The Reformed Church in America and the Christian Reformed Church are flexing their collective muscle to launch a joint church planting project in four “test areas,” including West Michigan.

It marks the first collaborative church multiplication venture between the two denominations since they split in 1857.

Dubbed Kingdom Enterprise Zones, the three other states tapped as testing grounds are Florida, Arizona and California. Both denominations and a grant from the Richard and Helen DeVos Foundation are providing the seed money to unite their respective leaders to make the new evangelistic outreach possible.

The collaborative program has its genesis with Amway co-founder Richard DeVos, who noted during his company’s 50th anniversary in 2009 practically no theological or worship differences remain between the two denominations.

The only significant difference is the CRC’s greater emphasis on Christian schools, while the RCA tends to support public education, said the

Rev. Wesley “Wes” Granberg-Michaelson, soon-to-be-retired general secretary for the RCA.

The new churches — a total of 10 to 20 are planned for all four states — will not follow a traditional church planting model that in the past included buying land, breaking ground and building a superstructure, said the Rev. (cq) Jul Medenblik, church planting team leader for the CRC and president-elect of Calvin Theological Seminary.

Instead, they’ll reflect a diversity of cultures that likely will meet in buildings other than sanctuaries.

“This is not related to church buildings but a gathering of a community of faith,” said Medenblik. “The implication would be that this pilot program would affect many more churches than the ones started.”

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