The 219th General Synod of the Reformed Church in America gathered at the Sheraton Music City Nashville Airport in Nashville, Tennessee, from June 11-16, to engage in worshipful work and to discern the mind of Christ together. With decorum, respect, and a posture of hospitality, the body made decisions for the entire denomination. In “Music City USA,” General Synod offered heartfelt praise, enthusiastic applause, and emotional appeals (and even some dance breaks too). A spirit of collaboration settled in the body as it “drew the circle wide” and continued the denomination’s commitment to living into a Revelation 7:9 vision.
This synod marked the last time delegates from regional synods and classes joined together to form the General Synod; middle assemblies will replace these bodies on December 30 and will assume the responsibility of sending delegates. Leaders and delegates honestly named the grief of a challenging season and the uncertainty of the future, yet also expressed gratitude for God’s goodness in the past and confidence in the way God will continue to shepherd the denomination.
“I have heard over and over again this wrestling with change that has shown up within the RCA as both grief and gratitude,” said Rev. Sarah Palsma, General Synod president. “We grieve congregations that have departed. We grieve friendships that have been strained. We grieve familiar structures that are coming to an end. We grieve that so much has changed, and we grieve that not enough has changed. Yet, in the midst of this grief is also gratitude. Gratitude for the saints who have gone before us. Gratitude for the ministries that continue to flourish. Gratitude for pastors and churches who have chosen to remain. Like Israel in the wilderness, we are learning once again to depend not on what is familiar, but on the daily faithfulness of God.
“So we pause to give gratitude and ask for God’s blessing for what is coming,” she added. “God is not finished with the RCA. We’re still here because we want to see what God will do next through the RCA. We’re simply the latest stewards of what it means to live boldly through change.”
Worship: God’s acts of goodness in past, present, and future
The General Synod gathered for a multilingual closing worship service on Tuesday morning before the official adjournment of the annual meeting. Rev. Dr. Ron Rienstra, newly installed General Synod professor, preached on Psalm 107, describing it as a liturgical song in praise of God’s steadfast love—four stanzas of trouble and rescue with a delightful coda—that begs to be expanded with our own stanzas of wilderness, darkness, and turmoil met with God’s reversal, restoration, and redemption.
Examining the psalm’s fourth stanza of sailors at sea (vv. 23-24), Rienstra noted the irony that “classis” means “fleet of ship” and that “this is the synod where we have officially given over this evocative metaphor” for the less lyrical language of “middle assembly.”
“The psalmist wrote about ships because the church was never meant to stay in the harbor. We were meant to be out in the open sea, offering our goods, hope, and healing, story and symbol, bread and wine, word and water, following Jesus reconciling all things—bodies and souls, people and places, rivers and forests and creatures, nations and neighborhoods—all creation groaning toward redemption,” he said. “This is our shared task: following Christ in mission in a lost and broken world so loved by God. That has always meant putting out to sea. We’ve had a lovely, refreshing, convivial synod this year. Praise God! But I know you’re all turning out hard toward your ministry contexts, and you know what you’re facing. We are as a denomination smaller than we once were and bruised. We have spent years now in conflict and congregations leaving, friends and families strained, beloved churches closing their doors. Maybe some wonder whether the ship is going down.
“Hear me now: A storm is not a sign that the church has failed. If we are reeling, it’s because we are still out there doing the work God has called us to do, still out there on the open ocean building new churches and global relationships, speaking up for immigrants, making space for those too long excluded, forming ministers, expanding She Is Called, strengthening ministries of mental health and accessibility, learning to care for watersheds and warblers and woodpeckers, telling the truth in public that Christian Nationalism is not the gospel of Jesus Christ. And that’s exactly where God meets the ones who cry out. So we cry out together from the deck of this stubborn, listing, faithful ship. The storm is still blowing. The ship hasn’t reached any harbor. But we see what God has done and will do and is doing. We can be confident God has delivered, he will rescue, he is saving, even if the salvation we cry out for is not immediate, even if the rescue we need doesn’t come all at once, even if the ship is still pitching in the swell. We can still know God hears us, and God is present to us.”
Rev. Sarah Palsma, elder Brad Prince, and Rev. Dr. Kristin Brouwer, as current and future officers, presided over the Lord’s Table. In a spirit of “continued whimsy” and equity-based hospitality, communion elements of sweet potato crackers and grape juice were served.
If you’d like to contribute to the General Synod offering, benefiting Tesoros de Dios (God’s Treasures), a ministry that provides therapy programs and a supportive environment for children with disabilities in Nicaragua, you can do so here.
