Records Relating to Christian Reformed Church i... | Heritage Hall, Hekman Library

This archive contains the records of the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA), which includes just over one thousand congregations across the United States and Canada. As a bi-national denomination, the Christian Reformed Church is a diverse family of healthy congregations, assemblies, and ministries expressing the good news of God’s kingdom that transforms lives and communities worldwide.

The ecclesiastical structure involves the church assemblies: the council (local assembly of the elders, deacons and minister(s) of a congregation), the classis (regional assembly), and the synod (bi-national [Canada and U.S.A.] assembly). The ecclesiastical structure is as follows: Council---Classis---Synod (these bodies represent broader participation rather than hiercharchy) Although the synod maintains general oversight of CRC ministries, it has created a system of boards to govern individual ministries and agencies, or educational institutions. Currently there are three boards, each governing a different ministry, with authority to make the necessary decisions for the respective ministry. In addition to these three, another board has been established with the authority to supervise the management of the agencies and committees established by synod, including the planning, coordinating, and integrating of their work. This board is known as the Council of Delegates of the Christian Reformed Church in North America. It operates as an agent of synod and reports yearly to synod on its work. Access to official records may require permission from an originating office, ministry/agency board, or the denomination's Council of Delegates.