Jim Sprague: Proposal 3 is “dangerous and far-reaching.”The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in June to overturn Roe v. Wade has unleashed a seismic stir to action in the pro-life camp. Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-South Carolina) has introduced a bill that would ban abortions nationwide after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Closer to home, the Michigan Supreme Court has approved putting Proposal 3 on the November 8 ballot, which would enshrine abortion in the state constitution if voters adopt it. Such a law would be a 180-degree turn from a 1931 law that banned abortion, except to save the life of the mothe ..read more

Guiding Light has promoted Brian Elve as its new executive director. Formerly the Recovery program director, Elve will lead a team of 26 and set the strategy and direction for the nonprofit organization in his new role. As executive director, he will be responsible for the operational effectiveness, financial stability, fundraising initiatives and the overall success of the organization ..read more

Chris Preuss has been tapped as the next executive director and president of Norton Shores-based Maranatha Bible and Missionary Conference. Preuss spent most of his career with General Motors where he served as their global vice president of communications. He also served as the chief marketing and communications officer of Aptiv (formerly Delphi) and most recently led a business network of agency brands that supported the Ford Motor Company around the world ..read more

Esther Fifelski: “I do see this as God’s work.”Tourists exploring countries they've never been to take pleasure in encountering people and cultures unlike their own. But for refugees fleeing their homelands, traveling internationally is often an unsettling experience. Such is the case for Afghans fleeing their motherland. They arrive in the United States traumatized and confused, often carrying with them all they own in a suitcase. And now with the war between Russia and Ukraine, another wave of refugees will likely arrive in West Michigan. With the Taliban retaking control of Afghanistan ..read more

Zach WilliamsTwo major Christian concert tours are coming to West Michigan this fall and are scheduled in the same venue. Singer-songwriters Zach Williams (Sept. 18) and Tauren Wells (Oct. 23) are coming to DeVos Performance Hall in downtown Grand Rapids. The country-style Williams has proven to be a popular concert and Christian radio attraction, and performed last fall in the Mercy Health Center in Muskegon. In 2020 he won a Dove Award as Artist/Songwriter of the year. His best-known songs include "Chain Breaker" and "Rescue Story ..read more

Tonja L.G. Moyer has been tapped to become Mel Trotter Ministries first chair of its board of directors. Moyer is the first African American and only the second woman to hold the position. She has been a trustee since 2009. "Over the past thirteen years, I have watched the amazing work performed by the staff and leadership at Mel Trotter Ministries," said Moyer. "Their dedication to the homeless population is a tremendous benefit to the social and business fabric of our community and I am honored to now serve in a leadership role as board chair." Moyer has more than 20 years' experience in L ..read more

Calvin Theological Seminary has revamped its master of divinity (M.Div.) degree, scheduled to launch for in-person and hybrid learning in fall 2022. The main curricular changes to the M.Div. include renewed program goals and more effective strategies for teaching skills, such as preaching and using biblical languages to interpret Scripture. The updated program, designed to be completed in as few as three years in person or four years for distance-learning students, has been reduced from 101 to 87 credits. Distance-learning students will complete a one-week residency on campus each semester ..read more

The Calvin University Board of Trustees has accepted the presidential search committee's unanimous recommendation and has appointed Dr. Wiebe Boer as the institution's 11th president. Boer was born and raised in Jos, Nigeria, to Christian Reformed missionary parents. He graduated in 1997 as a second-generation Calvin student and is married to Joanna Bachew, from Trinidad and Tobago, who graduated from Calvin in 2003. Boer values his family's historical connection to Calvin University, and he values the global perspective he has gained, having spent much of his childhood and adult life living ..read more

Two members of the an Catholic-Reformed Ecumenical Dialogue in the United States are preparing a study guide based on documents that focus on its ongoing ecumenical discussion. Dr. Ronald J. Feenstra of Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids and Fr. Dennis Tamburello of Siena College in Loudonville, New York, are preparing a study guide, tentatively entitled "Learning from One Another: A Study Guide for Reformed-Roman Catholic Dialogue," which is intended for use in local ecumenical discussions. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, through its Committee for Ecumenical and Interrelig ..read more

World Renew, the Christian Reformed Church in North America's international relief and development organization, is moving from its current location in the denominational offices in Grand Rapids to Byron Center. World Renew Canada will remain in the CRCNA's Burlington, Ont. building. A building has been purchased at 8970 Byron Commerce Dr. SW and is around 10 miles from the CRCNA offices. The idea for the purchase came into discussion after a 2019 recommendation was made by CRCNA U.S. Corporation, owners of the current denominational building, to remodel the existing offices and resize the pr ..read more