The Messy Reformation

Jason Ruis

We love the Christian Reformed Church; we want to see reformation in our denomination; and we recognize that reformation is typically messy. So, we’re having conversations with pastors throughout the CRC about what reformation might look like.

  1. 4D AGO

    Episode 261: The Bittersweet Work of Transitional Ministry — Roger Sparks & Harv Roosma (Part 1)

    The CRCNA is navigating a pastoral shortage, smaller candidate pools, and congregations that have been through enough upheaval that calling a new pastor straight away isn't always the right first move. This episode introduces the STM — the Specialized Transitional Minister — through two men who have made it their life's work: Roger Sparks and Harv Roosma. They want you to know something upfront: having an STM doesn't mean your church is a problem church. Roger came to the work through a painful door. After 34 years in Medicine Hat, Rock Valley, and Laverne, he'd watched churches go through messy separations as a synodical deputy — and gone through one himself. Harv arrived differently: a teacher turned pastor who spent 20 years on Vancouver Island before sensing that the churches he served had deeper needs he wasn't equipped to meet. Pastor-Church Relations pointed him toward STM in 2018. He's been doing it ever since. The structure is practical — a year-long commitment, first six months learning the church, second six months preparing the way for the next pastor. A priority list of 14-15 items gets narrowed to three or four. The training through the Interim Ministry Network is serious: church DNA, change dynamics, appreciative inquiry, moving a congregation from scarcity thinking to abundance thinking. But the phrase that captures the spirit of the whole thing is Harv's: we go in pre-fired. Your time is limited anyway. There's no fear. The job is to uncover what needs to be uncovered and love people well on the way out. **Timestamps:** - 0:00 — Intro - 1:08 — Roger Sparks: 34 years in Medicine Hat, Rock Valley, and Laverne - 3:00 — What drew Roger to STM: synodical deputy work and a painful church split - 5:19 — Harv Roosma: teacher to pastor, Vancouver Island to the Midwest - 7:41 — What led Harv to STM: sensing needs he didn't have tools to address - 8:02 — Jason: STMs aren't just for "problem churches" - 9:10 — The pastoral shortage and STM demand in the CRC - 12:08 — What a one-year STM commitment looks like - 13:22 — The 6-month model: learning the church, then preparing for the next pastor - 15:10 — The priority list: narrowing 14-15 items to 3-4 per church - 16:54 — When a church closes: walking a congregation through its death - 17:25 — STM training: the Interim Ministry Network - 19:09 — Tools: appreciative inquiry, asset mapping, scarcity to abundance thinking - 19:59 — The skills of the STM: avoiding triangulation, practicing differentiation - 21:37 — Annual conference and peer Zoom groups - 23:50 — The license to ask hard questions: what the STM invitation actually means - 25:44 — "We go in pre-fired" - 26:42 — Conversations that don't stay at surface level - 27:05 — The bittersweet: friendships formed and goodbyes Join and support us on Substack: https://themessyreformation.com/ Intro music by Matt Krotzer

    32 min

  2. FEB 9

    Episode 260: Is the CRC Cutting the Wrong Things?

    This is part two of our team update — and we're getting into some specifics. The big topic: the COD's recommendation for biennial synods, which will come before Synod 2026. Willy serves on the Council of Delegates and voted against the recommendation, and he explains why. The proposal came from a task force looking to cut costs. Their solution? Hold synod every other year instead of annually. But as Willy lays out, this isn't just a budget issue — it's an ecclesiology issue. Synod has its authority because synod is the church. It's not something we get to skip when money's tight. And here's the kicker: under this plan, COD would meet six times in two years while synod meets only once. That should concern all of us. Coming out of the battles over human sexuality, departures, and division, this is the wrong time to pull back from gathering. We need more connection, not less. And as Willy points out, it's ironic that the denomination just ran a whole initiative called Gather — and now wants to gather less as a synodical body. On the encouraging side, Lora Copley has been hired as interim editor of the Banner — and that gives us real hope. Herb Scheur's recent article was exactly the kind of accessible, Reformed content the Banner should be putting out. If you stopped reading the Banner, now's the time to come back. And if God's tapping you on the shoulder to write, submit something. We close with a call to serve — on COD, committees, boards, wherever God is leading. The priesthood of all believers isn't just a doctrine we confess; it's how renewal actually happens. Timestamps: - 0:00 — Intro - 2:11 — The biennial synod recommendation explained - 4:33 — "Synod has its authority because synod is the church" - 5:14 — Why Willy voted against it: COD meets 6 times, Synod just once - 7:02 — "A recommendation for biennial synods coming out of a war like we've had is foolish" - 9:30 — Churches feel disconnected from Grand Rapids - 11:10 — Biennial synods would undo efforts toward unity and vision - 13:00 — You need a vision before you write a budget - 16:29 — The denomination needs to cut bureaucracy - 18:16 — Lora Copley hired as interim Banner editor - 20:49 — Herb Scheur's article and the call to support the Banner - 24:47 — Call to serve: COD, committees, boards - 28:47 — Renewal of ecclesiology and the priesthood of believers - 33:22 — Final words: pray for the church, act boldly from a place of victory Join and support us on Substack: https://themessyreformation.com/ Check out the Abide Project: https://www.abideproject.org Intro music by Matt Krotzer

