candidates - Christian Reformed Church

Transcription

C a l v i n
T h e o l o g i c a l
S e m i n a r y
candidates
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
I grew up in a Christian home, and attended Christian schools and an
evangelical Baptist church. Growing up I struggled with where I belonged: I switched schools in 5th grade, and didn’t attend school with the
rest of the kids in Sunday school and youth group. My faith didn’t look
like the faith of my peers: I struggled to find my “life verse,” and didn’t
know how to apply Bible verses to my life situation; reading the Bible was
daunting. I knew that God created and loved me and that Jesus died for
me, but I struggled with what I was supposed to do with that information, how I was to respond. I felt adrift in the overwhelming jumble of
what the Christian life is “supposed to” look like.
Name: Andrea Baas
Age: 27
Place of Birth: Grand Rapids, MI
Spouse Name: Nicholas Baas
Colleges & Seminaries Attended:
Calvin College
B.A., 2011
Princeton Theological
Seminary
M.Div., 2014
Calvin Theological Seminary
EPMC, 2015
Internships:
Pastoral Intern
Six Mile Run Reformed Church,
Franklin Park, NJ
Sept 2013-May 2014
Chaplain Intern
St Mary Medical Center,
Langhorne, PA
May-August 2012
Contact:
616-214-6366
andrea.m.w.baas@gmail.com
Like most people, I love a good story. As a child and adolescent I was a
voracious reader, especially of fantasy literature like the Narnia series.
At times I felt slightly ashamed that I felt closer to God through these
stories than I did through reading the Bible. When people asked in
Sunday school “What’s your favorite book?,” I usually named the Narnia
series, while others said, “the Bible.”
I was inching away from Christian life—preferring friends and media to
anything involving faith—until I started middle school. My middle/high
school Bible teacher taught the Bible the way I read: through vibrant
story. It wasn’t just the classic stories of Abraham or Elijah, it was the
Bible as a large story, with many interweaving themes, symbols, styles,
characters, and situations. It was the story of God loving and redeeming
humanity, from Genesis to the Psalms to Matthew to James to Revelation.
The story of God’s love became three-dimensional—long, high, wide,
and deep—and as complex and mysterious as the best story I could think
of. Scripture was becoming God’s story to me, and I wanted others to
share in my excitement of the beauty and complexity of God’s love for all
of us. In God’s Word I was beginning to find the belonging I yearned for.
In high school I became a leader in youth group for younger students,
and was mentored by a parent leader. I became aware of Calvin College
through a friend, and entered my first year interested in the Reformed
theology I had started learning in high school. Through Calvin College’s emphasis on Kuyperianism the story of God’s love and sovereignty
spilled over into every aspect of my life. In a Bible class I was struck by the
concept of God as Immanuel—God with us—and followed that promise
through all of Scripture: when it’s first promised in Isaiah to exiles, then
in the incarnation of Jesus Christ, and in the gift of the Spirit for believers
through eternity. This three-dimensional Triune promise has continually
blessed me in times of loss, homesickness, and uncertainty.
Through my spouse, conversations with my voice teacher, and a lastminute added college major, God brought me to Princeton Theological
Seminary. During those three years my understanding of God became
full and overflowing. The homesickness I experienced living outside of
Michigan for the first time, taught me that belonging means belonging
to God who is already with us, rather than belonging to a geographical location or particular community. Spiritual direction taught me
that there was something I could do in response to God’s sacrificial
love. Prayer and faith are not one-sided: God invites us into life with
him through active gratitude and trust, which are the foundations of
Faith Journey (continued)
r esponsive love to God. My internships laid open the vast array of God’s
beloved and chosen people—people of God’s promises—and my purpose among them: to be Christ’s hands and feet, and to encourage and
equip other believers to do the same, through knowing and living the
story of God’s love in God’s world. I walk in excitement, trepidation, and
wonder as I live the unfolding story of God’s love in my own life.
Andrea Baas
Statement of Reason
My reason for seeking ordination in the Christian Reformed Church is as
a response of gratitude to God for the gift of life and salvation. Gratitude, the Heidelberg Catechism tells us, is through obedience to God’s
calling as image-bearers of Christ in the world. God calls all believers
to follow the vocation of being Christ’s body in the world that God is
redeeming, so that God may be praised, so that we may be encouraged
(and encourage others) in our salvation, and so that by Christ’s love lived
out in the world, our neighbors will be won over by our loving Savior.
Throughout my life I have been enthralled by the love of God shown in
Scripture and in human history. I have been filled to overflowing with
the passion and joy of the gospel, of life with God, and have longed to
share this joy with others and encourage them and walk with them in the
story of God’s love in their lives. The Christian Reformed Church was
the place where I heard my calling to obey God in the encouraging and
building up the members of Christ’s body. I pray that God will use my
knowledge, experiences, abilities, and weaknesses in his Church, so that
God may be praised, and so that through Christ’s image, others will be
won over by our Savior.
Andrea Baas
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
Name: Nicholas Baas
Age: 26
Spouse Name: Andrea Baas
Calvin College
B.A., 2010
Princeton Theological
Seminary
M.Div., 2014
EPMC, 2015
Internships:
Pastoral Intern
Six Mile Run Reformed Church,
Franklin Park, NJ
Sept 2013-May 2014
Chaplain Intern
Trenton Psychiatric Hospital,
Trenton, NJ
June-August 2013
Contact:
616-821-3874
n.christof.baas@gmail.com
Looking back on my young life, it is clear to me that I was blessed by
a great heritage of Reformed faith. My father’s father was a religion
teacher, and after his early death my grandmother served as the first
female deacon at her church. Following in their footsteps, my family
valued Sunday worship, participated in worship leadership, and shared
communal prayer together around the dinner table. We also valued
learning more about God and his world through discussions about
sermons, the Bible, and the religion classes at our Christian school.
I became the kid in Sunday School and youth group with too many
answers and too many questions, and the associate pastor of our church
began mentoring me. He encouraged me to apply to Facing Your Future
at Calvin Seminary to consider whether God could be calling me to
be a minister. I entered Calvin College the next year as a pre-seminary
student, and through my studies in religion, philosophy, and Greek, my
Christian mind and my Reformed theology grew greatly. But as my mind
grew, it became clear that my heart was racing to catch up. Through
worship leadership on Calvin’s campus and a Jubilee Fellowship and
church internship, I began to stretch my heart as well.
God led me to Princeton Seminary for further studies, and in many
ways it was there that my heart caught up with my mind. In classes on
spiritual practices and prayer I learned the sovereignty of God holistically. Though my mind was striving to understand God, to make sense
of his world, what I most needed was to open myself up and receive the
blessings of faith, hope, and love from his Word. In receptive prayer
before Scripture, I experienced God’s reign over my life and the rest that
it brought to my heart. It was this posture of reception that gave me the
words to preach – which enabled my words to become God’s words.
At my first seminary internship at a state psychiatric hospital I learned
the way of the cross by heart. I learned how to open myself up in love
to another person, broken and hurting, so that they might see Christ in
me. I learned the power of self-emptying love, love which dies to self and
rises to new life. In the face of unchanging mental diseases – of death
itself – I found that I stood as a reminder to patients that God is love and
he has not forsaken them.
From a young age I have understood that Jesus died and rose to make us
right with God and to adopt us as his children – inheritors of eternal life
– but the promise of my eternal life felt far removed from the injustices
I was seeing in the world around me. Throughout my young life I asked
myself: How does Jesus’ resurrection provide the gift of eternal life here
and now, in this broken world? How do salvation and justice cross paths?
I have grown to understand, through study and prayer, that we are not
just chosen and saved for a life to come, but we are chosen and saved for
life now. Election leads us to vocation, and our vocation is to be witnesses
through words and acts of love and justice.
Finally, in a seminary class on the church and its mission, I learned the
heart truth that the church is a community which gathers in the name
of Christ, is shaped to his likeness by his Word, and is sent out into the
world to witness to his Kingdom in word and in deed. God has chosen us
for eternal life to be a city on a hill for all to see. The question we are to
ask is: how can I be of service to your kingdom, Lord?
I believe and trust in Christ crucified and risen, the King of Kings, who
has gathered us in and shaped us to be a foretaste of, and witness to, his
Kingdom which will never end. The God who has grown my faith up to
this point, still has inestimably more to show me of how wide and long and
high and deep is the love of Christ. My journey has just begun.
Nicholas C. Baas
Statement of Reason
All whom God has chosen for eternal life have been called to the priesthood of all believers. We are all ministers of the new covenant with
God through Jesus Christ. Therefore the community of believers shares
the work of ministry by discerning each believer’s specific calling and
purpose in the body. One such purpose is the equipping of the saints
for ministry through the ministry of the Word (Eph 4:11-12). Over
time – through study, experience, and practice – I have come to realize
that God is calling me to the ministry of the Word, to the ministry of
equipping the priesthood of all believers to do its work of evangelism
and service for the kingdom of God. As a lifelong Reformed Christian,
my call to ministry of the Word is a calling to service in the Christian
Reformed Church. Therefore I am seeking candidacy in the CRCNA in
response to God’s persistent vocation, for I am confident that he who has
begun a good work in me, will carry it on to completion until the day of
Christ Jesus (Phil 1:6).
Nicholas C. Baas
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
I was born in Christian family, which means my mom was a sincere
Christian while my dad was just a church-goer. I grew up with the church
and enjoyed all church activities. Though I cannot pinpoint the moment
of my conversion, I think I received Jesus as my Savior sometime about
in elementary school age. I was very zealous for faith and it seemed God
honored my passion and helped my faith grow.
Name: Hyeon (Tony) Bang
Age: 44
Place of Birth: Incheon, Korea
Spouse Name: Yeanhee Park
ACTS Seminary,
Langley B.C. Canada
M.Div., 2012
EPMC, 2015
Internships:
Youth Pastor
New Life Korean Church
Abbotsford, B.C. Canada
Sept 2004- April 2012
Languages: Korean
Contact:
1-778-551-1809
antonybang@yahoo.com
When I met a campus mission organization, Korean Campus Crusade,
I thought I came to the right place, where I was supposed to be since
I was longing to do the work of God. But I began to realize we are too
opinionated. Reading books about Christian world view inspired me and
opened my eyes to see wider concept of the kingdom of God. My view
was radically changed and I began to get out of my conservative Christian world. With God’s mercy, I could read useful books about inner
healing and had fellowship with YWAM.
I prayed to God about my call to be a minister or missionary when I
graduated university. But my mom strongly objected my idea and I felt
I had to support my family. I kept the thought in mind that I would go
to seminary someday. Partly, I wanted to understand secular world more.
After working for 3-4 years at IT area, I came to Canada and went to a
Bible college, Christ For the Nation in Surrey, B.C. where I began to
experience western Christianity.
In 2003 I began to study at ACTS seminary, Langley. At the same year
I married and brought my wife to Canada as I was starting to work for a
church being a youth pastor and worship leader. After working for the
first Korean church for 4 years, I moved to work for another Korean
church in Abbotsford, B.C. in 2007. I have been working as a youth
pastor, worship leader, and children pastor sometimes like an associate
pastor depending on our church’s need for 8 years now.
The churches I served are like most other small immigrant Korean
churches which are struggling from lack of resource. As I studied in
Canada, I realized that I had difficulty to be fully integrated with Korean
church culture. I hope and pray for involving in cross-cultural ministry
which different ethnic peoples are working together for the kingdom
of God.
Hyeon Tony Bang
Statement of Reason
My home church was a typical Korean Presbyterian Calvinistic church.
From time to time I was not fully satisfied with strong and prideful
higher Calvinistic atmosphere because Korean church culture coupled
with traditional value, patriarchal and hierarchical mentality. I wanted to
check out alternative model and system in western churches. After coming to Canada, I have begun to attend several denominational Canadian
churches, which were Pentecostal Assembly of God in Canada, Evangelical Free Church, Canadian Baptist Church, and sometimes inter
denominational churches. But when I began to attend seminary, I was
assigned to one of Arminian seminary, Canadian Baptist Seminary in
ACTS which consists of 5 different denominational seminaries. It was a
Statement of Reason (continued)
good experience of understanding other denominational churches and
studying with other Christians who are from different denominations,
even though I felt somewhat uncomfortable with my Arminian seminary.
I found out I was still a Calvinist.
Since my Korean church, New Life Korean Church, joined CRC with
our senior pastor, I was suggested to join CRC. I checked out CRC and
tried to find out ministry opportunity. It seems that CRC begin to open
to o
ther ethnic churches and try to embrace diversity. Also theologically, the fact that Reformed churches shares same Calvinistic roots with
Presbyterian churches is quite comfortable with me. More than anything,
I have been working at the Korean church for 8 years. It was pretty
natural and proper way to go throw the process of ordination from CRC.
As I feel God’s call as a minister, being a CRC minister of the Word
seems to be ideal for my vocation in terms of the desire God has given
me. I appreciate sound and balanced theology and tradition of Christian
Reformed Church and would like to pursue working with CRC churches
in North America.
Hyeon Tony Bang
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 2
Faith Journey
Name: Kevin Boss
Age: 28
Place of Birth: El Cajon, CA
College Attended:
Trinity Christian College
B.A., 2007
Seminary Attended:
M.Div., 2011
Mentored Ministries Internships:
Many Peoples church,
Rogers Park, IL
Summer 2009
Blyth CRC, Blyth, ON, Canada
Summer 2011
Midland Park CRC,
Midland Park, NJ
September 2011 – August 2012
Contact:
619-504-5383
kboss1@calvinseminary.edu
I grew up in the CRC and my parents have always showed me what
it means to follow Christ. I knew a lot about Christianity, but didn’t
dedicate my whole life to Christ until I was fifteen. Around that time is
when I made profession of faith, which helped me grow more spiritually.
This is when I truly knew how much God the Father, Jesus the Son, and
the Holy Spirit meant to me. I also had many people in the church who I
looked up to and my faith grew because they showed Christ in their lives.
They meant a lot to me because of their presence and their willingness
to listen. God worked through these people so that He could reach me.
One woman especially always encouraged me in my walk with God and
made sure she prayed for us, youth, regularly. When I saw her dedication
and willingness to do anything for the church, for Christ, it showed me
how important her faith was for her.
Throughout high school, I grew closer to God; whether it was at the
Christian school I went to, a yearly Christian music festival, or at youth
group. At this point I felt a calling to go overseas to do some mission
work. In the summer of 2004, just before I went to Chicago for college,
I went on a mission trip to Russia. This was such an eye opening
experience for me and the team who went. God taught me during
this time to be thankful for what I had. God has shown me how to be
a witness to those He puts in my path and that I need to be willing to
follow Him, no matter where that leads to.
