Three
From January 17 to January 22, 2024, six different small groups met in listening circles with facilitators to respond to a proposed statement, and feedback from these sessions was shared with Council.
Stage Four
After individually reviewing the responses from the listening circles in stage three, Council went on retreat March 22-23, 2024, to process the responses and be led in a listening circle themselves. It was a focused time of listening to the congregation, listening to each other, listening to God together, and listening to God individually. The periods of listening were interspersed with spiritual practices, and Council ended the retreat sharing communion together.
Taking into account the congregation responses and what was discerned on retreat, several Council members redrafted the statement. At their April meeting, Council took a non-binding vote showing 7 were for approving the statement and 3 were not. The statement was made available to the congregation who had an advisory vote on May 16. In the vote, 83% approved of adopting the statement.
At their May meeting, Council took a binding vote and voted 7-3 to adopt the statement. You can find it here.
Stage Five
We will hold a gathering on September 21, 2025 to conclude this process. It will include confession, gratitude, lament, and trust.
The Consequence and Outcome
In June 2024, the CRC Synod (the bi-national governance body) met, only a month after we adopted our LGBTQIA+ affirming statement. Without getting into the weeds, the decisions of the 2024 Synod made it impossible for us to stay a part of the denomination and maintain our affirming statement. In fact, even posting the statement on our website meant our leadership board and all members were put on limited suspension!
Shortly after, our Classis (regional group of churches in the governance structure) reached out to determine if we would be submitting to Synod's decisions or starting the process of leaving. Addressing this question as a church body, it was decided to leave. Following the rules of church order, we held a congregational vote in December 2024, where 95% affirmed the decision to leave. The second required vote took place in June 2025, where 98% affirmed the decision. Our motion will now go to Classis and be addressed at their October meeting, where we expect it to be accepted without debate.
In the meantime, we put together a team to investigate what denomination we might move to. The Onward and Upward Team (aka OUT) started meeting in September 2024. The options were narrowed to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Reformed Church in America. Both came from Reformed traditions and theology similar to our own and would allow us to maintain our affirming statement. In the end, Council recommended the RCA to the congregation, and the vote in June 2025 affirmed that choice by 97%. We expect that process to conclude in January 2025.
Other outcomes include participating in the South Bend Pride Fest for our first time and the formation of a peer support group, the Queer and Questioning Club, that meets monthly.