Wholehearted service: Brad Prince and Kristin Brouwer installed as officers
During closing worship, elder Brad Prince was installed as General Synod president, and Rev. Dr. Kristin Brouwer installed as vice president. They will serve together in the coming year as General Synod officers, truly and with whole hearts.
Prince serves as an elder at Christ Memorial Church in Holland, Michigan, and is a high school teacher and coach. Brouwer is a specialized minister with Trinity Reformed Church in Orange City, Iowa; she is the seventh woman to serve in this role.
”“When you put your trust in God and follow his nudges, it takes you to some places you weren’t expecting. I’m in that place right now. I am beyond honored to serve as your president over this coming year. I know that all is possible with God when we put our trust in God. I look forward to learning from you and hearing more of your stories as we continue the great work in the RCA. Our work is not finished. I ask for your prayers and help as we navigate the next year.”
— Elder Brad Prince, General Synod 2026 vice president
Welcome: Equity-based hospitality and Revelation 7:9
On the first day of General Synod, delegates participated in a training on equity-based hospitality, which is the biblical practice of welcoming both friends and strangers in generous, kind, respectful, flexible, barrier-free ways. That spirit of hospitality—and listening to the whispers of the Holy Spirit at work in the body—set the tone for this meeting. Officers, delegates, and guests all noted the warm welcome that existed and spilled out to bring still others from diverse backgrounds into the church, “drawing the circle wide” as described by facilitator Rev. Dr. Liz Testa, director of Revelation 7:9.
The spirit of welcome came through in casual conversations and deliberations and in the decision outcomes. The synod gave space to hear personal stories and testimonial pleas before taking action to draw the circle wider by:
- Giving initial approval so that each racial and ethnic council will have two corresponding delegates to synod.
- Encouraging middle assemblies to establish equitable, culturally supportive, egalitarian structures.
- Ensuring mental health and accessibility and mobility ministries are carried out.
- Exploring the possibility of a Commission on Disability.
In pursuing equity, the General Synod also:
- Affirmed that forming middle assemblies around race or ethnicity is inconsistent with the RCA’s antiracism policy.
- Removed geographical bounds for General Synod to pay for delegates’ travel.
- Urged middle assemblies to provide translation of meetings and resources—and asked the general secretary and GSC to share learnings and best practices around translation.
- Instructed the GSC and general secretary to establish an initial equitable rotation of middle assemblies.
”“RCA, I’m delighted to proclaim that Revelation 7:9 is not merely a future promise or vision for the RCA to experience one day. It is already breaking into the present. I have seen it. I have worshiped with it. I have sung with it. I have eaten at its tables. I have witnessed dying congregations receive new life through brothers and sisters from different nations and cultures. I have seen old churches open their doors wider rather than close them. And each time I catch a glimpse of it, I cannot help but think: this is when the RCA is at her best.”
- Rev. Sarah Palsma, General Synod president
Wonder: What’s next with restructuring?
In a pivotal transition year as middle assemblies will become effective on December 30, General Synod made a number of decisions about restructuring implementation and wondered about the opportunities before the denomination in a new chapter of ministry. Two sets of amendments to the Book of Church Order were declared effective by this General Synod, changing both the format and the size of the General Synod.
The General Synod Council (GSC) and GSC staff are working to implement virtual meetings of the General Synod, which is now allowable as long as an in-person meeting takes place at least once every three years. The first virtual meeting of the General Synod will take place in 2028, the denomination’s 400th anniversary year. In the initial implementation of virtual meetings, General Synod will move to a biennial in-person rhythm, meeting in person in 2027 and 2029 and virtually in 2028 and 2030. In addition, in-person synods will be shortened by one day starting in 2027.
“We have been encouraged to wonder,” said Rev. Joshua Scheid, GSC moderator. “I wonder how a synod meeting virtually could invite even greater participation and belonging by making it more accessible for delegates who would otherwise be unable to serve as a delegate in person. I also wonder how we might commit to relationship and connection beyond just this [room]. As the working group explored possibilities for a virtual meeting, it became important to name that we cannot duplicate the in-person General Synod experience in a virtual meeting. So the next discernment phase involves identifying what important and essential business can reasonably be accomplished virtually even while being attentive to the unique opportunities a virtual synod offers for equipping the saints for the work of ministry and building up the body of Christ.”
The new formula for building the General Synod body allows one minister and one elder delegate for each 2,000 members or fraction thereof in a middle assembly. This is a simplification and reduction from the old calculation and is intended to better fit the size and budget of a smaller denomination. The new delegation size will first be in effect for General Synod 2027.
Read the full summary of restructuring implementation decisions.
Work: God’s and ours
In his annual address, Rev. Eddy Alemán, general secretary of the RCA, called the church to be faithful disciples who plant and water, trusting that God will give the growth and increase.