A couple weeks after this trip, I went to Trinity Christian College and
grew closer to God even more. This was the first time I moved away from
home and my faith grew because even during the most difficult times I
could rely on God who was there, ready to lift me up.
After graduating from Trinity, I then took a year off. During that time, I
learned to be more patient and know that God was going to send me in
the direction He wanted me to go, in His timing though, not mine. God
placed several people in my life to help me figure out whether going back
to school the next year was something God was calling me towards. I knew
someday I would want to go to seminary to become a senior pastor, but I
thought it would be 5 or 6 years down the road. But instead, after hearing
from other pastors and leaders of the church, after much time in prayer,
I decided to go to seminary the following year. During that time off, I
remember one experience which had a big impact on my life. I went up to
a lake in California where I spent some alone time with God. That night,
I looked up and saw thousands of stars out (it was a very clear night) and
at that moment I stood there and thought, “Here I am, only one person
among billions and yet the Lord can use me as a pastor, as His servant”.
My time at seminary taught me that God is the one who is working
through me. He has gotten me through those years of schooling and is
using me out here in New Jersey as an intern pastor. He is the one who will
help me in my future ministry, no matter where that will be. I am excited
to see what is next on this journey of my life, but I know that whatever it is,
I can fight it head on knowing that Christ is right by my side.
Kevin Boss
Statement of Reason
I grew up in the CRC and have always felt the CRC’s view on life and
other topics is based on Scripture. Scripture should have the final
authority and as a denomination it is important to see how highly we
regard Scripture, what it says, and how to relate it to today. I also hold
dearly to the Creeds and Confessions of the church. I believe the CRC
holds the two sacraments (Baptism and the Lord’s Supper) very highly
and should recognize them as sacred acts. As a future pastor, I also
believe that it is important to have different groups in charge of making
important decisions for the whole denomination. For example, in the
CRC, the importance of having Synod and Classis meet regularly, who
are able to take charge of certain issues. I also have seen the gifts God
has given me, as a future pastor, and I am ready to use them for my
ministry in His church. Plus I see how well pastors are treated in the
CRC and the different Networks they are able to be connected with. As a
denomination, the well being of the pastors are important for the growth
of the church. It is a great comfort to see how pastors are not in this
ministry alone, but we, as a church and denomination are in it together.
Kevin Boss
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
Name: Jenna Brandsen
Age: 24
Place of Birth: Holland, MI
B.A., 2012
Western Theological Seminary
M.Div., 2015
EPMC, 2015
Honors Received:
Magna Cum Laude
President’s Scholarship
[all semesters]
Dean’s List [all semesters]
Internships:
Faith CRC, Holland, MI
Sept 2012-May 2013
Holland Hospital, Holland, MI
Sept 2013-May 2014
Pine Rest Christian Mental
Health Services
May 2014-August 2014
Languages: Spanish comprehension
Contact:
616-610-4185
jenna.brandsen@western
sem.edu
My story begins long before I was ever conceived, ever dreamt of, ever
even thought about by those on earth. God has always held my life,
and has always chosen me to be one of his own. He also chose to place
me in a wonderful and loving family, with the support and encouragement of a beautiful church body, as well as an excellent Christian school
system. There was never a day of my life that I didn’t know who Jesus
was. Despite all of this, however, there were many years I felt plagued by
the guilt that I needed to do more, wanting to be perfect in my faith,
and I felt like I was not good enough to receive acceptance from God.
I loved Jesus very much, but this guilt was even part of the reason I made
Profession of Faith when I was ten years old, and why believed that being
a missionary was the best thing I could do with my life that would be
pleasing enough for God.
By God’s good grace as my faith continued to grow, I started to under
stand that the Christian life is not about proving my worth, but it’s accepting the value and worth I’ve been given. Throughout this time, family and
mentors in my life continued to affirm gifts for ministry that they saw in
me, and during the summer leading up to my senior year in high school
I was led to participate in Calvin Theological Seminary’s program Facing
Your Future. This continued to fuel a fire within me for a life of ministry,
but it wasn’t until my junior year in college that I realized I might actually
be called to seminary. I was scared; I wasn’t sure what this would mean for
me since I had convinced myself that I didn’t have the gifts to be a pastor.
Still, I listened to the Spirit’s voice leading me further on the journey, and
after graduation from college I headed to Western Theological Seminary,
back to my hometown of Holland, Michigan.
Still unsure of the specific direction I was headed, I started pursuing
chaplaincy, not keeping my heart or mind open to the option of being a
parish minister. In many ways I was still haunted by my past failures and
mistakes, and I didn’t allow God’s truth to be spoken in my life. Soon,
however, in a shocking turn of events, I felt God call me to preach; I had
never heard God speak so clearly in my life ever before. I couldn’t deny
this call, and it was a confirmation of the voices of those around me who
had been speaking into my life for years, yet those that I had successfully
ignored for a long time. I felt my whole self and desires changing, and
I was humbled to come to realize that God had bigger plans for me than
I ever had for myself. God’s reminder of the confidence of his work in
me, while I had no confidence in myself, was extremely humbling. I was
also reminded that God’s call on my life isn’t selective, in that it only
pertains to my life at the present time and into the future. Rather, God
redeems and calls me, all of me, all of my past and all of my future, and
all in his perfect timing and joy. I love the Lord, and I want all of my days
to be a reflection of that, and of his work in me. All praise to the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit for the redemption and grace that has,
does, and will shape my life for all of my days.
I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring
it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6, NRSV
Jenna Brandsen
Statement of Reason
I became aware of God’s call in my life at a young age. And while I didn’t
fully understand what this meant or where it would take me, I always did
my best to remain faithful to the call and discerning it. In recent years
and through an undeniable experience of both internal and external
call, I have come to understand the next step in the journey is seeking
ordination in the Christian Reformed Church, and becoming a Minister
of the Word. The CRC is not just the tradition of the church in which I
grew up; the denomination now also has become an incredible source of
support and encouragement to me as I have journeyed through seminary. I agree with the pillars of the Christian Reformed Church’s teachings, and I gratefully want to give my service to the denomination and
the Church of Christ. I also want to be an agent of support and growth
as the CRC itself continues to grow. God has worked, is working, and will
continue to work in the CRCNA and I am excited to also be a contributing member in this effort.
Jenna Brandsen
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
My faith journey with God began at a very young age. When I was four
years old, with the help of my mother and father, I gave my life to Jesus
Christ. I was raised in a Christian home, surrounded by godly parents,
family members, friends and mentors who nurtured me in the faith.
My calling to ministry was an early call in my life, but was felt most strongly in my freshman year of high school at Chicago Christian High School
(CCHS). During my time at CCHS, I was surrounded by great mentors,
pastors and teachers who encouraged me in my walk with Christ, my personal faith journey, and my ministry calling. After high school, I attended
college and planned on attending seminary, which I did.
Name: Blake Ian Campbell
Age: 25
Place of Birth: Hinsdale, IL
Spouse Name: Lisabeth Kerstin
Campbell
Olivet Nazarene University
B.A., 2011
M.A., 2013
Moody Theological Seminary
M.Div., 2013
EPMC, 2015
Internships:
Orland Park CRC,
Orland Park, IL
Aug 2007-Jan 2008
Crossroads Christian Church,
Joliet, IL
Aug 2012-May 2013
Contact:
708-819-0833
blakecampbell1990@yahoo.com
My theological formation and development did not take place overnight or by inertia, rather, it was the culmination of years of theological
development, personal spiritual discipline, family relationships, and being discipled by the saints surrounding me. Ethical, spiritual and moral
development are nurtured, watered and tended to before they grow and
mature. Similarly, just as I have grown physically and mentally, so too
have I grown into my faith and developed spiritually. My faith journey
will only end when my life does, since we are to talk with Christ as His
disciples each and every day.
I believe that Scripture is God’s divine Word written by His Spirit, I affirm the creeds and confessions of the church, believe and affirm the orthodox message of the gospel, and confess Christ as my Savior and Lord.
I find the Christian Reformed Church to accurately reflect Scripture
and carry out the biblical ecclesiastical model for Church. The richness
of the CRC’s creeds and confessions adds further depth and application
the Word of God. I am pleased with the CRC’s respect for Scripture,
honorable stance on morality, and ethical ecclesiastical model; and I am
now coming to a completion of my Ecclesiastical Program for Ministerial
Candidacy (EPMC) and I am excitedly looking forward to serving in the
CRCNA with humility and by God’s grace for the sake of the Gospel.
Blake Ian Campbell
Statement of Reason
Having grown up in the Christian Reformed Church, I came to
thoroughly know God and to love Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord at
a very young age. I love and cherish the Christian Reformed Church and
the Reformed tradition through and through and hope to serve within
this faithful tradition as a minister of the Gospel. Having been raised
in the Christian Reformed Church, the CRC has served in a sense as
my spiritual mother nurturing me in my faith, guiding me into further
sanctification and knowledge of Christ. I am seeking candidacy in the
Christian Reformed Church as an ordained minister to serve Christ and
His Church in the capacity to which I have been called. The reason for
my seeking candidacy in the CRCNA specifically is related to its strong
theological orthodoxy, principles and ecclesiastical structure and model.
Blake Ian Campbell
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
I was raised as a son of a RCA pastor in a suburb in New York City. As far
back as I remember Christ has played a prominent role in my family and
in my life. I became a Christian while I was in elementary school and
although there were many opportunities for me to walk away from the
faith and seek my own way, by God’s grace, God kept me close to Him
through various people and experiences in my life.
Name: Jeffrey Chang
Age: 33
Place of Birth: Princeton, NJ
Spouse Name: Faith Chang
Number of Children: Two
Cornell University
B.A., 2004
Princeton Theological Seminary
M.Div., 2011
EPMC, 2015
Internships:
Grace Community Chapel,
New Brunswick, NJ
July 2009-Sept 2011
Languages: Mandarin, Taiwanese
Contact:
347-722-572
pastorjeff130@gmail.com
I had grown up in a church where the gospel was often preached, and
from middle school through college, the gospel became more and more
powerful to me. While in college, I went on a mission trip where many
of my character flaws were put on display. The team leader graciously
helped me understand these weaknesses, and I understood the gospel on
a different level. I began to experientially understand the love and grace
of God who would have mercy on such a sinner.
After graduation, I spent some time working as a staff worker for a campus ministry in Los Angeles. For three years I mentored college students
and I learned more about personal discipleship and how to lead a ministry in a college environment. I was also exposed to many of this generation’s questions about truth and spirituality.
Upon returning back to New York, I was urged by many to consider getting some theological training by going to seminary. I was advised to go
to Princeton Theological Seminary, where my parents had studied. In addition to its generous endowment, Princeton was also close enough for
me to be able to serve close to home.
While at Princeton, I had my first exposure to the CRC. I served at a CRC
church in South Brunswick, NJ and was mentored by its senior Pastor,
Rev. Jae Park. It was a new experience being exposed to a church ministry
that had a vision of church planting and discipleship. Prior to this, I had
worked with a Para-church organization that de-emphasized the role of
the church. But through this experience, I began to see the importance
of the church in discipleship and growth beyond the college years.
In my time at Princeton, I also began to see the importance of the role of
the pastor. I began to see a hunger and a lack in churches for solid spiritual teaching. Returning to my home church, I was deeply concerned
that so few people were able to clearly articulate the gospel and understand its implications. Pastor Jae had also continued to affirm my gifting
as a preacher and while he didn’t discourage me from pursuing other
careers, he in no uncertain terms strongly exhorted me to consider
full time ministry.
Since graduating from seminary, I have been serving at my home church
as an associate English Pastor. I have deeply enjoyed my experience
learning how to minister to a congregation and am currently seeking
ordination in order to be able to better fulfill my responsibilities.
Jeffrey Chang
Statement of Reason
I am seeking ordination with the CRC because I have sensed an internal
call through my gifting and experiences as well as an external call from
my mentors, my church community, my friends, and my family. Through
each step of the ordination process, I have sensed God’s peace and
confirmation through various external fruit, and through the character
refinement that has taken place over the years. Those close to me have
confirmed my gift of preaching and shepherding and I sense that God
has for the time being called me to serve His people through shepherding His church.
Jeffrey Chang
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 3
Faith Journey
Being born and raised in a faithful Christian family is a providential
blessing that the Lord planned to build my Christian faith.
Learning how to be in the presence of God was what formed me during
my adolescence. However, it was in my teens when I perceived and felt
the love for pastoral ministry. It happened when I was in junior high
school; I have a memory of preaching the Gospel to myself in front of
the mirror in my tiny restroom. I enjoyed this so much that I often went
to preach alone, in preparation for my calling. Almost every time I did
this, I felt profoundly passionate about bringing people back to Jesus for
salvation through the ministry.
Name: Yoon Chul Choi (Daniel)
Spouse: Ji Yon Hong
Age: 46
Place of Birth: Seoul,
Republic of Korea
Canadian Citizen
College Attended:
International Theological
Baptist Seminary
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Licentiate in Theology, 1996
Seminaries Attended:
M.Div., 2013
Internships:
Health Intervention Service,
Grand Rapids, MI
Summer 2011
Hahn-In CRC,
Grand Rapids, MI
September 2011 — January
2012
Languages: Korean, Spanish,
and English
Contact:
616-929-3349
ycc04@calvinseminary.edu
The Lord invited me to enter into communion with him through his
Word. My faith was solidified in Scripture through personal devotions
which led me to dive into the presence of the Lord. Studying the Gospel
of John, I came to understand that God is the One who created me, and
that the ultimate goal of my life is to glorify Him, and one day I will live
in his presence forever. This marked the direction of the view of my life.
The love to serve the Lord, Jesus Christ, and his church and the plan of
God inviting me through the ministry was confirmed when two pastors
suggested to me to get theological preparation which led me to take
undergraduate studies as a Theology major. However, not all of my faith
journey was well paved; rather a stormy time was waiting for me to reflect
and discern what I would do in my life. After finishing my undergraduate
degree, I moved to Canada with my lovely wife to pursue an extra step of
preparation of study in the Master of Divinity Program at Regent College
in Vancouver. We never could foresee the oncoming financial difficulty.
