Thanks for jotting down your thoughts. I certainly haven't agreed with everything, and your missing a bit in my estimation, but it is still interesting to get your perspective on some of the events in the CRCNA over the last few years. However, this post particularly had a number of errors that I specifically wanted to try and clarify some of.
1. Presidents can't/Chad didn't cease debate (he proposed it, and Synod voted to cease debate). Just as calling the question doesn't close the speaker queu, Synod has to vote in favor of closing the queu, the President can merely make the proposal without waiting in the queu themselves, but Synod always decides.
2. Officers can serve on Advisory Committees, but being an officer pulls them out of a lot of those duties (thus, when I personally am deciding who I want to vote for for as an officer of Synod, this is one of my biggest narrowing criteria, passed the "who do I think is capable of leading well" question).
3. The President does not generally vote (maybe in a tie breaker if needed, I don't know), however the rest of the officers still vote (they are all duly sent delegates of Synod).
4. The officers can all speak to motions, they just don't do so from their position of officer. They get in the queu, like the rest of the delegates, and go down to the floor to speak (even the President in theory could do so, just by relinquishing the chair for that matter). Last year, as you pointed out, Paul spoke, but had already relinquished the chair for that part of the meeting as he was on the in-loco committee. However, he did not speak as a member of that committee, but rather as a delegate (which was absolutely his right and prerogative). But earlier in Synod, at other points of the proceedings, both of First (Henry) and Second (Richard) Clerks spoke to other motions (Chad was the only officer that didn't speak, and that is traditional protocol that they don't speak, but not a rule).
5. Cedric already corrected some of your overstatement of what the Program Committee does. Delegates each pick their preferred committees or two when they register, and then Synodical Services has a whole list of how people are assigned. I'm guessing the program committee actually adjust only a small fraction of what the system already puts in place.
6. Derek Buikema never served on the Abide Steering Committee. I was on the ballot for the original Steering Committee (Aaron Vriesman beat me out for our region), but Derek has never even been on a ballot, let alone served on the Abide Steering Committee.
7. Patrick Anthony wrote for Abide after Synod 2023 (maybe we are too "mid-west" focused, but I don't think any of the Abide leaders knew him at all before serving with him last Synod).
8. Scott Greenway, when I first heard he was delegated through the grapevine in February, was who I thought most likely to serve as President (however, I didn't know that Jose was also delegated back then).
9. Henry Kranenburg served as a Second Clerk before, and First Clerk last year (which I voted for him last year, but probably wouldn't again this year).
10. For inexperienced officers, I believe in 2022, Jose was the only DELEGATE that had served as an officer before. So having 5 with experience to choose from gives far more than some synods have.
Lloyd, really appreciate these corrections and clarifications. I’m not on the floor or in the room and just observing like everyone else from the outside, trying to make sense of the rules. These corrections from the “inside” are really helpful.
On 1, you’re right. Chad proposed it and synod supported it. I’m pretty sure past presidents have ended debate, though. I think I saw clips of William Koopmans doing this a few times; this is what I had in mind. I was surprised officers didn't intervene more frequently in 2023.
On 2, very good to know. I actually didn’t realize this.
On 3, same. I actually didn’t realize the first and second clerks didn’t speak.
On 4, good to know as well. You’re right that it’s not done often.
On 5, this is correct as well. I also received a correction from a member of the COD on their role in this, too.
On 6, I’ll defer to you—you would know. But I seem to remember his name on the list, and I thought PVK mentioned it in a video about 2022 officers. I might have misremembered.
On 10, here are the past ten years’ of officers with their experience. I probably should have included this in the original email.