“It’s not about me or us; it’s about God. We’ve gone through a hard time and painful process of division. But God has given us a new opportunity to shift the focus from divisions to something that is more beautiful and more fruitful. God is shifting us. God is about to do something amazing. This is a good opportunity to start focusing on the future because God has something really special for us.
“As the Reformed Church in America moves into the future, our work is not about the growth. That’s God’s work. Neither the planter nor the waterer is the source of life. God alone is the source of life. That truth keeps us humble when ministry appears successful and hopeful when ministry is not going the way we want. It’s about God who is blessing the work. Don’t lose hope. Make sure you are planting and watering seeds of faith, of hope, of blessing. Our responsibility is faithfulness; God’s responsibility is fruitfulness. The beauty of God’s garden is that everyone matters. The planters and waterers are partners in a shared vision. Together we participate in God’s work, trusting that God will bring life where we cannot see it. Church, let’s partner for the mission. Let’s partner for the gospel in the ministry of planting and the ministry of watering. When we plant and we water, let’s trust that God will give the growth. Let’s be faithful stewards of the garden God has placed in our hands.”
He also provided ministry updates, a warning of the dangers of Christian Nationalism, and a pastoral call based on 1 Corinthians 3:1-9. Drawing on Scripture and his personal experience as an immigrant, he also reminded the delegation that immigration is a deeply spiritual matter and that Christ-followers are called to embrace the vulnerable and welcome the stranger as God does.
”"What God has done in the season behind us is not merely history but evidence. It’s proof that God can be trusted with whatever lies ahead. We do not step into this new season alone. We do not step in without a track record of God’s faithfulness to carry with us. Unity in this transition will not come from everyone agreeing on every detail that is ahead, but from the shared memory of what God has done, and a shared identity as God’s people, and a shared declaration that the King is king-ing. … I believe in this season ahead that we get to continue to worship with joy and boldness with tambourines in hand.”
- Rev. Dr. Kristin Brouwer, elected vice president for 2027
World: General Synod responds
General Synod responded to ongoing conflicts and movements with action and statements.
Prompted by the Commission on Christian Action, the synod discussed the conflict in the Middle East and how the RCA can be an active participant in pursuing peace in that region. Ultimately, the General Synod approved an amended recommendation calling for the general secretary to write a letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu with concern over expansionism and the lack of equal treatment for Palestinians; calling upon RCA members to “contact senators and representatives demanding that funding for Israel be stopped until Israel stops its expansionism”; and instructing the GSC’s Office of Finance to study potential divestment strategies and policies, for report to General Synod 2027.
Narrowing the scope to the U.S., the synod adopted two statements. The Commission on Theology named the importance of a statement from the General Synod to the church and the world, made in a timely manner. Delegates also felt the urgency of the topics.
Statement on Christian Nationalism
Drafted by the General Synod Professorate at the request of the GSC, adopted by General Synod 2026
We, the delegates to the 219th General Synod of the Reformed Church in America, declare the doctrine of Christian Nationalism to be opposed to the gospel of Christ.
We believe:
- God governs this world through both church and state. The church is to affirm authentic faith and show fruits of the Spirit, seeking wholeness and care for everyone.1 The state is to work for the safety, security, and peaceful order of all those under its care.2 Full humanity is both spiritual instructing us in faith and righteousness and political educating us to be citizens. We must not misapply to politics God’s call to spiritual freedom.3
- The church must invite the state to greater nobility, freeing the enslaved, relieving the oppressed, comforting the afflicted.4 We have a necessary voice in the public debate but, as Christ’s body, gathered around Word and sacrament, we must not conflate national identity with God’s reign,5 lest we mute our prophetic voice and replace discipleship to Jesus Christ with political ambition.
- We belong to Jesus Christ, not to anyone or anything else.6 We are called to influence the public square through persuasion rather than coercion, to work for unity among all people and nations, to reconcile everyone, and to stand in God’s Spirit without the corrupting influence of temporal power.7 Christian Nationalism represents a false church, fundamentally distorting the gospel.8
Trusting in our Triune God, we call on all Christians to renounce this error and work for justice, wholeness, and peace for all.
1 Galatians 5:22-23.
2 Belgic Confession, Article 36.
3 John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, III.19.15.
4 RCA “Form of Declaration for Ministers,” Book of Church Order, Formulary 3.
5 Belgic Confession, Article 29. Those who may belong to the true church are not distinguished in any way by nationality or skin color.