My supporters had financial problem and they could no longer support
us. We decided to jump from the school into the world. We worked hard,
but saving enough to resume the study seemed illusory. The farther we
went from the call to ministry; the more we felt the force that was pulling
us back.
Visiting Weaver Creek Hatchery in BC and observing thousands of
salmon swimming against the current and jumping over many the
obstacles was a deeply impressive experience. Some salmons accidentally
swam to the wrong place, where they faced death or being eaten alive
by seagulls or other animals. Even though the salmon went forward
in only one direction to lay their eggs, the direction was always up the
river, to create new life. The image of the salmon after achieving this life
goal was nothing beautiful. All of them had wounded mouths, cut fins,
and torn tails, but for this reason each one of them deserved respect
because they had poured out everything they had into being what they
were born to be. It helped us to reflect deeply on the journey of our
call to pastoral ministry that we had deep in our hearts. After praying
to God for guidance, and with full conviction, we decided to proceed to
Calvin Theological Seminary to continue our preparation for the call to
ministry. The study time at Calvin was the hardest study time in my life.
However, joy and thanksgiving flowed continuously in my heart. The
Lord was faithful in renewing the hope that we had lost.
My goal is to use the gift and the preparation that I received to serve the
people, the church, the body of Christ, so that they can live an abundant
life in a relationship with God and with others, and consequently they
can grow healthy and maturely in the knowledge and in faith of God.
Yoon Chul Choi (Daniel)
Statement of Reason
Since the early stage of my life, I felt love for the church. Throughout
my faith journey He confirmed his calling to be and walk together
with his loved church. I believe God has called me to serve His church
through ordained ministry and as a step to follow this call I am pursuing
candidacy in the Christian Reformed Church because I believe that
the reformed doctrines represent the Scripture best. In my journey in
Christian Reformed Church, I have found confidence as a place to serve,
to love, and to grow together in the truth of Word of God and in his
immeasurable grace and love of God.
Yoon Chul Choi (Daniel)
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
I grew up in a Christian home and cannot remember a time when I was
not a Christian. My parents served as great examples of loving the Lord
and telling others about him. I remember saying when I was young that I
wanted to be a minister, but it took me a long time to accept and pursue
God’s call on my life. Throughout my early school years, I learned more
and more about who Christ is – and that salvation in Him is from scripture alone by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. In high
school, I acknowledged with both head and heart that I am a sinner and
in need of a faithful Savior, Jesus Christ, so I publicly professed my faith
in Him. Since then, despite my sin, I seek to do everything I can to serve
Him in gratitude for being adopted as his son.
Number of Children: Three
After college graduation, I had the opportunity to minister to students
by teaching English in China. There I developed a love for God’s Word
and a heart for telling others about Christ. There were so many people
in this great country who had never heard the name of Christ, and many
who deeply wanted to learn more about him. At this point I began to
give more serious thought to the call of pastoral ministry. In reflecting
on this, I came to understand that his all sufficient grace covers my own
weakness and doubts.
Dordt College
B.A., 2002
I am also blessed to have my wife, Karen, as a great partner and friend.
She has been a wonderful support in my call to the ministry as together
we labor for the Lord and raise our three children.
University of Sioux Falls
M.Ed., 2008
Throughout my seminary studies God’s call on my life has been confirmed. The more I learned about God’s grace, the more I wanted to
tell others about it. Through practical internship experiences, God has
increased my love for his people and confirmed in me the gifts that
I have for preaching and shepherding his sheep.
Name: Joshua Christoffels
Age: 35
Place of Birth: Artesia, CA
Spouse Name: Karen Christoffels
Westminster Seminary
California
M.Div., 2014
Joshua Christoffels
EPMC, 2015
Internships:
Sanborn CRC, Sanborn, IA
June-August 2011
Escondido URC, Escondido, CA
Sept 2011-May 2013
Trinity CRC, Sparta, MI
June-August 2014
Contact:
760-412-1806
joshkaren04@gmail.com
Statement of Reason
I am seeking candidacy in the Christian Reformed Church because
I seek to answer the call to shepherd God’s people through the ministry
of Word and Sacrament. As one who has grown up in the CRC, I know
that the denomination takes God’s Word seriously, commits itself wholeheartedly to the Reformed confessions, and faithfully proclaims Christ to
the nations. It is my prayer that with the help of the Holy Spirit, God will
use me as an instrument for building up the body of Christ.
Joshua Christoffels
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
Name: Bryant DeKruyter
Age: 25
Place of Birth: Dearborn, MI
Spouse Name: Kaitlin DeKruyter
Calvin College
B.S., 2011
M.Div., 2015
Internships:
Facing Your Future,
Grand Rapids, MI
July 2013
Woodlawn CRC,
Grand Rapids, MI
June-August 2014
Languages: Conversational Spanish
Contact:
313-605-2859
bryantdekr@gmail.com
My faith life really began the day I was born. My parents, Tim and Julie,
are strong Christians, and brought up all four of their children to also
become strong Christians. My family has attended Dearborn Christian
Fellowship Church (a CRC) for as long as I’ve been alive. It was in this
church that I was baptized, took my catechism classes, attended youth
group, and gave my profession of faith. Despite church being a significant part of my life, I could not wait to leave it. As a younger boy, I had
every intention of leaving church as soon as I moved away; however, that
sentiment changed when I began to participate in our church’s worship.
I became involved in the praise team, playing drums and guitar from the
eighth grade, up through my senior year of high school. It was during
this time that I really started to own my faith. God was finally becoming exciting to me, and I began really working on building up my own
relationship with him.
Over my four and a half years at Calvin College, my faith grew in leaps
and bounds. As a Biology major, I was learning what it meant that my
faith should influence every aspect of my life, what it meant to be an
agent of renewal, what it meant to live a godly life. It was also at Calvin
College where I found myself becoming more excited about religious
and theological conversations, than I was with Biological and medical
ones. For the first time in my life, I felt God’s calling on my life, and
I followed it to Calvin Seminary.
It was in Seminary that I truly began to understand the beauty of the
Reformed, and more specifically, the Christian Reformed faith. It was
there that I learned the real beauty of the creeds and confessions, the
comfort of election, the privilege of prayer, and most of all, the power of
the Gospel. Now as I look to where God is calling me next, I have faith
that he does indeed have a plan for me; and that plan will be far greater
than anything I could have imagined.
Bryant DeKruyter
Statement of Reason
I am seeking candidacy in the Christian Reformed Church because
I believe that I have been called by God to be a leader in his church, and
have been empowered and gifted by the Holy Spirit to be able to carry
out this calling. I am eager to experience God’s faithfulness in my life
and in his church, as I work with my fellow sisters and brothers as citizens
of His kingdom. I am humbled, and yet excited, that God has called me
to proclaim the power of the Gospel to a world in desperate need of
its message. And I am eager to do all of this in the Christian Reformed
Church, the church of my parents and grandparents, the church which
was so instrumental in forming my faith, and the church in which I have
experienced the Triune God in powerful ways. I am excited to join up in
the ongoing ministry of this denomination, and contribute in the ways
that God allows me and empowers me to contribute.
Bryant DeKruyter
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 4
Faith Journey
Name: Nevada Levi DeLapp
Age: 32
Spouse: Karin
Place of Birth: Sheridan, Wyoming
College Attended:
Dordt
B.A., 2004
M.Div., 2009
Brite Divinity School at
Texas Christian University
Ph.D., 2012
Internships:
Dégagé Ministries,
Grand Rapids, MI
Summer 2007
Blythefield CRC, Rockford, MI
Summer 2008
Languages:
Reading proficiency in
French and German
Contact:
616-443-4164
ndelapp9@calvinseminary.edu
From the Epic of Gilgamesh to more modern examples like J. R. R. Tolkien’s
Lord of the Rings or Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, human beings have long
recognized that the archetypal human story is the story of a journey—a
journey encompassing moral, geographical, and spiritual landscapes.
In C. S. Lewis’s terminology this recognition represents one aspect of
humanity’s intuition about the “True Myth” that undergirds the universe.
We are all on a journey either towards God or away from God. St. Augustine
in his seminal work City of God recognized this and wrote that Christians are
pilgrims in via (i.e., on the way). We are sinful, transitional creatures who
rely on a perfect, unchanging God for salvation and creaturely existence.
My life is one such pilgrimage. I have been a Christian nearly all of my life.
Growing up in a Christian home, I have always been surrounded by God’s
love. By God’s gracious acts of justification and continued sanctification,
I struggle forward in hope, clinging to Jesus. Since my childhood, God has
guided me one step at a time. Indeed, at an early age, God’s Spirit called
me to faith, and the result was a four-year-old’s timid prayer: “forgive my
sins, and forgive my heart.” I do not always understand God’s purposes,
but I do know that whether I live or die I belong to my faithful savior Jesus
Christ, and that is a great comfort. Along the path God grants me signposts
of His grace as He speaks to me through His preached Word and feeds me
and other hungry pilgrims at His table. As I continue the journey I can
apply the traveler’s psalm to my own life: “My help comes from YHWH,
maker of heaven and earth. He will not let my foot slip, nor will He who
keeps me fall asleep” (Ps 121:2-3).
My pilgrimage in the Christian faith has included stops at various
Christian denominations and traditions along the way. In my early life,
the Baptist tradition nurtured my love of Jesus. Later I encountered
“Calvinistic” Baptists and Presbyterians who convinced me of the
amazing sovereignty of God. By the time I finished college, I had
embraced covenant theology and found a home in the Christian
Reformed Church. My time at Calvin Theological Seminary only
deepened my allegiance to the CRCNA. During and since graduate
school, I have attended and worked in a small Anglican church plant.
With no Christian Reformed congregations in the area, it has been a joy
to observe and participate in another expression of Christ’s church.
While I have great appreciation for other Christian traditions and have
learned much from my encounters with Anglicans, Baptists, Pentecostals,
and others, I am firmly rooted in the Reformed tradition and joyfully
embrace the Three Forms of Unity and the Creeds of the Ancient
Church. In the end, I hold to this tradition because I believe that at
its heart it is Christ-centered and thus committed to both costly grace
and real discipleship. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said “the call to
discipleship [i.e., the call to be a pilgrim journeying towards the celestial
city] is a commitment solely to the person of Jesus Christ.” Without Jesus,
our journeys have no meaning or final destination.
In the ups and downs of my pilgrim journey, Christ is my hope. This is
what it means to be a Christian: to be caught up in God’s acts of grace and
find oneself ever looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
Nevada DeLapp
Statement of Reason
God has given me a love for Christ and His church. I enjoy preaching
and teaching while also working with churches as they seek to equip
the saints for ministry. I believe that the practices of a healthy church
shape Christians for a life of kingdom of service. Over the years, I have
witnessed the power of the gospel—the gospel set forth in Word and
Sacrament—to comfort and feed the people of God while also capturing
their imaginations through the story of redemption. I believe God
has called me to work in and for His church, and both ministers and
parishioners in different contexts have recognized and confirmed my
calling. In addition, as someone who entered the Reformed tradition
from the outside, I find that my theology dovetails nicely with that of the
Christian Reformed Church. For these reasons, I am seeking ordination
in the Christian Reformed Church.
Nevada DeLapp
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 2
Faith Journey
My faith journey is one that began the moment I was born. I was raised
in a Christian family, baptized and brought up in the Christian Reformed
Church, and educated in Christian schools. Intellectually speaking, I have
been a Christian all my life. I have always believed the basic beliefs of the
Christian faith, and I never doubted the reality of God as He is revealed
in the Bible. Because Christianity has been my belief system my entire life
I have difficulty pinpointing a specific conversion point in my life.
Name: Kyle Dieleman
Spouse: Andrea
Age: 25
Place of Birth: Sully, IA
College Attended:
Dordt College
B.A., 2009
Seminary Attended:
M.Div., 2012
Mentored Ministries Internship
Monroe Community Church,
Grand Rapids, MI
Summer 2010
Willard CRC, Celeryville, OH
Summer 2011
Ocheyedan CRC,
Ocheyedan, IA
Youth Director 2009
Contact:
641-990-4575
kdielem2@calvinseminary.edu
As I got into my later high school years my faith started to become much
more real to me. Again, rather than one pivotal moment, I experienced
my growing faith in a variety of smaller ways. Through conversations
with my teachers, words from my catechism teachers, or the challenging
words of a chapel speaker, I began to feel that my faith was real and that
my relationship with God was important. I started to realize that there
was more to faith than simply being able to sign off mentally on all the
right beliefs. At the time the progression did not seem very significant,
but looking back I can see the way my faith was becoming more real and
personal in my life.
Up until the beginning of my college years I had never really considered
what God had planned for my life. As far as I was concerned, it was up to
me to decide what I wanted to do and who I wanted to become. But once
I realized the all-encompassing claims of the gospel on my life, I knew my
life was not my own but God’s. So, I began to contemplate where God
was calling me to and what He wanted me to do. I began to feel a call to
become a pastor. In keeping with the rest of my faith journey, the call was
not instantaneous or momentous, but it was something I could not seem to
shake. I declared a major in theology and began to prepare for seminary.
Overall, my time at college gave me a stronger faith and provided the time
and space to develop a better, closer relationship with God.
The problem in trying to give my testimony and tell my faith story is
that faith stories never really end. It would be dishonest to say that my
faith has been strong and perfect ever since my later high school and
early college years. Faith is not something I can grab hold of; it is not a
tangible, quantifiable thing I can measure and check off my personal
evaluation form. Faith, my faith, ebbs and flows like ocean waves. But
always I know and I feel that I belong to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.
The faith that I belong to my Savior and Lord, that is a life changing
faith worth having and a journey worth taking no matter where it leads.
Kyle Dieleman
Statement of Reason
I am seeking candidacy so that I can take a call as a pastor in a Christian
Reformed Church. I have completed or am in the process of completing
all the requirements for candidacy, and, as such, would like to be
considered for candidacy. I believe the candidacy process to be a part
of the calling process to ministry. Therefore, completing the candidacy
process is a crucial part of the path towards ordained ministry. For these
reasons, I am seeking candidacy this year.
Kyle Dielman
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
Even when I was young, I felt drawn toward ministry and especially
toward working with people suffering in painful places, both emotionally and spiritually. I believe that God meets us in our pain and that
God alone can satisfy us. God’s calling on my life was felt inwardly and
was also affirmed by others around me. My family, friends, and mentors
have encouraged and challenged my faith throughout my life. Much
of my spiritual growth came from grieving the deaths of many people
close to me. Each of their deaths caused me to evaluate the purpose
of my life. I made my profession of faith trusting that I fully belong to
God. I wanted to express my commitment to God and to the community
of believers.
