2025 General Synod Recap

The Reformed Church Center Debriefs General Synod 2025

General Synod 2025 is in the books and we’re looking forward to the Reformed Church Center’s RCA General Synod 2025 Recap to find out about the big discussions. The Recap will be held on Wednesday, June 18, 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm ET via Zoom. Here is our list of guests:

Sharon Atkins is pastor of Bethany Reformed Church, New York, and an officer in the African American Black Council.

Carol Bechtel is Professor of Old Testament at Western Theological Seminary and will become General Synod Professor Emerita upon her retirement on June 30.

Philip De Koster served as delegate from the Commission on Church Order to the 2025 General Synod. He’ll talk about weighted voting and policy governance. 

Earl James is a former member of the General Synod Council (GSC) staff and a current member of the Council on Race and Ethnicity. He’ll talk about efforts to include more people of color on RCA commissions.

Sarah Palsma is co-pastor of New Hope Reformed Church in Powell, Ohio, and the newly-installed President of the General Synod.

Kathy Smith is interim director of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and was one of several guest observers at General Synod 2025.

Liz Testa is Director of Equity-Based Hospitality & Women’s Transformation and Leadership on the GSC staff. She will talk about the Equity-Based Hospitality training at Synod.

Each guest will make a short presentation on what they saw or the discussions in which they were involved, then there will be time for questions and discussion with all participants. Like all Reformed Church Center programs, participation in the General Synod Recap is free, but all participants must register. Click here to register.