FAQ for people staying at Emmanuel
If I don't agree with the most current Synod decision, does that mean I have to leave Emmanuel?
Answer: NO, you do not need to leave. It simply means that you disagree, which is fine; you can still worship at Emmanuel on Sundays. Everyone is welcome
There should be no "seen" changes by people in the pews due to the most recent Council decision. Other than council members or volunteers who work directly in the faith formation stream (such as Sunday School or Catechism) having to agree with Synod's position and Council Members having to sign the Covenant of Office Bearers, there should be no difference to how Emmanuel CRC operates.
With Pastor Dan leaving, will we have services after January 12th?
Answer: Yes, there will be services at 10 am continuing every Sunday at Emmanuel. Case Vink has been contracted to be our preaching pastor starting in January until April 30, 2025. Sarah Bydevaate is continuing on as worship coordinator, Yvonne Bosgra is staying as the Office Administrator, Cathy VanderVeen remains our treasurer and recorder, and Martin Mobach will continue giving Pastoral Care for the near future.
Arrangements will be made to create a calling committee early in the New Year.
Worship services: How will worship look moving forward at Emmanuel? Is there a plan to go totally back to a traditional worship style of just organ and/or piano music?
Answer: No - we will continue to have a blended style of worship, with both contemporary and traditional songs being selected. Sarah Bydevaate has been filling the worship coordinator role since Joy left in the summer. Her contract has been extended until the end of March 2025, so Council fully expects to enjoy the same level of excellent worship music at the services going forward. Members of the congregation who would like to volunteer for Praise Teams, or with tech support, they are always welcome to contact worship@emmanuelcrc.org to contact Sarah.
Rentals - Will the current Emmanuel CRC honour rentals that were booked before this?
Answer: The process for rentals of the church building will not change. All requests are processed through the office, and we will honour all rental agreements in place.
Food Pantry - Will there be changes to the Food Pantry ministry? Would the current volunteers and leaders still be allowed to volunteer and run the pantry if they decide to no longer attend Emmanuel CRC.
Answer: The coordinator of the Food Pantry needs to be an ECRC Member, but otherwise, volunteers do not need to attend. Currently, Yvonne coordinates this ministry along with support from Don and Gael, and Yvonne will be remaining with Emmanuel. Food for the pantry is purchased directly from the funds donated to the pantry program. The proposed budget for 2025 has funds for the pantry which is used to purchase non-food items needed to run the program.
Ministries: will the current ministries continue to run?
Answer: Ministries will continue without any changes as long as we have volunteers who can agree to the decisions as noted above. If there is no one who volunteers for a ministry, we will find other ways to fill that ministry need.
Why is this split happening? Why do people feel they have to leave?
Answer: In November 2024, Emmanuel Council decided to repeal the decision that was made by the Council in 2023 (HC Q&A108 is confessional) to re-align with the decisions of Synod.
There are members who feel that they can not belong to a church that puts leadership barriers upon same-sex married individuals or with a denomination which appears to have taken an extreme hard line against office bearers having questions or concerns around the creeds and confessions. These members wish to continue to worship together, rather than disperse and have been working to organize to form a new congregation.
What if I have more questions? Who do I call or write?
Answer: You can reach out to any of the Council Members. If you don't know who your elder or deacon is, please email office@emmanuelcrc.org or call the office at 403-246-0795.