Name: Kendra Ettema
Age: 27
Place of Birth: Southfield, MI
Calvin College
B.S., 2010
M.Div., 2015
Internships:
Cragmoor CRC &
Restore Innocence
Summer 2012
Women’s Huron Valley
Correctional Facility
Summer 2013
Centered Life, Colorado
Springs, CO
Denver Health
Summer 2014
Contact:
810-358-4064
ken21ruth@gmail.com
Throughout the years, I have been blessed with experiences and oppor
tunities that have impacted my faith. In high school, I attended the
Calvin Theological Seminary’s Facing Your Future program and learned
about church planting by going to Calgary, Alberta. On a mission trip to
the Ukraine, I built relationships with children at a Ukrainian children’s
home. I also assisted in leading children’s worship and VBS for my home
church. While at Calvin College, I went to Malawi and Mozambique on
an interim trip where I became very sick all the while continuing to learn
more about my calling towards Recreation Therapy as well as ministry. Over the past five years, I was a high school youth and young adult
leader at Madison Square CRC and I was also a Grand Rapids Initiative
for Leaders (GRIL U) mentor.
Believing that each person is an image bearer of God and deserving of
love, I was led continually towards ministry through chaplaincy. Over
the past couple of years, I completed three Clinical Pastoral Education
(CPE) internships. For the past three summers, I participated in a variety
of experiences through CPE including some of the following: pastoral
care at Cragmoor CRC in Colorado Springs; ministry with survivors of
sex trafficking; serving with Prison Fellowship at Women’s Huron Valley
Prison in Ypsilanti, MI with women reentering society; as well as ministry to military and hospice chaplains returning from service. This past
summer, I was in Denver at Denver Health Hospital offering chaplaincy
services to people from all sorts of backgrounds. Much of the time I was
in the intensive care units and in the jail of the hospital. These experiences affirmed and drew me towards following God’s calling on my life.
Throughout my years in college and seminary and especially in my
Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) trainings, God continually drew me
to himself as he consistently met me in my pain. He equipped me and
allowed me to meet with others wherever they were in their lives. I believe God holds us in our pain and we can have hope through Christ’s
resurrection and by knowing God is always with us. I’ve been thankful to
come home to my calling as a chaplain and I’m hopeful and excited to
see where God will lead me in my life through this ministry.
Kendra Ettema
Statement of Reason
Even when I was young, I felt drawn towards ministry and working with
people suffering in painful places, both emotionally and spiritually.
God’s calling on my life was felt inwardly and was also affirmed by others around me. My pastor from eighth grade through high school, Ken
Vander Horst, spoke into my life encouraging me to consider going to
seminary. I initially thought that I would attend seminary later in life
after I had more experience, but through a variety of circumstances, God
guided me to attend seminary. I am applying for candidacy in the
Christian Reformed Church to fulfill what I believe God is calling me to
be in ministry. Additionally, I am applying for candidacy as my job as a
Certified Recreation Therapist Specialist at Pine Rest Christian Mental
Health Services drew me towards chaplaincy. Chaplaincy fits well with
my desire to meet people where they are in life and to be with them in
their pain.
Kendra Ettema
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 3
Faith Journey
Although I grew up in a Christian home, I never had the sense as a child
that God was real, that God was anything more than an abstraction or a
distant figure that needed to be pleased. During my sophomore year at
college I experienced God’s presence and peace in a way that changed
my life and my heart forever. It was during these years that I became
convinced that, first and foremost, God is love. I began to understand
that God is for us and not against us, that God holds each person in his
heart and desires that they would know him and his love and truth above
all else. Participating in a bi-weekly prayer group that met in an older
couple’s house helped me to grow in my ability to receive God’s love and
also care for other people with the strength and love of the Holy Spirit.
Name: Richard France-Coe
Spouse: Nicole
Age: 30
Place of Birth: Denver, CO
College Attended:
Calvin College
B.A., 2006
M.Div., 2012
Living in an intentional community house with other adults taught my
wife and our family the beauty of community and caring for people in
thick and thin. I believe that a strong and honest community is formed
through the gospel of Christ, one that can work through struggles and
challenges and grow together in the process.
I also believe that the gospel encounters human cultures, and neigh
borhoods and nations and brings about new life and transformation.
I believe that God wants his children to live in justice and equity,
honoring and loving our neighbors and seeking to live in a way that pays
homage to the King and seeks to live according to his kingdom. I desire
to be a part of a kingdom community that is seeking reconciliation,
justice and kingdom engagement with the context that surrounds us.
I believe this can only be done in the power of the Holy Spirit who is the
impetus and primary agent in any transformation or growth. Richard France-Coe
EPMC, 2013
Internships:
Madison Square CRC, Ford Site
Grand Rapids, MI
August 2009 — August 2011
Brighton Reformed Church,
Rochester, NY
Summer 2011
Contact:
616-281-6812
richard.francecoe@gmail.com
Statement of Reason
I am seeking candidacy in the CRCNA because I believe that God has
called me to minister in his name and to proclaim the good news as an
ordained representative of Christ. God has given me a heart to serve and
love him and his people and to give honor and love to people and places
that have been dishonored and rejected. I want to participate in God’s
work, life and love in this world and to see him bring about healing and
transformation as the gospel goes forth into all areas of life.
Richard France-Coe
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
I grew up in a Christian household, and can attribute our faith to a long
heritage of Christians. My family has a long tradition of involvement in
the Christian church and specifically the Reformed tradition. My mother
was a single parent when she had me at the age of twenty six.
Name: Shelby Gemmen
Age: 27
Spouse Name: Stephanie Gemmen
Kuyper College
B.S., 2010
M.Div., 2014
Th.M., 2015
Honors Received:
Superior Commitment Award,
May 2006
Internships:
Immanuel CRC,
Hudsonville, MI
October 2013-June 2015
A Christian Ministry in
the National Parks,
Grand Lake, CO
May-August 2013
Trinity CRC, Sparta, MI
May-August 2012
A Christian Ministry in
the N
ational Parks,
Grand Canyon, AZ
June-September 2011
Contact:
616-212-1351
sgemmen9@calvinseminary.edu
I was raised by mom and my grandparents. Though our circumstances
were often difficult, God always provided for us and I learned to trust
Him more throughout hardships in life. My mother and grandparents
taught me about the Lord Jesus as my Savior and I accepted Him as my
Savior at age four, though my public profession came later when I was
nineteen years old. For us, nothing was more important than God and
His Word. My grandmother, now deceased, was a pivotal instrument in
God’s plan for my salvation. Grandma explained who God was and what
His Son Jesus Christ did for me on the cross. I recall vibrantly praying
and experientially knowing my Savior many times throughout my youth.
I also was influenced, no doubt, by my Christian education. At church,
I was educated heavily in the three forms of unity, particularly the
Heidelberg Catechism, and learned that Jesus was my faithful Savior who
always has me in His arms. Many Christians, the CRC, and others influenced me from my childhood to the present. During my high school
years, I attended every event the church had to offer. My aunt and uncle
were the youth leaders, so I was always involved. I must say though, my
heart was often not in it. At times I was even frustrated about how much
work I “had” to do for the church. There was a time of spiritual drought
in my faith until the Holy Spirit began moving vibrantly during my senior
year of high school. In the midst of emptiness, I turned to my Bible to
truly question my beliefs. I listened to my audio Bible every day, sometimes several hours at a time, until I had been through the Bible numerous times. Around the same time, I met with my pastor to complete an
English project. I asked my minister about the Gospel. I was trying to
make sense of the story of the Bible as a whole.
On that day, my minister spoke into my life, and following the next
Sunday’s sermon on Ephesians 2:111, I truly understood the grace that
God had shown to me with a depth that I had not grasped previously.
The words of Ephesians 2:8 penetrated my heart and brought me to
tears of joy. I realized how my faith was truly a gift that was of no merit
of my own. During that time I continued immersing myself in the Word
and pursued a theological education with Christian mentorship at the
nearest, most affordable Bible College I could find. It so happened that
Kuyper College fit that description. My love for the Lord, a desire to
deepen my knowledge of God and His Word, and a passion to share the
Gospel with the lost was my central focus. At Kuyper, I was immensely
blessed by the Biblical orientation of the courses, the mentorship of my
pastor throughout college, and an opportunity to serve as a youth minister for four years. After Kuyper, I went to Calvin Seminary because it
was the place where the pastor who had ministered so greatly to my heart
had gone, along with many of the faculty from Kuyper. I saw it as taking
the next step to glorify God further. During my seminary years, I was
once again encouraged by the courses and honed my writing, preaching, and pastoral abilities. Half way through seminary I met my wife,
Stephanie, who also seeks to serve Christ’s church.
After many years of studying, preaching, teaching, and leading, several
internships and opportunities, the Lord has led me more and more in
a direction that has affirmed my initial internal call and increasingly encouraged my external call. At the heart of my passion for ministry is the
desire to convey the Gospel of Jesus Christ to other people, regardless
of any hardship that may come. With the Lord leading me, my prayer is
that Stephanie and I might be able to serve the church of Jesus Christ
well as we seek a home church to love, nurture, and grow with as we pursue Christ together in the Word and love and good deeds. My personal
ideal of ministry is that whatever church or ministry I am called to,
I am able to help other brothers and sisters to express themselves with
love and good deeds to Jesus and their neighbors. This simple but profound philosophy is the biblical sum of the law and Paul’s council to the
young Timothy in his pastorate. I also hope to equip the saints for the
work of the ministry in the areas that they have been called to in the life
of the church.
Shelby L. Gemmen
Statement of Reason
I am seeking candidacy and ordination in the Christian Reformed
Church in North America in order to have my internal call as a Minister
of the Word and sacraments as is recognized and affirmed through the
external call of the church. I believe whole heartedly in the work that
God has done in Christ and His church and acknowledge the gravity of
the challenges and responsibilities that are involved in this call to ministry. With God helping me by His great love and grace exhibited in the
person of Jesus Christ and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I am striving
for the Church’s affirmation of this calling on my life.
Shelby Gemmen
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 3
Faith Journey
My father, grandfather, and great-grandfather served the church as
Ministers of the Word for their entire lives. I grew up watching my dad
lead Christians through the highs and lows of their faith and hearing
stories of my grandfather’s mission work in Mexico and Sri Lanka. This
has had a profound influence on my life.
From an early age I embraced what my parents taught me. I saw the
immeasurable value of Christ. I understood the problem of sin in my life.
I witnessed the transformation that the message of grace could kindle
in the lives of the hopeless. I believe there is a deep need for Christ in
this world. Without him we are lacking. This is true for every part of our
lives. Christ influences our studies, careers, families, and worship.
Name: Tyler Greenway
Spouse: Johanna
Age: 24
Place of Birth: Munster, IN
College Attended:
Calvin College
B.A., 2010
Seminary Attended:
M.Div., 2013
This desire has influenced my life thus far. From an early age I have
served the church in whatever capacities I could. I have served in
nursery, Sunday school classes, youth group activities and trips, and on
committees. I’ve been on multiple service trips to Tennessee, Canada,
Mexico, and Nicaragua. Currently I serve as the intern pastor at Wayland
Christian Reformed Church. I have the privilege of preaching the Word
of God, catechizing teenagers, and providing pastoral care.
I recognize the necessity of Christ for this world. We are transformed
by the work of Christ, but without him we are lost. I recognize that God
has called me to devote my life to him and to ministry in his church. I
wish to serve the church in whatever capacity I can. I believe that God is
calling me to serve as a Minister of the Word in the CRC and I hope to
serve in this role with the gifts that God has given me.
Internships:
City Grace Church,
New York City, NY
Summer 2011
Wayland CRC, Wayland, MI
July 2011 — Present,
Concurrent
Contact:
616-240-5116
tsgreenway@gmail.com
Tyler Greenway
Statement of Reason
I wish to be a candidate in the Christian Reformed Church in North
America because I believe that God is calling me to become a Minister
of the Word and I agree with the creeds, confessions, and mission of the
CRCNA. God’s calling on my life has prompted me to seek training to
become a minister. As I continue my schooling, I feel that my internal
calling has been confirmed. I have been raised in the CRCNA my entire
life and I wish to continue serving in this denomination and to have
the opportunity as a candidate for my calling to be recognized by a
congregation within the CRCNA.
Tyler Greenway
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
My faith journey begins in rural Ontario. I was born and raised in a
Christian family, guided by parents who cared deeply about raising their
five boys to know Christ. I have been a part of the Christian Reformed
Church all my life and I studied at Christian schools from primary
through post-secondary.
As a boy, I had a sense of safety, belonging, and purpose. I was part of a
caring family and community, and I trustingly followed the patterns of
life that were modeled for me by loving parents, friends, and teachers.
Spiritually, high school was a season of stagnation; I coasted through my
high school years comfortably, neither rejecting nor embracing the faith
of my parents.
Name: David Groen
Age: 29
Place of Birth: Hamilton, Ontario
Spouse Name: Brittany Groen
Redeemer University College
B.A., 2007
Regent College
M.Div., 2015
EPMC, 2015
Internships:
Full-time Youth Pastor
New Westminster CRC
2004-present
Contact:
604-315-2521
dgroen@nwcrc.ca
Through various friends and circumstances, God led me to Redeemer
University College, where I spent four pivotal years. Three experiences
in particular shaped my faith and the direction of my future: I joined
a small group, entered into a mentorship with a professor, and began
studying mission and Reformed theology. The convergence of these
things strengthened my relationship with Christ, helped me develop
spiritual disciplines, and deepened my love for the church.
Shortly after graduating I married Brittany. Together we began to discern where God might be leading us next. We both had a clear sense
that God was calling me into ministry, but the what, where, and when
were still unclear. During the discernment process, I was unexpectedly
offered a full-time position in youth ministry at a CRC church in British
Columbia. I accepted the position, and shortly thereafter enrolled in
part-time studies at Regent College in the MDiv program. Blending my
studies with ministry has been fruitful, and has allowed me to work out
what I have been learning in a community of faith.
My years in youth ministry have been deeply enriching. Working with
youth and young adults has given me hope for what God can do in the
next generation. Few things have nourished my life as much as seeing
international students converting to Christ or witnessing teens brainstorming ways to serve their community. Through youth ministry, God
has taught me that the gospel really is a transformative power.
