A special council on human sexuality, made up of 74 participants from throughout the denomination, met in Chicago April 15–18.

The group was tasked with describing a constitutional pathway forward for the RCA regarding questions of human sexuality and ordination and marriage.

Throughout four days of discernment, participants spent time in worship, prayer, and small group discussion.

“We have immense gratitude for the many people who were supporting the special council in prayer, both during the event and leading up to it,” says Tom De Vries, the RCA’s general secretary. “The Spirit was present with us.”

The special council concluded Monday at 3:00 p.m. The Group of Five, appointed by General Synod 2015 to prepare and moderate the meeting and to inform the church of the results, is preparing a summary report that will be shared publicly later this week. The Group of Five includes five past presidents of the RCA’s General Synod, chosen for their wisdom and history of leadership in the denomination: Brad Lewis, Carol Mutch, Irving Rivera, Chuck Van Engen, and Tony Vis.

“The Group of Five and the special council are committed to sharing the report as soon as possible,” says De Vries. “The report is a work in progress. The summary report is being written now. A final report will be presented to General Synod, where delegates will speak into the conversation.” General Synod will be held June 9–14 at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois.

Participants in the special council were selected for their ability to represent Jesus Christ above their own opinions. Each RCA classis designated one participant, and the Group of Five selected an additional 30 people to ensure the gathering reflected the diversity of the RCA.