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Columnists

Jonathan Nicolai-deKoning

Jonathan Nicolai-deKoning lives in Edmonton, Alberta, where he and his wife Sarah are grateful to get to spend time with marginalized communities through their work at an inner-city community. Jonathan is currently the Program Director at The Micah Centre at The King’s University, which helps students to grow a vision for justice and renewal. Before his work at The Micah Centre, Jonathan spent almost 10 years as a chaplain and support worker at The Open Door Program, journeying with folks leaving federal prison. Jonathan lives in Edmonton’s Sherbrooke neighbourhood with his wife and young children. 

Krystle Sanders

Krystle Sanders is a 30-something native of Prince George’s County Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C. She is passionate about working with underserved peoples and communities which has led her ministry and non-profit work with children, youth, and adults with disabilities in DC, Maryland, Oklahoma, Thailand, and India. Krystle holds a Bachelors’s degree in Business Administration with a minor in humanities as well as certificates in Missions and Pastoral Ministry from Rhema Bible College. Krystle brings an authentic and sometimes humorous lens to her writing - that of a Christ-follower, black woman, youngest child, and xennial. Krystle spends her working time between teaching ESL virtually and learning about race equity in her current position at a black and woman-owned Talent Consulting organization. In her spare time, she volunteers at her church, writes blogs, and hangs out with friends and family.

Richard Silversmith

Richard Silversmith is a CRC emeritus pastor who lives on the Navajo Nation reservation. His Navajo clans are Water-Flows-Together and Towering House People. 

Reginald Smith

Rev. Reggie Smith is the director of Office of Diversity. Before his current position, Rev. Reggie led Roosevelt Park Community CRC on the southwest side of Grand Rapids, Michigan for twenty years. He has been president of the Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Association (RPNA) board for 18 years. Through collaboration between the church and RPNA, the neighborhood has built and owned its library and arts academy and decreased gang violence. The church started Roosevelt Park Ministries, a nonprofit ministry that sought to equip children with mentors, translation service, and ESL services, for almost two decades. Dr. Smith has taught urban ministry and urban development courses at Calvin Theological Seminary, Western Theological Seminary, and Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. [Image from A. Cantrell Photo]

JJ TenClay

JJ TenClay spent four years in Italy as a missionary for the Reformed Church in America (RCA) working with migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. She returned to the United States in July 2018 and is now the Refugee Ministries Coordinator for RCA Global Missions. She is thankful to have seen the image of God reflected so diversely in the faces of those to whom—and with whom—she served abroad, and is excited to continue serving the RCA as it continues to develop a faithful response to the ongoing global refugee crisis.

Rachel  Vroege

Rachel Vroege is privileged to live with her husband Russ and four children on the Stó:lō unceded traditional territory of the Pilalt, Semá:th and Ts’elxwéyeqw tribes. She is the Western Canada Regional Developer for Diaconal Ministries Canada and works to equip CRC deacon teams in justice, benevolence, community and stewardship ministries.

For the past 7 years, Rachel has led the Kairos Blanket Exercise for church groups and in the Chilliwack public school system for Grades 4-6 in partnership with Indigenous teachers and is committed to supporting reconciliation in Canada through these learning opportunities.

 

Faye Yu

Faye Yu is a Taiwan born American living in Malawi working with World Renew. Her introduction to God’s heart for justice and those living in poverty stem from her time interning for International Justice Mission and a campaign to end Sexual Trafficking. Through exploring what God had to say about justice and poverty, she realized that if she really believed that was what God’s heart ached for, her life needed to reflect a bit of that as well.  This led her to work with the homeless population in northern Virginia and with those living in poverty and disability in Malawi, Sierra Leone and India. When not working, she loves being outdoors and eating good food.

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