Regent has also played a significant role in my formation. Studying
alongside students from different cultures and denominations has been
life-giving. I have come to appreciate many distinctive elements in other
traditions, and I have learned a great deal from African, Asian, and
Latin American expressions of faith. In this context I have also come to
appreciate more fully the richness of the Reformed tradition and what it
has to offer the wider body of Christ. Regent has opened my eyes to the
diversity of Christ’s body, and taught me that we must strive to serve our
cities together.
I am thankful for the way in which Christ has been at work in my life,
using various events and relationships to lead me into pastoral ministry. I look forward to using the gifts he has given me to serve the body
of Christ.
David Groen
Statement of Reason
Through listening to the voice of my community, and prayerfully discerning my gifts, I see this decision to pursue ordination within the CRC
as a faithful response to Christ’s call in my life to serve his church. The
church is sent to embody and proclaim the good new of Jesus Christ in
every corner of creation, and I desire to serve to this end.
David Groen
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 4
Faith Journey
My belief in God and experience of Him are all about relationships.
I have seen how God has loved and walked with me throughout the
struggles of my life in a variety of ways. I was born and raised in a good
Christian family, and would consider my faith journey as an ongoing
process of enlightenment. My beliefs can be summed up in the
‘reformed’ Christian creeds and confessions that I hold dear.
Name: Robert Gruessing
Spouse: Sue
Age: 39
Place of Birth: Zeeland, MI
Number of Children: Four
College Attended:
Cornerstone University
B.S., 2010
Seminary Attended:
M.Div., 2014
Internships:
70 X 7, Holland MI
Summer 2012
CPE, Pine Rest,
Grand Rapids, MI
Summer 2013
Contact:
616-748-0493
rjg66@calvinseminary.edu
The high point of my faith came after I got married. First we had a
daughter and two years later a second daughter was born. Three years
after that we found we were pregnant with a son. I was excited to have a
boy! But, that elation soon turned to grief as we learned halfway through
the pregnancy that he had thanatophoric skeletal dysplasia, which
caused his demise shortly after birth. This was very hard on me. I cried
out to God…how could He do this to me?
My Grandfather reminded me that God knew what I was feeling. He, too,
foreknew that His son was going to die. In fact, He put it into motion for
us. That got me thinking.
Because of that ‘discussion’ with God over all that pain and misery I have
grown stronger in my faith. It was at times a difficult and long journey
of faith, however I found peace letting God have control over all things,
and I have come closer to Him than I have ever been.
Since then we have had a second son and a third daughter! This call
to the ministry has been a long and sometimes painful process. I have
always felt the call, yet I was hesitant to accept it. But every roadblock
and hurdle I put up was either answered or removed. God has truly
provided for me in ways I will never understand, and He will use the
education at Calvin to help me come to grips with and answer those hard
questions I faced over my lifetime.
Robert Gruessing
Statement of Reason
I feel called by God to serve Him in active ministry in the Christian
Reformed Church to further His kingdom. I am excited as well as
humbled to answer this call and to continue a life of service to Him.
I stand in awe of the awesome responsibilities active ministry entails,
but with God’s help I will strive to faithfully serve Him.
In Christ, Robert J. Gruessing
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 4
Faith Journey
I was raised by loving parents who left all that was familiar to them
in Italy to start a new life in the US. I was one of four children raised
Roman Catholic and took up residence in urban Hudson County, NJ a
few miles from New York City. My parents’ goal was to give their children
the life and opportunities they did not have in a small town that was
ravaged by war. I am grateful for my parents’ idealism and willingness to
take risks for a better life. Maybe some of that rubbed off on me, their
third child, as I too received a calling to pursue something better.
Name: Patrick N Guarracino
Spouse: Miriam
Age: 53
Place of Birth: North Bergen, NJ
College Attended:
Rutgers University
Newark Campus
B.A., 1984
Westminster Seminary,
Philadelphia, PA
M.Div., 1990
EPMC, 2014
Internships and Ministry Experience:
Bethesda Presbyterian Church
Philadelphia, PA., 1987-1988
Christ Community CRC,
Austin, TX
Summer 1988
Hope CRC, Houston, TX
Summer 1988
New Life Presbyterian,
Philadelphia, PA
Youth Pastor 1988 – 1992
Covenant Presbyterian,
Abingdon, MD
Assistant Pastor, 1994-1996
Contact:
267-625-8975
pgclassic1@gmail.com
It was 1979-80 in my first year of college that God got my attention by
introducing me to a Jesus that was more than a statue hanging on a
cross, but a real person that desired a relationship with this lost young
man. It was through my older brother, who came along side me during
a difficult time and shared with me the good news of the gospel. He
said that my problems were a result of my broken relationship with God
because of my sin and that Jesus death on the cross paid the penalty
and that if I believed in Him by faith I could be fully forgiven and enter
into a personal relationship with Him. It was just a matter of time that
God opened my eyes and in repentance I received Jesus as my Lord and
Savior in 1980.
I was discipled in my college years, through the ministry of InterVarsity
at Rutgers University, Newark NJ. I responded to the ministry like a
fish to water as I studied the works of Francis Schaeffer, J.I Packer, R.C.
Sproul and urban ministry pioneer Harvie Conn. As I grew in my faith,
I also grew in my understanding and passion for the Reformed view,
which eventually led me and my wife to follow God’s call to Westminster
Seminary in Philadelphia in 1985 with the support of our local church
and Pastor Rev. John Algera. After seminary, I served the local church
as a Youth Pastor for 10 years in urban Philadelphia and suburban
Maryland. I grew in my love for the gospel and for young people inside
and outside the church walls. However, after 10 years I also began
to question my place in the local church and decided to take a self
appointed sabbatical to sort things out which lasted over 10 years, longer
than I imagined. It was a time of personal questioning and trials, but also
a time of repentance and maturity.
In 2011, God began to rekindle the flame that lay dormant within me.
With the prompting of the Holy Spirit (and the permission of my dear
wife Miriam) I reconnected with Pastor John Algera at Madison Avenue
CRC and he introduced me to a new opportunity toward ordination in
the CRC through the non-resident EPMC program at Calvin Seminary.
In these past 2 years, God has fanned the flame in me through my
training and through the local church and the continued use of my gifts.
This has been an amazing journey with God as He has reaffirmed my call
to ministry and has extended His grace and love to me and my family.
I am excited and humbled at the same time by God’s faithfulness to His
people. I look forward with anticipation to serve His Church and take
part in His kingdom plan.
Patrick Guarracino
Statement of Reason
I am seeking Candidacy in the CRC because I believe that God has called
me to shepherd His people and to be a servant leader in His Church.
A pastor-friend once told me “The Church is the hope of the world”.
I have come to embrace that more and more. As a community of faith
we embrace the love of Christ and walk into foreign territory with the
message of reconciliation. For me there is no greater calling.
Patrick Guarracino
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 4
Faith Journey
That the Lord moves in mysterious ways is no strange idea to me. The
journey He has brought me through to where I am today shows the
grace and creativity of our all-powerful and loving God.
Name: Gareth Harker
Spouse: Kristal
Age: 32
Place of Birth:
Scarborough, ON
Colleges Attended:
Briercreat College,
Caronport, SK
B.A., 2005
University of Waterloo,
Waterloo, ON
B.A. 2006
Tyndale Seminary, Toronto, ON
M.Div., 2008
EPMC, 2014
Internship:
Maranatha CRC,
Cambridge, ON
September 2012 –
September 2014
Contact:
519-267-3353
gpharker@gmail.com
The son of an alcoholic, atheist father and a mother who did not
place much stock in Church or Jesus Christ, it is a wonder that I ever
darkened the doors of a church. Yet in my teen years, through a move
from Kitchener, Ontario to McAllen, Texas in 1996 at the age of 16,
God got hold of my heart. As a young man who struggled with feelings
of inadequacy and isolation, Jesus Christ revealed himself to me as my
Redeemer and Friend. As I started to grow in my faith, read the Bible,
and engage in church activities, it became apparent that God had plans
for me beyond what I could have ever thought. Through the affirmation
of others, I followed a nudge to Briercrest Bible College in Caronport,
Saskatchewan to pursue a degree in Youth Ministry.
Briercrest held some of the most deeply formative years in my faith
journey. God brought me through the desert and back again – pushing
my faith to become genuine and rooted in prayer and the Word. During
my time there I questioned the sincerity of my faith and my sense of
belonging. Again and again God confirmed Himself and my place
during many long times of silence, solitude, and prayer in the chapel.
I also during that time developed a greater sense of ecumenicity and
connection to the historical church. There were professors and students
from a variety of backgrounds, and through them I discovered the
beauty of God’s Church in its various expressions. It turned out Youth
Ministry was not the place for me, and I instead followed a nudge to
major in Theology, thinking perhaps God was calling me to a teaching
ministry. This same nudge took me back to my home town to study
Philosophy at the University of Waterloo.
Studying Philosophy did not open up for me the avenues I thought it
would. Yet this phase in my journey was not without purpose. In following
that nudge, I met my wife, Kristal. Our marriage a year and a half after
meeting changed the plans yet again as I sought employment with
limited options for a young man with Bachelor’s degrees in Theology
and Philosophy. God graciously provided me work at an automotive
manufacturer, the field I continue to work in while pursuing my studies.
God used the signs of economic turmoil in early 2008 to encourage
me to pick up my studies again, part-time in an evening Masters of
Theological Studies program at Tyndale Seminary in Toronto. Alongside
this, God opened up opportunities for me to serve our home church
as both a lay preacher and an elder. But God was not done there. The
economic downturn resulted in a long layoff for me, through which God
started to make clear that the calling He has placed upon me is to serve
as a pastor.
As I reflect back on my life to this point, I can see God’s hand at work
in so many ways. Not only has He brought me into his family through
unusual circumstances, He has also blessed me with the opportunity
to experience a broad expression of His family across North America.
This journey has brought me to the CRC both because of its historical
significance to Kristal and because of its rich tradition and theology.
If there is one word that rings loud and clear in all I see in my life it is
grace: the central reason behind all that God has done in history and
foundational to our theology as a Reformed church. That God would not
only accept me and welcome me into His family, but that He would also
choose me for this task is an example of His grace and mercy. It is “grace
[that] has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.”
From unfaith to faith to pastoral ministry, it has taken 15 years and over
7,000 miles for God to bring me to where I am today. If that does not
show the creativity and grace of our God, I’m not sure what would.
Gareth Harker
Statement of Reason
I have felt a sense of call into ministry since 1999. The sense of call was
clear, but the shape of that call has been in formation for the last 15
years. That sense of call took me through an undergraduate degree in
Theology and a supplementary B.A. in Philosophy, as well as Seminary.
The shape of my call became clearer in 2009. My wife, Kristal, and I had
been attending Maranatha CRC for about 2 years. I had opportunities
to preach there and serve as a pastoral elder. I was in the midst of a
long layoff from my job in industry. My experiences in ministry at
Maranatha had given external confirmation to the internal call through
the encouraging words of members of our congregation. At that point
I began to pursue my MDiv in Pastoral Ministry as well as investigating
the E.P.M.C. program through Calvin Seminary. That possibility
finally became a reality in 2012 with the non-resident program, which
happens to coincide with the final years of my MDiv program at Tyndale
Seminary. I am in a position now to apply for candidacy and this is the
reason I choose to have my name declared in Synod of 2014 as a delayed
candidate. It has been a long process wherein God has been faithful and
I am excited for the possibilities that lie ahead.
Gareth Harker
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
Jesus Christ is my Lord and Saviour! The triune God, Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit have worked in concert to save me from my sins, so that I may
live forever with my Lord God. Our Lord does this for all who believe in
the Father’s One and Only Son, Jesus Christ, and the mighty work Jesus
accomplished on the cross, and how He burst from the grave to sit at
the right hand of the Father. How did I come to this understanding and
knowledge that is rooted deep in my soul, in the core of my being? The
following will provide a brief glimpse of my journey to Christ.
Name: Robert Hoekstra
Age: 51
Place of Birth: Georgetown, ON
Spouse Name: Jacqueline Hoekstra
Tyndale University College
and Seminary
B.A., 2011
M.Div., 2015
Internships:
Escalon CRC, Escalon, CA
June-August 2014
Pine Rest, Cutlerville, MI
May-August 2013
Beit Sahour, Israel/Palestine,
Hope Equals
June-July 2012
Contact:
519-370-0381
hoekstradadof4@gmail.com
Beginning from infancy, I was raised in a Christ centred home. My
parents followed in the footsteps of their parents and the beliefs of the
CRC’s Christian faith laid out in the Reformed confessions and creeds
by wasting no time in presenting me for baptism in faith in our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ. Since I was old enough to remember, Scripture
was read at the dinner table with prayers before and after the meal. At
a tender age, I was taught to kneel at my bedside for my nightly prayers.
Honour and reverence of God was instilled within me in our home and
through Georgetown CRC, in Georgetown, Ontario, Canada.
My development as a child of God continued in the context of Christian
education. I grew to learn of the wonders of God and of His creation.
I have multiple rich memories of God glorifying moments witnessed
in the halls and classrooms of the Christian schools. I recall a moment,
frozen in time, where we too celebrated along with the whole country of
Canada winning gold against the Soviet hockey team. This was one turning moment for me, perceiving that, yes, we Christians do interact with
the world joining in joyous events, but that is where we, and the world
separate; we worship God, not the gods of sports.
From the young age of seven I began to associate myself with church
life and life as a pastor. My love for the Scriptures beginning in the early
years developed increasingly as I grew, so that I would look forward to
Heidelberg Catechism classes, and various youth events. Then the big
day arrived, Profession of Faith Sunday, as I professed my faith in Jesus
Christ. Yet, it is a journey we travel resulting in seven years later my offering of myself more fully to God. Two developments occurred: God had
control turning the wheel and God opening my ears to Scripture and the
church, His body.
Once I acknowledged God call on my life (that took a while) to enter
parish ministry in the CRC, I hurried up and waited. From then on I
moved forward always seeking God’s leading and guiding when to enter
the ministry. Time past, God was shaping me. While I waited, God used
me to bring people to Christ, and to be active in the church where I worshiped the only One true God. And then it happened; God made it clear
the day had come to enter the ministry.
I give the Lord God all praise and thanksgiving! His shed blood for me,
His continued presence, answers to prayer whether yes or no, His guiding hand, His constant provisions, His Word that speaks life into dry
bones, this is my God. He is real, alive, and active in turning hearts to
Him. Our home is not here, it’s with Christ!
