Christian Reformed Church Appoints Joel Boot as interim executive director

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

> CRC Appoints Interim Director

June 6, 2011 -- The Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Christian Reformed 
Church in North America announced today that it has appointed Rev. 
Joel Boot to be the denomination's interim executive director.

The appointment is effective immediately for a term of two years. The 
board will ask Synod 2011 to ratify the appointment when it meets, 
starting later this week.

Boot, the pastor of Ridgewood Christian Reformed Church in Jenison, 
Mich., informed his congregation on Sunday morning that he is 
accepting the nomination to be the CRC's interim leader.

"I assure you that this was not an easy decision, for I love 
(Ridgewood CRC) and it is where I want to be," he told the 
congregation. "But I believe God has other plans." He told church 
members that he was "greatly assisted by your grace" throughout the process.

"I ask you to pray for me as I assume this position," he said, adding 
that he plans to begin work on Tuesday in preparation for the CRC's 
annual synod, which is scheduled to begin on Friday on the campus of 
Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich.

The appointment marks the next stage in the process of selecting a 
leader to replace Rev. Jerry Dykstra, who resigned on April 5 after 
nearly five years as executive director.

Rev. Boot had been the pastor at Ridgewood since 1992. Prior to that, 
he pastored congregations in Grand Rapids and Dearborn, Mich., and Le 
Mars, Iowa. He has been a delegate to synod nine times, including 
three times as its president and once as vice president. He served 
two terms on the board of Calvin Theological Seminary, part of that 
time as board president, as well as on the board of what is now Faith 
Alive Christian Resources.

For further information, please contact Henry Hess, Director of 
Communications, at hhess@crcna.org or by phone at 905-336-2920; or 
Rev. Mark Vermaire, president of the Board of Trustees, CRCNA, at 
markvermaire@hotmail.com.

> -CRC Communications

> --
> Chris Meehan
> News & Media Manager
> Christian Reformed Church in North America
> 1-616-224-0849