CTS Forum

NEW BOOK: Font of Pardon and New Life by Lyle Bierma

FONT OF PARDON AND NEW LIFE: JOHN CALVIN AND THE EFFICACY OF BAPTISM By Lyle Bierma Oxford University Press, Forthcoming, Summer 2021 What did John Calvin teach about baptism? Did…

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Songs of Redemption

When the call went out to churches to make opportunities available for preachers at Calvin Seminary who are women, Palo Alto CRC, a congregation currently without a pastor, responded enthusiastically.…

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Moments in Ministry Formation: Student Share Their Experiences at Calvin

“I was called to seminary in a moment, essentially.” MDiv student Kristy Bootsma says, as she sits down for a Zoom conversation with two other women studying at Calvin Seminary.…

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Following Step By Step: Interview with Mary VandenBerg

Mary VandenBerg is a Professor of Systematic Theology at Calvin Seminary, the first tenured female professor. She recently sat down to discuss aspects of her teaching, ministry, and calling.  …

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My Calling

On the floor of Synod in 1996 a group of bright-eyed candidates was approved for the ministry of the Word in the CRCNA. That year, for the first time, some…

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Partners in the Gospel: Meet special agent Joan Flikkema.

In the kingdom of God, there are secret agents—those working behind the scenes quietly, but formidably. A former teacher, Flikkema first became interested in the roles of women in ministry…

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Women In Office: What Is the CRCNA Position, How Did We Get Here, & What Does It Mean?

It is twenty-five years since the Synod of 1995 opened all ecclesiastical offices to women, and it took twenty-five years of study and debate until it made that decision. It…

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25 Years & Counting!

This past year, I celebrated 25 years of ordained ministry in the Christian Reformed Church in North America. It was 1995. That year also marks a significant transition in the…

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Pew or Canoe: The Unexpected Turn

In 2007, Chicago Tribune columnist Ross Werland raised a provocative rhetorical question in the title of an editorial: “A pew or a canoe: Not a tough choice.” He cited statistics…

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