Robert Hoekstra
Statement of Reason
God has ignited in me by His Holy Spirit the passion to preach the Good
News of His salvation to the church with love for my brothers and sisters
in Christ in the CRC. God has put the desire by His Spirit on my heart
to serve His people of the CRC and to reach out to those who still do
not know Christ in participation with the mission of the church. The
love of the day to day pastoral care of my brothers and sisters follows on
the heels of my desire to preach God’s story. It is the love and care of
the church and the struggles she experiences that guides the message
formation drawn from relevant passages.
Additionally, the CRC remains true to Scripture in its creeds, confessions, doctrines, and theology. Being assured of this, I am able to boldly
and confidently preach God’s word with excitement and eagerness.
I love my brothers and sisters of the Christian Reformed Church, which
creates a sincere desire to use the gifts God has given me for her.
Robert Hoekstra
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
In terms of belief, I believe in God the Father Almighty, who made the
heavens and the earth. I believe that he created the world in perfection,
out of love and for his glory. The land, plants, fish, and animals are the
work of his hands designed to bring glory to his name. The crowning
touch of his creation was man, a being created in the image of God to
enjoy fellowship with God. However out of a mistrust and desire for their
own glory, humanity sinned against God and in so doing brought all of
creation under the curse of sin.
Name: Darren Hoogendoorn
Age: 30
Place of Birth: Oshawa, Ontario
Spouse Name: Laurelle
Hoogendoorn
B.A., 2010
EPMC, 2015
Tyndale Seminary
M.Div., 2011-present
Internships:
Hebron CRC, Whitby, Ontario
Sept 2012-April 2013
Contact:
905-243-0509
hoogendoorndarren@gmail.com
Unable to repair the damage to their relationship with God, nor to atone
for their sins, humanity stands condemned before God in need of a
Saviour. Out of his great love for us, God sent his Son, born of a woman
and conceived by the Holy Spirit, to live the life we were called to live
and to die the death we deserved to die. This God-man Jesus Christ is
the only way through which salvation may be given. Christ lived out the
demands of the Law perfectly, yet he was crucified; forsaken by God as
an atoning sacrifice for the sins of humanity. But God did not abandon
his holy one to the grave, and on the third day he raised him to life again
conquering sin and death. All who call upon the name of Christ, acknowledging their sin and accepting his mercy may enjoy fellowship with
God. Christ imparts his righteousness upon those whom the Father calls,
and for those who are in Christ there is no longer any condemnation.
This work is all a gift of grace, given to the believer through no merit
of their own.
After Christ’s work was finished he ascended into heaven that God might
send the Holy Spirit into the hearts of all who believer. The Spirit illuminates the Words and work of Christ, applying the grace of his work to the
lives of believers. Apart from the Holy Spirit we could not come to know
God in the manner which leads to eternal life.
Christ has promised that he will come again a second time to judge
the living and the dead. Upon his arrival a new era will be ushered in.
He will bring about the right and proper end of all things, purging the
creation of sin as though it had been refined by fire. Finally God will
dwell with humanity for all eternity, to live, breathe, move, and ultimately
glorify him in a restored creation.
I came to know these truths simply through the gift of God’s grace given
to me. Despite growing up in Church, my heart never understood the
Good News of the Gospel, until God opened the eyes of my heart that
I might come to know him.
Darren Hoogendoorn
Statement of Reason
The reason I desire to be a Minister of the Word in the Christian Reformed Church and not in another denomination is multifaceted. First
and foremost, I agree and believe in the doctrines it professes. Second, it
was into this church I was born and I feel that I have been called. Just as
Peter was to minister to his native people (the Jews) so too I feel called to
mine as well. Last, I have hope for the CRC.
Darren Hoogendoorn
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 4
Faith Journey
My faith journey began in the Christian home in which I was raised. I do
not remember a time without God. It was in high school that I began to
realize that God was not real to many of my peers. At youth group we
were encouraged to talk about Jesus to our unbelieving friends. Both
at school and at work I would engage my friends and co-workers when
opportunities came. I did not bring any of them to faith (that I know of),
but I was sharpened in my own faith by the conversations I had with them.
Name: Ryan Hoogerbrugge
Spouse: Emily
Age: 36
Place of Birth:
Grimsby, ON
College Attended:
Tyndale College
B.R.S., 2001
Tyndale Seminary
M.Div., 2010
EPMC, 2014
Internships:
Wallaceburg CRC
Wallaceburg, ON
Summer 2009
St. Joseph’s Regional Mental
Health Care
London, ON
Chaplain Intern, Summer 2013
Contact:
226-627-8808
rhooger3@gmail.com
At the end of high school I decided to go to Bible college. I did this in
order to make myself available to whatever God might call me to do for
him. I knew I was a Christian but I was not convinced that I had really
put God first in my life and this seemed to be the way to do it at the time.
Many things happened during my college years. I attended Tyndale
College in Toronto and also became a member of Grace Toronto
Church, a downtown church plant from the Presbyterian Church of
North America. It was at Tyndale that friends and professors won me
over to the Calvinist doctrine of election. Prior to college it was not
something that had been taught to me.
During my time at Tyndale I became a part of the Evangelism Team
which was an outreach to homeless people. Every week we handed out
bagged lunches to homeless people on the streets and in the parks where
they slept. Eventually I was engaged in a Bible study with some homeless
men on Thursday nights in the lower food court of the Eaton‘s Centre.
During this time I also organized a group of students from the college to
visit residents at a local nursing home.
After graduating I moved to downtown Toronto and worked as a security
guard. I continued to study taking some classes in New Testament Greek
at Toronto Baptist Seminary. Though I believe in infant baptism, I had
friends from Tyndale and also Grace Toronto Church who had enrolled
there. Roughly a year later I applied for a position as a youth program
director in the Brighton CRC where my girlfriend (now wife) attended.
After a year Emily and I were married. After two years at the church
I felt affirmed that God desired me to go further and seek pastoral
ministry and ordination. The council there also affirmed my decision
unanimously.
I enrolled at Calvin Seminary in 2004. This, however, was not God‘s plan
for me. Shortly before we were to leave we found out that Emily was
pregnant and there would be no insurance coverage for the pregnancy if
we went into the United States. I enrolled at Tyndale again. During these
years our family grew. Anneka was born in 2005. We experienced two
miscarriages before Malachi was born in 2010. Neah was born in 2011.
These last ten years has been a mix of school and employment. We have
taken no loans except for the forgivable loans from classis. It has not
been an easy journey, but God has been faithful to provide all that we
have needed to serve him.
Ryan Hoogerbrugge
Statement of Reason
In faithfulness to God’s call on my life I am seeking candidacy to be a
minister of the Word. I began my journey toward ordination several
years ago and many in the church have confirmed the direction to
which I have been working. I enjoy studying God’s Word, teaching it and
preaching it. I believe that the local church is the hope of the world as it
proclaims and lives out the Good News of Jesus Christ. It is my desire to
build the church up according to Christ’s instruction and with the gifts
and abilities his Spirit has given me.
Ryan Hoogerbrugge
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
In order to know who I am, someone will have to discern my uniquely
religious background. As a 5th generation of a Christian family, I was
born as a grandson of a pastor, a son of a pastor, a nephew of two missionaries serving in Japan, and Ethiopia. Unlike many Koreans, whom
may have accepted our Lord during their life time, I have grown accustomed to not only Presbyterian tradition and Westminster confession but
also with the yearning and wondering for worldly pleasure at my youth.
The stories of the Bible came familiar as my mother would narrate them
as bedtime stories.
Name: Jin Su Hwang
Age: 27
Place of Birth: Seoul Korea
Spouse Name: Chan-Mi Park Hwang
Suny Stony Brook University
B.A., 2010
M.Div., 2014
Th.M., 2016
Internships:
Pioneered Stony Brook
Campus Ministry [a.k.a. Korean
Students for Christ]
2006-2010
Worship Pastor/Youth Pastor/
English Ministry Pastor
Hahn-In CRC of Grand Rapids,
Wyoming, MI
December 2010-present
Short-term Mission Trip to
El Salvador
Iglesia Presbiteriana en
El Salvador
July 2013
Languages: Korean
Contact:
516-395-4505
jsh23@calvinseminary.edu
Faith upon these stories strongly influenced me during my development.
As a naïve and sincere child, I often argued against those followers of
different religions. Without knowing too much, I would stubbornly insist
that the Bible and God are the only Truth. This has led to an occasion
where in my science class at elementary school, teachers taught the class
about evolutional theory. The universe has been created by a “big bang”,
and human evolved from a group of cellular organisms. At this point,
I became the troublemaker: strongly defying the teacher because of what
she had taught me. Often, I would not listen to her directions and even
answered the questions on the test intentionally wrong because of my
ways of belief for God.
As I began to think as a teenager, I avoided my friends who started drinking liquors and smoking cigarettes. Back then, I questioned myself as
such who I am and the meaning of life. There was a small fragment of
my heart thirsty for fellowship and connections. This small fire blamed
my background for not accepting the way most of my friends were walking through, seeking the worldly pleasure, and hating to hold a title of
the pastor’s kid.
In the midst of this confusion of values, I personally confronted God. It
was the dark night’s soul. The church my father has planted in New York
was struggling financially. On top of that, the church had gone through
a split because of the power vacuum. This conflict occurred none other
than by the family member. My family was struggling in faith and in
finance. Moreover, my dream of becoming a hotel manager to earn
money and glory of networks has gone into the toilet. Among eleven
schools I have applied for college, all the schools I applied as hospitality
management rejected me. This was the first time I actually depended
upon God. This is the time that I answered upon the call. I will be your
servant in the time where there are no harvesters.
Gradually, my family recovered from the scar. I chose to go to the university close to home so I could help out my family as well as the church.
Through the scholarships and federal grants, I was able to support
the church with all the extra expenses I have gotten. I started working
and participated in earning the living costs of my family. Furthermore,
I have begun to evangelize my friends. It was at first one or two friends.
Later, the group has become too large that my father and I have decided
to rent a church near the campus of Stony Brook University. This has
become the church.
Through these experiences, I have come to realize the joy of serving God
and His church. In spite of the cultural shock and the language barrier, a
little boy who was 13 years old had matured into a leader who knew how
to care for friends and lead them into faith. However, these practices of
endurance, strengthened, and developed me into a matured, thoughtful,
and confident adult.
Upon the graduation of the college, I finally decided to come to the
Seminary as I eagerly waited. I found such happiness and often thought
it would be a perfect life. Yet, I have confronted the challenges that I
have never faced. I started working in a local church called HahnIn CRC
of Grand Rapids right away. My role and participation in this ministry
had been a journey of learning. From worship leader to youth pastor
and eventually to English Ministry pastor, the church has experienced
splits, major fights, struggles, and scar. Through these events, I, again,
experienced the difficulty of leading the church. Yet, I remembered the
joy my father had shared of serving the church. And this joy and love for
the church was exemplified the head pastor I was serving under.
As a dreamer of becoming a pastor, I am a step away. Knowing that it
won’t be an easy track, I am more than passionate to become the servant
of God. I can confidently answer that even through the difficulties, the
joy and peace God provides to us is far greater than any.
Daniel Jin Su Hwang
Statement of Reason
If someone asks me “what’s the reason for you to become a minister?”
I cannot simply answer. It’s because I certainly know that there are so
many other people who are more fitting and better equipped to become
the servant of God, to build the church, and to lead the congregants to
the right way. Yet, if I really have to answer the question, then I will firmly
answer that it’s because I have determined to do so.
Look around the world! There are so many temptations and attractions. My heart aches observing the current church breaking apart,
experiencing their children walking away, adopting worldly thoughts as
foundation, and failing to discern what is right or wrong. Yet, my heart is
being torn apart witnessing churches arguing, claiming one to be better
than the other, and competing one another. What does it mean to be a
church? The essential question I hope to answer through my life is to
be the part of the church knowing to answer the question together and
become a model of practicing the answer by bearing fruit.
Daniel Jin Su Hwang
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 2
Faith Journey
Growing up in a minister’s family was a blessing. My parents did their
best to raise me as a child who learned to love the Lord with all my
strength and soul and my neighbor as myself. As a child, I obeyed what I
learned from the Korean church and my parents. In my teens, I began to
rebel against my parents who seemed to be more concerned about their
ministry than family life.
Name: Joseph Hwang
Spouse: Yumi
Age: 32
Place of Birth: Philadelphia, PA
Number of Children: One
College Attended:
Calvin College
B.A., 2004
Seminary Attended:
M.Div., 2012
Th.M., 2012
Korean CRC of Kalamazoo,
Vicksburg, MI
November 2011 – May 2012
Michiana Korean Church,
Elkhart, IN
Summer 2011
The seeds of rebellion blossomed in college. I desired autonomy and
succeeded in executing my plans. Education was not my priority, so I
did not study. For a while, I stopped going to church. I had to distance
myself from God so that I would not feel guilty. Deep down, I felt
trapped and longed to turn my life around. I wanted God to help me.
That is when I met Pastor Moonbae Kim.
Pastor Kim began mentoring me in a small college group Bible
study. God used him to lead me back to church and restore me in my
relationship with God. For the first time, I could stand with confidence
and not dwell on my shame. God assured me of his love, grace, and
mercy as revealed in His Son Jesus Christ. Since then, I have spent my
life trying to live as a disciple of my Lord and Savior.
In the process of restoration, I realized that I had a passion for God’s
Word. When I understood God’s Word, it helped my faith grow. I
yearned to be equipped with the tools to serve the Church. Yet, after
college, I had to wait three years before I could enter seminary. I needed
to develop discipline and learn to be faithful to the tasks before me.
At Calvin Theological Seminary, I have learned many important things
about the CRC, what it means to be a pastor, and something about
myself. I enjoy studying, teaching and preaching God’s Word. I pray that
God will help me to be a faithful steward to the task He sets before me,
to trust Him wholeheartedly, and to grow even more in love for my wife
and daughter.
As a candidate to be a minister of the Word of God in the CRC, I
am in full agreement with and believe what is stated in the form of
subscription.
Joseph Y. Hwang
Trinity CRC, Broomall, PA
Summer 2010
Korean Grace CRC,
Grand Rapids, MI
September 2007 – May 2010
Languages: English and Korean
Contact:
616-916-5346
joeaug@gmail.com
Statement of Reason
In 2007, God brought me to Calvin Theological Seminary so that I could
begin my preparation to become a minister of the Word of God in the
CRC. As I am about to graduate, I see that God has been faithful to me
on this journey. Through each stage of my journey, God has affirmed
his calling through the local churches, classis, and hopefully, in the
candidacy committee. He continues to assure that He has a purpose
for me in His church. That is why I am seeking to be a candidate in the
CRC.