    37 min

  3. FEB 2

    Episode 259: Why the CRC Needs Vision More Than Another Fight

    It's January, which means it's time for our annual team conversation — just Jason, Willy, and Dan talking about where we are, where the CRC is, and where we think things need to go.                                                                                      After life updates (Dan's upcoming sabbatical, Willy's new pastor in Pease, Jason's transition into school ministry), we dive into an honest assessment of the denomination's current state. Willy frames it well: the CRC has spent the last few years establishing what we're against, but now we're struggling to articulate what we actually stand for. That's the opposite of how our confessions work — they lead with affirmations, then denials. We've done it backwards.                                                                    The result? An unsettling quietness across the denomination. People are asking "now what?" and nobody has a clear answer. We talk about the temptation to start another fight just to rally the troops — and why that's exactly the wrong move. This is the rebuilding   phase. And rebuilding starts with identity.        Timestamps:                                                                                                                            - 0:00 — Intro                                                                                                                         - 2:47 — Dan's update: sabbatical, candidacy gathering, Quorum Deo Conference - 4:46 — Willy's update: new pastor at Pease, COD work, biennial synods, RCA dialogue committee                             - 7:13 — Jason's update: school ministry, teaching systematic theology, grieving Greg Zonnefeld          - 10:03 — The state of the CRC post-Synod 2025 - 11:04 — "We've established what we're against — now what do we stand for?"     - 14:09 — The Eugene Peterson story: what happens after you "win"  - 17:35 — Classis renewal and organizational challenges - 21:01 — The CRC's lack of vision                                                                                                     - 22:07 — Local church leadership vs. looking to denominational HQ     - 24:27 — How classes can share gifts and work together     - 31:24 — "What we're doing isn't working"     Join and support us on Substack: https://themessyreformation.com/                                                                      Check out the Abide Project: https://www.abideproject.org                                                                             Intro music by Matt Krotzer

    33 min

  4. JAN 26

    Episode 258: From Reformation to Rebuilding — Cameron Oegema (Part 2)

    Join and Support us on Substack: https://themessyreformation.com/  Check out the Abide Project:  https://www.abideproject.org We love the Christian Reformed Church; we want to see reformation in our denomination; and we recognize that reformation is typically messy. So, we’re having conversations with pastors throughout the CRC about what reformation might look like. Intro Music by Matt Krotzer

    35 min

  5. JAN 19

    Episode 257: From Passive Participant To Active Leadership — Cameron Oegema (Part 1)

    Join and Support us on Substack: https://themessyreformation.com/  Check out the Abide Project:  https://www.abideproject.org We love the Christian Reformed Church; we want to see reformation in our denomination; and we recognize that reformation is typically messy. So, we’re having conversations with pastors throughout the CRC about what reformation might look like. Intro Music by Matt Krotzer

    32 min

  6. 2025-12-22

    Episode 256: More Than Sunday Christians — Kurtis Ritsema (Part 2)

    Join and Support us on Substack: https://themessyreformation.com/  Check out the Abide Project:  https://www.abideproject.org We love the Christian Reformed Church; we want to see reformation in our denomination; and we recognize that reformation is typically messy. So, we’re having conversations with pastors throughout the CRC about what reformation might look like. Intro Music by Matt Krotzer

    36 min

  7. 2025-12-15

    Episode 255: What Seminary Cannot Teach You — Kurt Ritsema (Part 1)

    Join and Support us on Substack: https://themessyreformation.com/  Check out the Abide Project:  https://www.abideproject.org We love the Christian Reformed Church; we want to see reformation in our denomination; and we recognize that reformation is typically messy. So, we’re having conversations with pastors throughout the CRC about what reformation might look like. Intro Music by Matt Krotzer

    35 min

  8. 2025-12-08

    Episode 254: Standing Firm When Truth Costs Something — Richard Britton III (Part 2)

    Join and Support us on Substack: https://themessyreformation.com/  Check out the Abide Project:  https://www.abideproject.org We love the Christian Reformed Church; we want to see reformation in our denomination; and we recognize that reformation is typically messy. So, we’re having conversations with pastors throughout the CRC about what reformation might look like. Intro Music by Matt Krotzer

    34 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

We love the Christian Reformed Church; we want to see reformation in our denomination; and we recognize that reformation is typically messy. So, we’re having conversations with pastors throughout the CRC about what reformation might look like.

Information

  • Creator
    Jason Ruis
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    274
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2022
  • Show Website
    The Messy Reformation

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