On Friday, Jan. 24, Greg Elzinga was officially inaugurated as Calvin’s 13th president, in a ceremony that emphasized the importance of prayer and of reconciliation.
Elzinga, who graduated from Calvin with a degree in communications in 1990, first stepped into the role of interim president in February 2024 after the sudden resignation of former president Wiebe Boer. On Oct. 21, 2024, Calvin’s Board of Trustees (BOT) voted unanimously to approve Elzinga as Calvin’s 13th president.
The tone of the day was one of hopeful optimism, with University Pastor Mary Hulst and several other speakers, along with Elzinga himself, repeating one of President Elzinga’s favorite sayings: “The future is secure, for our world belongs to God.” These words come from the document “Our World Belongs to God,” which the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA) adopted as an official expression of the Christian faith in 1986.
Elzinga’s address thanked many people, including his parents, his wife Jacqui and children and his mother-in-law for bringing him to the place he is today. He also thanked former Calvin presidents Michael LeRoy and Gaylen Byker who were in attendance, as well as Tony Diekema for their support as he stepped into his role as president. “The role of president is not something I ever expected or something I aspired to,” said Elzinga.
According to Elzinga, there are “aspects of this role where no one can feel fully equipped.” Elzinga spoke about his gratitude for the team surrounding him in the spaces where the job of President is too much for one person to handle.
In his address, Elzinga indirectly acknowledged some of the challenges Calvin has faced over the past decade, including declining enrollment and cuts to programs. In the “foreseeable future,” Elzinga said, “achieving our goals and tackling the challenges ahead of us is a campus-wide effort.”
One of Calvin’s goals is to “expand and stabilize enrollment over time,” said Elzinga. “We must make data-informed decisions about where to invest in programs and spaces,” said Elzinga. He emphasized that although it’s a departure from traditional understandings of higher education, it’s crucial to recognize that Calvin’s “business model is shaped by market economics.”
Several people spoke after Elzinga’s address, reminding the president how he should expect to live and work in the role. David LaGrand, mayor of Grand Rapids, who graduated from Calvin in 1988, spoke highly of Calvin’s role in the city. “Remember every day that this place, these people, have a role in the body of Jesus Christ and a voice in our world.” Elzinga’s role as president, he suggested, is to “lift up and focus that voice.”
Elzinga’s inauguration occurred as the BOT was finalizing its response to Synod 2024. Last summer, the BOT was ordered to review and revise how it handles faculty who disagree with the Christian Reformed Church in North America’s official stance on subjects such as human sexuality. Although Elzinga did not mention the ongoing decisions directly, he emphasized the importance of reconciliation and “dialogue.”
“Reconciliation is the way forward,” Elzinga said. “We become effective agents of renewal only when we begin as ambassadors of reconciliation.”