Joseph Y. Hwang
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
I believe I am a sinner. I know this not only because the Bible says so, but
also because I can see that in my own life. When I sin, people’s feelings
are hurt, things don’t get done, etc. However, if it weren’t for the work
of the Holy Spirit, I would only feel bad about my sins because of the bad
consequences. God’s Spirit convicts my heart and helps me to see that
my sins are also personal offenses against God. He has also helped me to
see the severity of my bondage under sin. Before God, I was a dead man.
And before sin, I was a complete slave. Hence, I believe I am a sinner.
Name: Edward Jiang
Age: 38
Place of Birth: Shanghai, China
Spouse Name: Pin-His Chen
Penn State University
B.S., 1999
Westminster Theological
Seminary, PA
M.Div., 2007
EPMC, 2015
Internships:
Chinese Christian Church &
Center, Philadelphia, PA
Nov 2004-May 2007
Languages: Chinese
Contact:
412-999-9853
ed.jiang@ccic-iowa.org
However, I am also a redeemed sinner. Thankfully, out of his great love
and by his grace, my Heavenly Father appointed his only Son Jesus to
take on flesh to live and die in my place. And Jesus, not stingy with his
own life, willingly obeyed. So now I have hope fighting against sin. And
now I can enjoy God’s favor. Because of what Jesus did (and is still doing), I am fully indebted to him. I belong to him, body and soul, in life
and in death. The life I now live, I live for God and for his glory.
I grew up in Shanghai, China. The above are statements that would have
sounded like crazy talk to the old me. I did not know that there is a God
who created everything in the universe. I did not know that he is loving,
just, powerful, and wise. The only gods I had known were statues made
of clay and fictional characters in stories. All that changed when I moved
with my parents to the US. I was introduced to my Creator and later
to the notion of sin and salvation through the work of both individual
Christians and the Chinese church near where I had lived.
So now, “How can I use my life to glorify God?” becomes a question
I often think about. Right after I graduated from college, I thought
I should use the degree I had earned to work. So I became a software
engineer. I worked for 3 years. It was a very good experience to get a
taste of what being a young professional is like. I liked what I did. I also
liked the fact that it afforded me time to help out with the youth ministry in my church. But as I served, more and more I saw a spiritual need
both among the youths and their parents. And that’s when it dawned on
me that I could really use my bilingual skills to serve the Church!
Since that “eureka” moment, I attended and earned an M. Div. degree
at Westminster Theological Seminary and I also served as the English
pastor at my home church. The Westminster education had given me a
thoroughly Reformed perspective on my faith. It has given me a much
greater appreciation for God’s gracious act of salvation. It has also given
me a perspective on the world that claims everything belongs to God
and we Christians must play a role in God’s plan of redemption. To me
personally, this means my job is more than “saving souls.” As a Chinese
immigrant, I want to be a part of God’s redemption of the Chinese and
Chinese American cultures. And that all for the glory of God.
Edward Jiang
Statement of Reason
I am seeking candidacy in the CRC because, practically speaking, I currently serve at a Chinese CRC congregation. But it is also because I love
God and the Good News of Jesus Christ. This is a message everyone
needs to hear over and over again, both Christians and non-Christians
alike. And I am seeking candidacy in the CRC in particular because
I believe the Reformed tradition explains the gospel in the best way and
gives God the most glory.
Edward Jiang
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 3
Faith Journey
Name: Daniel B. Jung
Spouse: Debbie
Age: 33
Place of Birth: Pusan, South Korea
Number of Children: One and one
on the way
College Attended:
University of California, Davis
B.A., 2007
Seminary Attended:
M.Div., 2013
Internship:
One Wyoming, Wyoming, MI
Church Planting Organization
March 2012 — Present,
Concurrent
Contact:
916-990-5702
ddijung@gmail.com
In the winter of 1998, as a sophomore in college and undeclared as a
major, I prayed to God, “Lord, just tell me what you want me to do with
my life. And if you tell me, I will devote my entire life to it. I will pursue
it with a reckless abandon.” Later that night, I had a vivid dream, and in
that dream, I was preaching the Gospel to a multitude. Upon waking up
that next morning, I was scared. “Really? This is what you want me to do,
God?” I sought advice and went to my college pastor and told her what
had happened…and she cried. It wasn’t tears of joy either, no, this was
a full sob; a my-dog-just-died sob. This was all the excuse I needed to not
pursue this notion of being a pastor any further. Also, I was terrified of
public speaking and my voice cracked every time I had to stand in front
of people to speak. I dismissed this dream as a reaction to the late-night
pizza I ate the night before, and never told anyone else about this dream
for the next twelve years.
The next twelve years were the best and worst years of my life. They
were the worst years of my life because I contracted Hantavirus; a level-4
biohazard disease which nearly took my life, was expelled from college,
was immobilized by an ankle ligament dysfunction, and was in crutches
for three years, received disability benefits, became addicted to narcotic
pain killers and alcohol, stole from family and friends to feed my
addiction, lived in a garage, burned countless bridges amongst friends,
and put my family and closest friends through constant turmoil and
worry. It was also some of the best years of my life because I got married,
started a family, became a father, and most importantly, realized I was a
child of God, deeply loved by my Creator, who relentlessly pursued me.
At that moment however, like Jonah, I was in the belly of the fish and
I prayed the same prayer he prayed: “But I, with shouts of grateful
praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say,
‘Salvation comes from the LORD.’” —Jonah 2:9. I also remembered
the prayer of twelve years ago: “Lord, just tell me what you want me
to do with my life. And if you tell me, I will devote my entire life to it.
I will pursue it with a reckless abandon.” So here I am, at the cusp of
completion at Calvin Seminary, ready to pursue this calling with the
reckless abandon I had promised.
Daniel Jung
Statement of Reason
“I am a human being. But I find being a Christian to be the best way for
me to be a human being. And I find being Protestant the best way for
me to be a Christian. And I find being Reformed the best way for me to
be Protestant. And I find being a Calvinist to be the best way of being
Reformed.”—Richard Mouw, Calvinism in the Las Vegas Airport
I read these words from Richard Mouw when I first came to seminary,
and to be honest, I didn’t really believe the last two sentences to be
completely true for me. Statement of Reason (continued)
My, things have certainly changed. Since coming to Calvin Theological
Seminary, I have fallen in love with the Reformed Faith. It has given me
a worldview that best reconciles what I read in the Bible to what I see
in our world. I couldn’t think of a better tradition to be adopted into
than the Christian Reformed Church and to serve God’s people in this
denomination would be my greatest honor. Daniel Jung
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 4
Faith Journey
I am very much a grateful product of Reformed Theology and the
Christian Reformed Church having been born and baptized within the
church and never really questioning my identity within. Some of my
fondest childhood memories involve running around trying to dodge
out of Sunday school with cousins and friends at Orland Park CRC.
I have been blessed to be born within a committed Christian family
that not only valued the church but also Christian education. I was able
to spend my elementary and high school years within the Southwest
Chicago Christian School system.
Name: Erik William Kamp
Spouse: Jacquelyn
Age: 31
Place of Birth: Evergreen Park, IL
College Attended:
Moraine Valley
Community College
A.S. Business, 2004
B.S., 2006
Northern Baptist Seminary
M.Div., 2013
EPMC 2014
Internships:
Grace CRC, Oak Lawn, IL
Summer 2012
Contact:
708-813-0022
kamper1983@gmail.com
Growing up in this environment meant that I rarely struggled with head
knowledge. I grew up often knowing the proper answers to questions
of theological significance. I could describe the third function of
the law and I was well aware of the intricacies within the debate over
predestination. Such knowledge while a blessing also allowed my heart to
remain underdeveloped. Despite having the right answers I didn’t always
have the right attitude.
This imbalance was corrected under the leadership of Pastor John
Wilczewski at Jacob’s Well Church Community. John spoke with
such passion and intimacy of his relationship with God that it utterly
transcended my knowledge. John’s faith became a model for my own
as I started to follow his example of uniting spiritual disciplines with
biblical knowledge. This became an exciting time for me as my heart
started to catch up to my head. My faith was no longer something I knew
but became something to be excitingly pursued.
While this was an exciting time for my spiritual development it was also a
time of vocational struggle. I had consistently sought professions where
I might be able to help people and yet I felt as if I was not helping as
God had intended. My realization of a call to ministry came within my
work on an ambulance as an EMT-B. Despite my enjoyment in helping
people in emergency situations, I found it was the conversations with
patients and families which brought mental and spiritual healing that
really excited me. It was the healing and development beyond the
physical which I felt called to pursue, and so I prepared to set down my
stethoscope and pick up my Bible.
My seminary education at Northern Baptist Seminary was a
reconstruction process as I was exposed to a variety of teachings and
traditions. My reformed understanding was often questioned and
challenged leading me to evaluate what I had so often taken for granted.
This challenging process eventually led to affirmation of the rich
heritage I had inherited from the Christian Reformed Church and a
desire to teach that heritage to the next generation.
I excitingly look forward to what God has in store for our family knowing
that his faithfulness is the only thing that has brought us this far, and I
am comforted by the fact no matter God has in store that I am already
fully his.
Erik Kamp
Statement of Reason
A main reason for my desire to be a candidate within the CRC is the same
reason I desire to be an American, I always have been one and really
known no other way of life. I was born and raised within the Christian
Reformed Church and I attended schools supported by the CRC. The
majority of my friends and family were members of the CRC. The CRC has
always been a large part of my life which has provided incredible blessings.
Having been so richly blessed by the CRC when feeling a call to ministry
I felt a desire to continue within the very church which has led me thus
far. I wish to serve the church which has so faithfully served me. I wish to
continue the heritage which I received. And while this may look different
in the coming generations I pray we do not lose what made the CRCNA so
faithful and communal.
Blessings, Erik Kamp
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
Christian Commitment (What I Believe and How I Got There)
As a child, I felt strongly about God, but as I grew I became critical of
simply going to church on Sunday and doing what I saw as “worship.” At
the time I did not understand the purpose of it all. However, I continued
to grow through the church community.
Name: Eric Kas
Age: 25
Place of Birth: Byron Center, MI
Spouse Name: Tamara Kas
Kuyper College
B.S., 2012
M.Div., 2015
Honors Received:
Cum Laude: Kuyper College
Internships:
Hope Equals (CRCWM),
Bethlehem, West Bank
July 2013
South Kendall Community
CRC, Miami, FL
January-February 2014
Caledonia CRC, Caledonia, MI
August 2014-May 2015
Contact:
616-299-2868
ekas4219@gmail.com
As a teenager I became very involved with Teens Encountering Christ
(TEC: a group led by and for teenagers) and the youth group of Woodhaven Reformed Church (RCA). As a part of these communities I found
a love and acceptance that helped me to understand that Jesus accepts
me just as I am—a sinful and broken human—a human He loves and
even died on a cross for. Also, while on a mission trip in New York City,
my eyes were opened to the state of humanity through speaking and
praying with drug addicts and alcoholics living on the streets of Manhattan. I came to know that God has called and has justified his people so
that they would enjoy Him and glorify Him—and in so doing they would
be a blessing to all the broken—to the people living on the streets or in
the house next door. Through these realizations about God and myself,
I began to understand the nature of God’s church. Further along in
high school I became passionate about how people came to understand
God—especially through His Word. At this point in my life, I also started
to discern that perhaps being an architect was not my calling, but that
I was being called to ministry in Christ’s church.
After high school, I continued my education at Kuyper College.
I continued to learn more about scripture, the Reformed tradition
and about my own particular worldview. My professors helped guide
me as I continued to be formed for ministry in Christ’s Church in
today’s culture.
After graduating from Kuyper College in 2012 I began attending Calvin
Theological Seminary where I continued to be equipped for ministry.
Along the way I had the opportunity to serve with the communities of
West Leonard CRC, Oakdale Park CRC and Caledonia CRC—and I am
eternally grateful for the fellowship we have shared.
Throughout this journey I have continued to learn more and more
about God’s calling on my life and ministry in His church. I have come
to know the great demands of ministry and continue to believe God has
created me to communicate the good news to all with conviction, knowledge, and trust in the love that Christ first showed to us on the cross.
Eric Kas
Statement of Reason
I am seeking candidacy in the Christian Reformed Church to serve
Christ and his church as Minister of the Word. I have discerned an
internal call from the Holy Spirit to serve the church and particularly
to equip her for the discipleship of the nations. I believe that God
continues to work in a special way through His called out and setapart
church. I recognize the great challenges in this calling and seek to love
Christ’s body in and through God’s love, grace and peace.
Eric Kas
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 2
Faith Journey
First and foremost, I believe that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior and
that the Word of God reveals this to me. Secondly, I believe that Jesus
Christ has redeemed me from the clutches of sin and death through his
death on the cross and that his death on the cross has given me new life.
Thirdly, because I have been saved from sin and wrath, I now belong to
Christ and this is a great comfort. Therefore I cannot keep what Christ
has done for me to myself but I need to and I want to tell others of the
comfort that comes from knowing that I belong to Christ and how they
could know this comfort as well. As a follower of Jesus Christ then, I have
been called to” go and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey
everything (Matt. 28:19-20a)” that Christ has commanded me.
Name: Lee Khang
Spouse: Molly
Age: 29
Place of Birth: Providence, RI
College Attended:
Kuyper College
B.A., 2006
Seminary Attended:
M.Div., 2012
Hmong Christian Ministry,
Lansing
Summer 2008
Stratford CRC, Stratford, ON
Summer 2010
Languages: Hmong and English
Contact:
616-719-7319
leekhang1@gmail.com
I would say that my journey to this point began through the Lord’s work
in my mother. I never really had a close relationship with my father and
my father was never the spiritual head of our family. In fact I would have
to say that my relationship with my father has always been a difficult one.
Instead, it was my mother who encouraged my siblings and I to study the
Word of the Lord. It was her constant reminder that even though my
father may not be an ideal father, I do have a heavenly Father who cares
deeply for me and provides for me even when I may not realize it or see
it. I always found this hard to take in because my family has always been
poor and yet my mother never complained about how impoverished we
were but gave thanks for what we did have, and even when most of my
siblings left the church, my mother still has not given up on them that
one day the Lord will call them to return to him.
