Historical Perspective with all the Vacancies
This historical article by Brian Huizinga examines the persistent problem of ministerial vacancies in the Protestant Reformed Churches by comparing the current situation (2025: 7 vacant pulpits out of 32 churches) with a similar crisis in 1963, when Rev. Gerrit Vos wrote about a "grievous shortage of ministers." The piece provides historical perspective and statistical analysis from PRC synodical records to illuminate how this denominational challenge has recurred across decades.
VACANCIES It will be helpful to get a little historical perspective on the current state of the Protestant Reformed Churches (PRC) with all her vacancies, so, let's go back over 60 years to the year 1963. In 1963 there were so many vacancies in the PRC that Rev. Gerrit Vos (1894-1968) penned a special meditation for the May 15 issue of the Standard Bearer (SB). It was entitled, "Returned to the Lord," and it began with these words, "There is a grievous shortage of ministers in our churches....
Full article available on sb.rfpa.org