wfn.org | CRC NEWS: CRC Appoints New Canada Director

["Henry Hess" <hessh@crcna.ca>]

Sept. 29, 2005 Grand Rapids, Mich.-The Board of Trustees of the
Christian Reformed Church today appointed Rev. Bruce Adema as the CRC's
Director of Canadian Ministries (DCM).

Adema is expected to begin his duties in the summer of 2006 after
completing his work with Christian Reformed World Missions in the
Philippines.

The board, meeting in Grand Rapids, Mich. interviewed Adema as the sole
nominee presented by the search committee and voted unanimously to
appoint him to the post.

The 43-year-old Ontario native currently serves as missionary professor
and interim director at Koinonia Theological Seminary in Davao City,
Philippines with his wife, Joanne, and the two youngest of their four
children.

Prior to serving with World Missions, Adema pastored the St. Albert
(Alta.) Christian Reformed Church from 1992 to 1997. He also served at
congregations in Abbotsford, B.C. and Thunder Bay, Ont. while completing
his Master of Divinity at Calvin Theological Seminary.

Adema said that a primary motivation for returning to Canada is "a
growing sense within me that I am being called by God to help the
Christian community in Canada.

"I see the need to testify to the truth and reveal the kingdom of God to
our society that is wandering farther away from the Lord," he said. "I
see the Director of Canadian Ministries position as allowing me to
encourage the church to be an effective agent for transformation."

As DCM, Adema will take over a somewhat different position than the one
vacated by Rev. William Veenstra more than a year ago. The new role
continues to oversee the Christian Reformed Church's uniquely Canadian
ministries, such as the Urban Aboriginal Ministries and the Committee
for Contact with the Government.

It also includes new responsibilities such as assisting the executive
director of the CRC in helping congregations with questions of church
polity and ecclesiastical matters, and working closely with the director
of denominational ministries in developing and implementing ministry
initiatives in Canada.

-30-

For more information contact:

Henry Hess
Director of Communications
The Christian Reformed Church
hessh@crcna.ca <mailto:hessh@crcna.ca>