2023:
President: Paul DeVries
VP: Chad Steenwyck
Clerk 1: Henry Kranenburg, pastor of West End CRC in Edmonton, Alta. (10th time at synod and 2X as second clerk)
CLerk 2: Richard Bodini, 4th time delegate
2022:
President: Jose Rayas (14th synod, 3rd time as officer)
VP: Derek Buikema (2nd synod, 1st time officer)
Clerk 1: Aaron Vriesman (3rd synod, 1st time officer)
Clerk 2: Luann Sankey (1st synod, 1st time officer)
2019:
President: William Koopmans (3rd time as pres, 9X synod delegate, this tenth time)
VP: Thea Leunk, 4th synod
Clerk 1: Jose Rayas (13th synod)
Clerk 2: Melissa Van Dyk: deacon, this is fourth synod
2018:
President: Scott Greenway (6th synod, 2nd time as pres)
VP: Elizabeth Vander Haagen (2nd synod, 1st time officer)
Clerk 1: Mary-Lee Bouma (2nd synod, 1st time officer)
Clerk 2: Cal Hoogendoorn (4th synod, 1st time officer)
2017:
President: Cornelius Pool (9th synod, first time officer)
VP: Thea Leunk (3rd synod, served as VP in 2008)
Clerk 1: Rudy Gonzalez (2nd synod, first time officer)
Clerk 2: Ed Visser (7th synod, first time officer)
2016:
President: Paul DeVries (7th synod, 1st time officer)
On 6. Derek was early on scheduled to be a speaker at the first Abide Convention in 2022. But something came up, or he decided to decline the invitation for some reason, and we scheduled another speaker.
On 10, it looks like a fair number of officers are usually serving in that role for the first time. This year I think there were 50-60 (roughly 1/3) of delegates that indicated they were willing to serve as an officer, so lots to choose from.
My understanding is that they also can’t add delegates from a classis that has submitted overtures that will be handled by a particular advisory committee to that committee. That means the many delegates whose classes submitted overtures about gravamina can’t serve on that committee. Another layer of difficulty in choosing who goes where that could be mistaken as bias, but its just part of good process
Yep, we're thinking along similar lines. Only hitch is that once you post something like this you begin to impact the outcome, meaning it might not happen because you posted it. :)
It is also important to note that the Office of Synodical Services has its own rules for who can serve on an advisory committees (including trying to ensure that committees have as much female and minority representation as possible). So, the Program Committee may have some say in who will serve on committees, but it is relatively minor.
That's a very good point. And I also just realized I neglected to mention that the General Secretary is a member of the Program Committee. This person obviously has an enormous influence, too.
Hi Kent,
Thanks for jotting down your thoughts. I certainly haven't agreed with everything, and your missing a bit in my estimation, but it is still interesting to get your perspective on some of the events in the CRCNA over the last few years. However, this post particularly had a number of errors that I specifically wanted to try and clarify some of.
1. Presidents can't/Chad didn't cease debate (he proposed it, and Synod voted to cease debate). Just as calling the question doesn't close the speaker queu, Synod has to vote in favor of closing the queu, the President can merely make the proposal without waiting in the queu themselves, but Synod always decides.
2. Officers can serve on Advisory Committees, but being an officer pulls them out of a lot of those duties (thus, when I personally am deciding who I want to vote for for as an officer of Synod, this is one of my biggest narrowing criteria, passed the "who do I think is capable of leading well" question).
3. The President does not generally vote (maybe in a tie breaker if needed, I don't know), however the rest of the officers still vote (they are all duly sent delegates of Synod).
4. The officers can all speak to motions, they just don't do so from their position of officer. They get in the queu, like the rest of the delegates, and go down to the floor to speak (even the President in theory could do so, just by relinquishing the chair for that matter). Last year, as you pointed out, Paul spoke, but had already relinquished the chair for that part of the meeting as he was on the in-loco committee. However, he did not speak as a member of that committee, but rather as a delegate (which was absolutely his right and prerogative). But earlier in Synod, at other points of the proceedings, both of First (Henry) and Second (Richard) Clerks spoke to other motions (Chad was the only officer that didn't speak, and that is traditional protocol that they don't speak, but not a rule).
5. Cedric already corrected some of your overstatement of what the Program Committee does. Delegates each pick their preferred committees or two when they register, and then Synodical Services has a whole list of how people are assigned. I'm guessing the program committee actually adjust only a small fraction of what the system already puts in place.
6. Derek Buikema never served on the Abide Steering Committee. I was on the ballot for the original Steering Committee (Aaron Vriesman beat me out for our region), but Derek has never even been on a ballot, let alone served on the Abide Steering Committee.
7. Patrick Anthony wrote for Abide after Synod 2023 (maybe we are too "mid-west" focused, but I don't think any of the Abide leaders knew him at all before serving with him last Synod).
8. Scott Greenway, when I first heard he was delegated through the grapevine in February, was who I thought most likely to serve as President (however, I didn't know that Jose was also delegated back then).
9. Henry Kranenburg served as a Second Clerk before, and First Clerk last year (which I voted for him last year, but probably wouldn't again this year).
