GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The refrain from beneath the shade trees on the campus of Calvin University could be heard by the Synod delegates at they walked to dinner: "They will know we are Christians by our love."
Some held signs: "God is INCLUSIVE," read one, written in purple marker. "The Savior loves ALL of God's children, so should we," read another, decorated with rainbow hearts and a "Same Love" sticker.
On Monday, these members of the Christian Reformed Church, together with All One Body, sang and stood as "witnesses" to Synod 2023, while their delegates considered requests to reverse or confirm the denomination's 2022 stance on same-sex relationships.
In 2011, congregants from a number of Grand Rapids-based CRC churches created the grassroots group— at the time "dissatisfied" with their denomination's "current response" to LGBTQ+ Christians.
"So critical to our mission was keeping the conversation alive," Tom Hoeksema, a board member at All One Body, said. "Through conversation, [we] realized the church should be affirming of gay people, somewhat because of the pain afflicted on them by the church."
In an interview with FOX 17, Hoeskema referenced The Trevor Project's 2020 National Survey, which found that 40% of LGBTQ+ youth in America "seriously considered" suicide in the past year. "That tells you there's a lot of troubled kids in our church," he said.
Since 1973, the CRC's position on same-sex relationships as against God's will was recommended to churches as "pastoral advice." But last year, Synod 2022 voted to declare "unchastity" as sinful, including "homosexual sex" in its definition. The decision elevated the topic to a "confessional" status, meaning the churches and congregants who disagreed could be disciplined or disaffiliated for their stance.
"That was a new thing," Hoeksema said. "They dialed up the heat a bit."
In the 131-45 vote, Synod 2022 also affirmed parts of the Human Sexuality Report (HSR), which states in part: "To refuse to uphold Christian teaching on sexual immorality would signal that the Christian Reformed Church in North America is deviating not only from Scripture but from the shared confession of the historic and worldwide church."
That week, All One Body dressed in black and gathered on Calvin's campus, lamenting the decision.
"The church itself— a place where all should be welcome— has stepped on the toes of some people, kicked them in the shins and said, 'You're not living a good lifestyle. You're not living the faith,'" said Hoeksema.
In this year's report to Synod 2023, the Advisory Committee on Human Sexuality spoke to such pain: "Our denomination has... failed to serve and walk alongside our LGBTQ+ members and friends," it wrote, confessing it had "tolerated and overlooked" other forms of sexual sin.
The committee also recommended Synod 2023 reject a number of requests from CRC churches. These include asks to reverse the confessional status of "unchastity"—the official recommendation of All One Body—or remove "homosexual sex" from its definition.
In its Majority Report, the committee referenced the HSR in its reasoning, characterizing it as "not a maligned attempt to reinforce the failures of our denomination but rather to call the whole church to 'radical obedience' to Christ."
Later on, the committee wrote, "We journey together— ALL together."
The topic of togetherness has become a common talking point in the CRC, with 172 references to "unity" appearing in the Agenda for Synod 2023.
But there's different opinions on how the word should be defined.
"There are some people that want unity at all costs," Art Joungsma, the president of All One Body, said. "We'd like to maintain unity but it's got to be with some acceptance of these Christian people that we represent."
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For another interpretation, the in loco committee—reporting to Synod 2023 on a Grand Rapids church's refusal to remove from office a deacon in a same-sex marriage—says: "True unity is not... simply making space for a variety of biblical interpretations. True unity comes from standing side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel."
On Calvin's campus this Monday, the Synod 2023 delegates—a 196-square patchwork quit of pastors, elders, and deacons from across the continent—posed for a picture.
Nearby, Joungsma told the make-do choir next to him to sing The Doxology. When the delegates walked by on their way to the Commons Dining Hall, some waved. Others left the sidewalk to offer a hug or two.
"I think if people want to have the church stand for love and affirmation and God's love and represent Christ," Joungsma said. "I think it would be best if they open the doors."
NOTE: In a message posted Tuesday afternoon to the CRC Liveblog, Synod 2023 noted it planned to take up the Human Sexuality committee's report on Wednesday, June 14.
