The founding members of the Reformation Canada Network are Canadian pastors and church leaders who were formerly affiliated with the Reformed Church in America (RCA).
The reason these leaders decided to step out of their lifelong denomination to form a new association of churches was the RCA’s refusal to hold to its own Biblical creeds and confessions.
We came to believe that the effectiveness of our local churches would be enhanced by leaving the RCA and establishing a new association of churches – Reformation Canada Network.
Executive Team
Ron Opmeer, President
Ron is the pastor of Bethel Community in Abbotsford, BC. He and his wife Melanie have four sons, a daughter-in-law and one grandson. Ron has a servant’s heart and a lawyer’s brain!
Art VanSlageren, Vice President
Art is the pastor of First Reformed Church in St. Catharines, Ontario. He and his wife Allison have served there for 31 years with their three children, Aaron, BethAnn and Bradley. In his spare time he enjoys golf and is a Classic car enthusiast.
Jim Moerman, Clerk/Secretary
Jim is the pastor of Home Church Langley in Langley, BC. He and his wife Babette have three wonderful daughters, two amazing sons, four fantastic in-laws and 9 absolutely astonishing grandchildren.
Ted Broekhuizen, Treasurer
Ted is a retired engineer and serves as Elder. He and his wife Sally have one son, one daughter-in-law and two grandchildren. Ted is a giant teddy bear and a sportscar enthusiast to boot.
Sola Scriptura in the 21st Century
RCN is a national network of Reformed churches in an accountability relationship across Canada to equip our congregations to carry out the Great Commission (Our Mission) and to see every church being a healthy church, radiant in Christ, reaching out and reproducing (Our Vision).
We require our leaders to annually affirm their commitment to the God-breathed Scriptures from cover to cover through the RCN’s Covenant Statement on Belief and Practice.
This Covenant was first received by our churches in 1999 and now includes statements on the sanctity of life and sexual identity, as well as a Doctrinal Statement on the essential Christian truths set out by Regent College, Vancouver, BC.
As Gospel-centred churches, we proclaim Jesus Christ as the only mediator between God and humankind. Through faith in Christ’s death and resurrection we are completely saved from the penalty of sin and freed to live lives of service by the leading of the Holy Spirit.
The RCN holds to the historic Christian creeds and Reformed confessions as faithful witnesses to God’s Word, along with other Reformation and contemporary statements which anchor our churches firmly on Scripture (See list, RCN By-Laws, p.1).
As salt and light in the world, we join with like-minded believers to preserve our God-given freedoms in Canada while resisting unjust laws and the worldliness that causes moral decline and suffering. We will speak the Truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) so people and families can thrive and younger generations are protected from much trouble and confusion.
Therefore, The RCN…
DOES encourage church partnerships with other ministries to help us serve better and grow;
DOES NOT have a top-down structure which can weigh-down our leadership.
DOES stand strong on Scripture on sexuality and will back our churches to do the same;
DOES NOT waver in the face of societal pressure to follow the next fad in moral decadence.
DOES celebrate the Sovereignty of God over human life from conception to natural death;
DOES NOT view people as self-defined or able to choose the right way without God’s help.
DOES maintain a relationship of mutual benefit with the Alliance of Reformed Churches in the U.S. and its many former RCA partner churches and church plants;
DOES NOT pursue relationships with churches which compromise on Scripture.
DOES reduce church membership fees to 1.5% of the previous year’s expenses (not including mission givings);
DOES NOT seek to add structures or staffing that will be a burden on local churches.
DOES hope churches in Canada, like yours, will join us to seek first God’s kingdom together!