10. For inexperienced officers, I believe in 2022, Jose was the only DELEGATE that had served as an officer before. So having 5 with experience to choose from gives far more than some synods have.
Lloyd, really appreciate these corrections and clarifications. I’m not on the floor or in the room and just observing like everyone else from the outside, trying to make sense of the rules. These corrections from the “inside” are really helpful.
On 1, you’re right. Chad proposed it and synod supported it. I’m pretty sure past presidents have ended debate, though. I think I saw clips of William Koopmans doing this a few times; this is what I had in mind. I was surprised officers didn't intervene more frequently in 2023.
On 2, very good to know. I actually didn’t realize this.
On 3, same. I actually didn’t realize the first and second clerks didn’t speak.
On 4, good to know as well. You’re right that it’s not done often.
On 5, this is correct as well. I also received a correction from a member of the COD on their role in this, too.
On 6, I’ll defer to you—you would know. But I seem to remember his name on the list, and I thought PVK mentioned it in a video about 2022 officers. I might have misremembered.
On 10, here are the past ten years’ of officers with their experience. I probably should have included this in the original email.
2023:
President: Paul DeVries
VP: Chad Steenwyck
Clerk 1: Henry Kranenburg, pastor of West End CRC in Edmonton, Alta. (10th time at synod and 2X as second clerk)
CLerk 2: Richard Bodini, 4th time delegate
2022:
President: Jose Rayas (14th synod, 3rd time as officer)
VP: Derek Buikema (2nd synod, 1st time officer)
Clerk 1: Aaron Vriesman (3rd synod, 1st time officer)
Clerk 2: Luann Sankey (1st synod, 1st time officer)
2019:
President: William Koopmans (3rd time as pres, 9X synod delegate, this tenth time)
VP: Thea Leunk, 4th synod
Clerk 1: Jose Rayas (13th synod)
Clerk 2: Melissa Van Dyk: deacon, this is fourth synod
2018:
President: Scott Greenway (6th synod, 2nd time as pres)
VP: Elizabeth Vander Haagen (2nd synod, 1st time officer)
Clerk 1: Mary-Lee Bouma (2nd synod, 1st time officer)
Clerk 2: Cal Hoogendoorn (4th synod, 1st time officer)
2017:
President: Cornelius Pool (9th synod, first time officer)
VP: Thea Leunk (3rd synod, served as VP in 2008)
Clerk 1: Rudy Gonzalez (2nd synod, first time officer)
Clerk 2: Ed Visser (7th synod, first time officer)
2016:
President: Paul DeVries (7th synod, 1st time officer)
Jose Rayas, (9th synod)
Bert Slofstra (11th synod)
Elsa Fennema (3rd synod)
2015:
Bruce Persenaire (12th synod, 2nd time executive)
William Veenstra (8th synod, 2nd time executive)
Bonny Mulder-Behnia (2nd synod, 1st time officer)
Stanley Jim (3rd synod, 1st time officer)
2014:
Scott Greenway (5th synod, 1st time officer)
Jake Kuipers VO, 10th synod, 2nd time executive
John Tenyenhuis, 7th synod
Jerome Burton, 2nd synod
On 6. Derek was early on scheduled to be a speaker at the first Abide Convention in 2022. But something came up, or he decided to decline the invitation for some reason, and we scheduled another speaker.
On 10, it looks like a fair number of officers are usually serving in that role for the first time. This year I think there were 50-60 (roughly 1/3) of delegates that indicated they were willing to serve as an officer, so lots to choose from.
My understanding is that they also can’t add delegates from a classis that has submitted overtures that will be handled by a particular advisory committee to that committee. That means the many delegates whose classes submitted overtures about gravamina can’t serve on that committee. Another layer of difficulty in choosing who goes where that could be mistaken as bias, but its just part of good process
Yep, we're thinking along similar lines. Only hitch is that once you post something like this you begin to impact the outcome, meaning it might not happen because you posted it. :)
It is also important to note that the Office of Synodical Services has its own rules for who can serve on an advisory committees (including trying to ensure that committees have as much female and minority representation as possible). So, the Program Committee may have some say in who will serve on committees, but it is relatively minor.
That's a very good point. And I also just realized I neglected to mention that the General Secretary is a member of the Program Committee. This person obviously has an enormous influence, too.