6 Heidelberg Catechism, Q & A #1.
7 Belhar Confession, Articles 2, 3, and 4.
8 Belgic Confession, Article 29.
Statement on Immigration Enforcement–Related Actions and Policies
The General Synod president appointed a small committee to work on this statement, as requested by the Commission on Christian Action and the General Synod body. Committee members: Brad Prince, vice president of General Synod (chair); James Brumm, General Synod professor; Tony Davis, Classis of California; Donna Field, Classis of Nassau Suffolk; Edwin Gil, Classis de las Naciones; Tim TenClay, General Synod Council; and Barbara Van Hassel, Regional Synod of the Mid-Atlantics.
We, the delegates to the 219th General Synod of the Reformed Church in America, acknowledge the truth that every person is made in the image of God (Genesis 1). We are called and commanded to love the stranger (Deuteronomy 10) and show hospitality to foreigners and prisoners (Hebrews 13). Therefore, we denounce the immigration policies of any government that treats people as less than human.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we cannot remain silent when the U.S. government:
- utilizes racial profiling,
- detains without proper judicial warrants,
- arrests and deports without due process,
- practices cruel and inhumane treatment (including, but not limited to, deprivation of adequate food, sanitary facilities, and medical care),
- subjects anyone to physical, emotional, or mental assault,
- separates children from families,
- engages in third country deportations,
- operates mass detention centers,
- and transfers individuals as a means of inhibiting legal counsel and preventing family contact.
We confess and lament our role in supporting such a system and recognize any and all such actions as sin. “The church as the possession of God must stand where the Lord stands, namely against injustice and with the wronged…. in following Christ the church must witness against all the powerful and privileged who selfishly seek their own interests and thus control and harm others” (Belhar, Art. 4).
What else?
General Synod also accomplished the following business:
- Commissions, with a few exceptions, will be reduced in size by one member in order to right-size for a smaller amount of available volunteers.
- The Board of Benefits Services (BOBS) now holds the responsibility to set minimum benefit requirements, following a constitutional change that was declared effective.
- New Brunswick Theological Seminary has updated bylaws, including a change that requires the Board of Trustees (with a reduced maximum of 18 members) to have a majority of RCA members on its Board. Western Theological Seminary celebrated record and near-record semesters this past year, part of a “season of encouraging momentum” for the seminary. The Ministerial Formation Certification Agency marked the granting of 600+ certificates to candidates for ministry and will continue to operate with significant reduction, with no recommendations for change from the Pastoral Formation Oversight Board.
- General Synod celebrated and encouraged the RCA church multiplication team and classes (middle assemblies) that are actively engaged in international church planting and adoption, as they are helping the RCA make disciples of all nations and are furthering the RCA’s Revelation 7:9 vision. The report of the International Church Planting Task Force is commended to middle assemblies for their use.
- The covenant shares rate is set at 2.5 percent for 2027, which has been the sustained rate over the last two years.
- RCA Global Mission’s Partnership-in-Mission share rate was approved at $7,000 for 2027. RCA Global Mission asks every RCA congregation for support, through prayer and potentially with a partial share or other contributions to support missionaries or mission initiatives.
- The General Synod honored ministers who retired in 2025, as well as those ending their service with RCA Global Mission. The synod also gave God thanks for the lives and service of ministers who passed away in the last year.
Tools and resources for ministry
If a reference to a resource made you perk up and say, “What was that?” but it got lost in the busyness, here’s a compilation of resources provided at General Synod for use in individual, small group, congregational, or assembly settings. This delegate resource page also serves as a hub for reference and sharing.
- Liturgy for the closing of a regional synod or classis
- “The Christian Doctrine of Creation” paper and discussion questions from the Commission on Theology, commended for use and study by the General Synod.
- The Commission on Theology’s paper on the separation of church and state, along with discussion questions, also commended by the General Synod.
- Bible translation guide and chart from the Commission on Christian Worship
- International Church Planting Report for forming middle assemblies to use in their responsibilities of planting new churches and/or adopting other churches
- We Are Speaking statement and resources—a call to the church to end harassment, abuse, and sexual violence against women and girls—which General Synod urged RCA members and congregations to review
- Statement on Christian Nationalism as contrary to the gospel of Jesus
- Statement denouncing unjust immigration-enforcement policies
- Data collection policy: “When collecting demographic information (including but not limited to gender, race, ethnicity, and language), the [name of assembly, institution, or board] whenever possible, shall either (1) provide an ‘other/prefer not to answer’ option, or (2) not require an answer to the question” (2026 General Workbook, pp. 101-102). While the policy is non-constitutional and thus is not binding, RCA assemblies, institutions, and boards are encouraged to adopt this or a similar data collection policy.
- “Why” stories playlist: hear powerful stories of why people in the RCA engage in ministry. These stories, shared at the beginning of plenary sessions, help create a shared identity of belonging and mission.
- Western Theological Seminary Center for Disability and Ministry
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