The Institute for Christian Studies is a prestigious Canadian seminary associated with the Christian Reformed Church (CRCNA). After the CRCNA banned ‘gender ideology’ within their organization, the ICS dropped all ties and published an open letter. In the release, they reaffirm their commitment to woke values and attack the CRCNA’s recent Human Sexuality Report (HSR).
“For us, the inclusion of sexual minorities is part and parcel of the healing and transformation God calls us
to enact,” the letter began. “Convicted by this spirit, we found our hearts broken as we watched and listened to the last several Synods of the CRCNA silence parishioners who oppose the CRCNA’s adoption of the Human Sexuality Report (HSR) and, by giving it doctrinal status, effectively expel all those [who disagree.”
“Because of our concern for these persons as well as for the overall well-being of LGBTQ+ people in the church, we decided that we could not support a denomination that shuts down difficult conversations,” they added. ” For this reason, on January 15, 2025, the ICS Board of Trustees voted to discontinue ICS’s status as a Denominationally-Related Educational Institution of the CRCNA.”
“For us, the inclusion of sexual minorities is part and parcel of the healing and transformation God calls us to enact. Scripture gives many examples of God’s people dramatically reforming traditional positions in their efforts to be faithful to this same ethical call,” the letter reads. “In kindred spirit, we strive to honour the image of God in LGBTQ+ persons.”
“We believe that, in so doing, we can both help end the needless harm inflicted on persecuted sexual minorities and affirm the blessings these persons bring to the Church and wider society,” the ICS wrote. “While our convictions compel us to take this step in faith, we do not believe that this decision marks the end of ICS’s role serving the reformed community.”
“For years, many reformed congregations and parishioners have walked alongside us, debated with us, listened
to us, and supported us,” the document concluded. We still consider our institution to belong to these people. For this reason, we plan to expand our lifelong learning offerings to serve all those who seek a safe place to wrestle with their most pressing moral and spiritual questions.”
Online reaction was mixed. “Don’t worry as soon as the woke pastors run out of tax dollars they will be no more,” one account replied. “with these NGO tools, surrender and eventually pandering to whatever the spirit of the age throws our way is always the “christian” thing to do. well done,” another use added. In their original document, the CRCNA formally adopted traditional Christian views on marriage and sexuality.
“The Christian Reformed Church has much to offer the millions who do not yet know Jesus. We are rooted in a tradition that gladly acknowledges the need to learn from the historic and global church as we seek to obey
God in our sexuality,” the Christian Reformed Church wrote in their report. While the document dismayed many progressive activists there is still an ongoing fight within the denomination.