Three other people that the Lord used to help me get to this point in
my journey were Pastor Anson Veenstra, Pastor Kou Vang and Pastor
Neng Houa Vang. Pastor Anson Veenstra mentored and discipled me as
a youth and his biblical teaching greatly helped to form me as a follower
of Jesus Christ. I believe that because my father was not a good spiritual
leader, the Lord put Pastor Anson in my life to help me understand
what it means to be a “man after God’s own heart”. Pastor Kou Vang and
Pastor Neng Houa Vang worked with the Hmong people in Wisconsin
Rapids, Sheboygan and Lansing, and it was through their struggles
working with the Hmong people that I learned what it meant to suffer
and sacrifice for the cross. Eventually Pastor Kou and Pastor Neng Houa
would encourage me to go get a biblical education at Reformed Bible
College (now Kuyper College) and it was my time at RBC that I felt the
call to ministry.
One other person that I cannot forget and who the Lord has put
in my life to significantly impact me in my faith journey is my wife,
Molly Khang. She has always been a hard worker and through her
perseverance and faith in God, have I seen where I have fallen short but
she constantly reminds me that it is not anything that I do that makes
things better but what Christ has done that things are better for us as
a couple and as a family. She continues to challenge me in my faith by
reminding me that my ministry has to first be to my family and when
I get too wrapped up with work and neglect her and my daughter, she
has always shown me a stern grace confronting me and at the same time
forgiving my shortcomings.
I believe that it is the Lord’s faithfulness working in and through my
mother, pastors Anson, Kou, Neng Houa and my wife Molly that I
believe I am here today and entering into ministry within the Christian
Reformed denomination.
Lee Khang
Statement of Reason
As a follower of Jesus Christ, I believe that one of the greatest privileges I
have is an opportunity to share with others the comfort in knowing that
I belong to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. However, not only is knowing
this a privilege, it is also a command. Matthew 28: 19-20 records Jesus
commanding his disciples to “Go and make disciples”. The ways in which
this command of Christ is accomplished is through a life dedicated to
the study of Scripture and then expounding what one has learn to the
people one comes in contact with. The CRC has a long tradition of
training its members in the Reformed tradition to do likewise (to study
Scripture and to teach it to others). As such, I want to follow in that
tradition and therefore, I seek candidacy to be a minister of the Word
and sacraments in the Christian Reformed Church.
Lee Khang
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and
make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Matthew 28:1820
Name: Yongwan Kim
Age: 30
Place of Birth: Daegu, South Korea
Spouse Name: Soyeon Kim
Calvin College
B.A., 2011
M.Div., 2015
Internships:
Palo Alto CRC, Palo Alto, CA
June-August 2014
Languages: Korean
Contact:
347-537-8317
dyddhks77@gmail.com
On September 22 of 2005, when I was about to finish my overnight work
in the military, I got a phone call. It was my mom. I answered, “Hi, mom!
What’s up?” It was an unusual call in the early morning. My mom said,
“Brandon, don’t be shocked or panic from what I am about to tell you!
Can you promise me that?” “Yes, I can!” I could recognize that her voice
was trembling. After couple seconds of silence, she said, “Dad passed
away!” “What? What are you talking about?” My voice became strong.
“Calm down, Brandon! You should come now.” I was in panic. It was
hard to believe the unexpected death of my father, but it was real. I lost
my most precious friend in my life. This incident completely shook the
foundation of my faith.
I was born into a Christian family, and my faith was taught and developed by my parents to look to Christ for my salvation and to Him alone.
In my upbringing, my faith life was fine without any big wound and scar.
I had certainly experienced renewal of my faith throughout my youth.
Thankfully, I had lived a sheltered life.
But, at the age of 21, I became hopeless. My faith seemed helpless. Facing the first storm in my life, I could not help but doubt and ask this
question. “Why? Why did this happen if God is good?” I questioned.
I prayed. I cried out. “God! Why have you forsaken me?” I became very
vulnerable. It was the first time in my life that my life’s purpose was
unclear to me.
After a year of the unexpected incident, in the cold night of December
of 2006, I was at a church retreat, desperately waiting to get His answer
to my unsolved questions. God did not give – has yet to give – the answer.
But, in my fervent commitment to have a relationship with God at that
time, I realized that God had been internally calling me to make His
disciples and serve His people. Because of this strong conviction, my
spirit was not able to resist His holy calling.
After I obeyed the calling of the Lord, I decided to study in the United
States because I wanted to grow and stretch myself out in the international world. But, my scar and wound had not been healed yet. I was
concerned whether my scar and wound would harm anyone in my future
ministry. But, one day, I found the solution to my concern. While I was
taking the ‘Spiritual Formation for Ministry’ class at Nyack College in
New York City, I realized that God wants to use my scars and wounds for
my ministry to understand people who suffer the pains of life. God has
had a plan for me beyond my understanding.
Throughout this challenging period, I realized the internal and external
calling of God. His calling for me was to make His disciples by using my
scars and wounds according to the Great Commission that Jesus gave us.
Until now, I have run my race in Christ, remembering the holy calling to
seek the mission of God. It is also my desire to continue on this faithful
journey as I remind myself of his calling. In this journey, I believe that
Jesus Christ, who has been with me, will be always with me to the very
end of the age through the Spirit of God. This Jesus Christ is whom
I love, to whom I belong, and in whom I believe.
Yongwan Kim
Statement of Reason
In December 2006, with the unexpected death of my father, I became
vulnerable and unclear of what my life’s purpose was. At the same time,
God began to give me this conviction to serve His people by using my
wounds and scars. In 2008, by the grace of the Lord, the Spirit of God
led me to leave my country, my family, and my comfort zone. This was
a challenge of my life, but also an opportunity to totally depend on
God alone. As I look back, these past 7 years of my journey here in this
foreign country was a time to obey His will and ready myself to become
a servant of God. Especially with my time here at Calvin Theological
Seminary, I now have the conviction that the time has come to serve His
people as I humbly respond to this holy calling from God. I am grateful of how Calvin Theological Seminary has equipped me with the right
tools that I will need as I seek to further God’s kingdom with this call.
Yongwan Kim
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 4
Faith Journey
Sanctification is best understood for me through the Reformed
perspective: all leading and growth in holiness is dependent on the
sovereignty of God and is an outpouring of his grace. This is the work
of the Holy Spirit, drawing me closer to Christ and ever deeper into
the community of the Trinity. I have very often ignored God’s call and
deceived myself, sure that I am self-sufficient and certain that I have
“arrived” spiritually. It is in these times the Spirit has immersed me
in suffering, either my own or another’s, and placed me in a ministry
position where I am overwhelmed. It is in this deep water that I have
found dependence on Christ that is essential for holy life.
Name: Michelle Joy Kool
Spouse: David
Age: 43
Place of Birth: Edmonton, AB
Colleges Attended:
The King’s University College
B.A., 1992
NAIT
Accounting Diploma, 1994
Taylor Seminary
M.Div., 2013
EPMC, 2014
Internships:
Christ Community
Reformed Church (RCA)
St. Albert, AB, September
2010 – May 2012
Pregnancy Care Center,
Edmonton, AB
January 2012 – May 2012
St. Albert CRC, St. Albert, AB
June 2012 – June 2014
Languages: English and French
(not fluent)
Contact:
780-418-4342
MichelleKool@shaw.ca
As a child I was raised in a Christian home, educated at Christian schools
and participated in church ministries such as Busy Bees, Calvinettes,
youth group and catechism. Here I learned the disciplines of daily
Bible reading, the importance of prayer, Sabbath keeping, and serving.
It is through this strong foundation that I have the faith to proclaim
that my faith can be succinctly summed up in the Apostles Creed, can
be explained in confessions such as the Belgic Confession and with
confidence proclaims the mystery that Christ has died, Christ is risen,
Christ will come again. The Holy Spirit has opened up avenues of new
spiritual disciplines, such as silence, prayer journaling, fasting, daily
examen and lectio divina, that have enriched my spiritual life and
continued my growth in sanctification.
God sent me companions along the way, to influence and to help me
to grow toward him. First were my parents, my siblings, and the pastors
that have raised me in faith. One of the most influential spiritual
companions is my husband, a strong man of God who thinks deeply,
cares compassionately and seeks to walk humbly with God. I became
part of an accountability group, which has helped me live with integrity,
holding me accountable to honesty, to self control and to self denial.
The mentoring I have received as an adult from pastors, mentors and
other faithful leaders, and participating in the community of Jesus Christ
has continued to grow my faith.
Through joy, I have been called to Christ through a variety of events. In
my early twenties the day I publicly professed my faith, my open response
to Christ’s identity given to me: beloved one. Each baptism of my three
children has made me more aware of my call to make disciples, and
made me more aware of my lifestyle and what would have to die, in order
for the life of Christ to reign and rule in my life, and in my family. Peer
counseling those experiencing crisis pregnancy at the Pregnancy Care
Center ministry in Edmonton allowed me to journey with many who
suffered in crisis, and I truly began learning the compassion of Christ.
Walking through the grief of the death of a parent, and spending time
with the very poor and those with AIDS in Zambia, Africa, have been
experiences God has grown my reliance and trust in him. Leading in a
variety of ways in the church has grown my love for the Body of Christ,
and my desire to build up and encourage the church in discipleship.
Most recently, my work as an intern pastor has been both a joy and a
suffering, as I embrace a new dimension of my identity in Christ, and am
called to work and grow in ways I had no imagination for.
The Christian disciple I hope to become is one that will wash another’s
feet, literally and figuratively, without hesitation, with all courage and
boldness, with the love and grace I have received. With God’s guidance,
I want to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to truly be the
unique person I have been created to be, and how God will use me to
serve in ways that will glorify him.
Michelle Kool
Statement of Reason
In this transitory time for the North American church, and a culture of
disconnectedness in this information age, my intention is to serve others
by pointing them directly to the hope and salvation of Jesus Christ and to
grow disciples who are of godly character. It is my passion to help others
see that the “present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory
that will be revealed in us” (Rom 8:18), to reframe our daily experience
of this world to a broader vision of eternity. I have been called to be one
who encourages and builds up believers in discipleship, to help the Body
regain the vision, mission and understanding of what it means to be salt
and light, so that we emulate Jesus and glorify the Father, through the
Holy Spirit. In the ministry positions I currently am called to, and any
future leadership I will be called to, it is a calling to pour out my life as
one who offers the hospitality of God, welcoming all and making room
for the stranger, as well as to equip, encourage, train and challenge
believers to be confident in God and walk in bold faith.
Michelle Kool
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 4
Faith Journey
My life is a testament to me of God’s love and grace as he has guided me
on this journey. I was baptized into Christ as an infant, wrapped into a
worshipping community from birth. From my father I gained a strong
work ethic and a thirst for learning that has influenced my pursuit of
biblical and theological knowledge, and from my mom I gained a joyful
disposition. Because of my family and my church, I cannot remember a
time that I did not view God as a good and loving Father. I was raised in
a stable environment in our country home outside Stratford, Ontario,
and I attended Christian schools from kindergarten through university.
Through my education, God provided me with a strong biblical rooting
and opportunity to develop as a leader among my peers.
Name: Victor Laarman
Spouse: Chelsea
Age: 27
Place of Birth: Stratford, ON
College Attended:
B.A., 2008
Tyndale Seminary
M.Div., 2014
EPMC, 2014
Internship
First Hamilton CRC,
Hamilton, ON
March 2012 – February 2014
Contact:
289-396-3642
vlaarman@gmail.com
Redeemer University was where my faith and Christian worldview was
formed and Reformed identity strengthened. I also developed a deep
appreciation for the vibrancy of the Christian faith represented in many
traditions. One of the most impactful teachings that has shaped my
calling and theology was developing a missional view of God, scripture,
and the church. While at Redeemer, I met my future wife, Chelsea: an
evangelical-Baptist girl who made me wrestle with my Reformed theology
and practice, and to articulate clearly what I believe and why. She
continues to help me to live out and articulate my faith.
Through much discernment, God led me to study at Tyndale Seminary,
located in Canada’s largest and most diverse city, Toronto. Tyndale
equipped me with the ability to ask good questions of scripture, to
relate theology with practice, and understand how God has gifted me
for leadership. At Tyndale I was trained in how to read my context and
to lead a church in a postmodern, post-Christendom, urban, Canadian
context—in a world that is rapidly changing. My training there is
immeasurable to me.
God placed me in a context where I learned the nuts and bolts of church
ministry for the past nine years. Chelsea and I worshipped and served
at First Hamilton CRC: a down-town church where the preaching and
ministry of the church demonstrated God’s love to the world in creative
ways. I served at First in leadership as an Elder, and through ministries
of outreach, discipleship, youth group, and worship. It was at First CRC
that I began to experience how church could serve its neighbourhood in
meaningful ways.
Today, I continue to live, serve and work in downtown Hamilton with
Chelsea and our one-year-old son, Micah. My son teaches me how deeply
my heavenly Father loves me. Our family lives in a Christian community
committed to praying together and witnessing to our neighbours.
Currently I am learning what it means to pursue justice as I work for
a Christian supportive housing agency that seeks to provide hope and
dignity to those living on the margins. God continues to teach me and
lead me into a deeper life of service to him.
I believe in the Triune God—a perfect community of love. I believe that
God made this world good, and when humanity led creation into sin,
that God took the long road of redemption culminating in sending his
Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross and rise again for the salvation of
the world. I believe that Jesus is Lord of this world. I believe that as the
Father sent his Son into the world, so Jesus sent the church by the power
of the Spirit to be a sign and foretaste of Christ’s rule. As the church, we
are called to be a light to the nations, to pray and work for God’s renewal
of the earth—all for the glory of God.
Victor Laarman
Statement of Reason
I deeply desire to see the reconciling love of God as displayed on the
cross to spread to the whole world so that all people know Jesus as Lord.
I am seeking ordination because I believe God has called me to serve
him and his church as a Minister of the Word, in order to “equip the
saints for the work of ministry” (Eph. 4:12a). I am convinced of this by
the inner call of the Holy Spirit, and this inner calling has been affirmed
by many who know me well. I feel called to serve in the CRCNA because
I believe the Reformed expression of the gospel reflects the fullness of
the good news of Jesus Christ.
Victor Laarman
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
Name: Kristy Manion
Age: 34
Spouse Name: Joshua Manion
Calvin College
B.A., 2003
M.Div., 2012
Honors Received:
Harmon D. Hook Memorial
Award from the English
Department at
Calvin College, 2003
Gelmer and Kelly Van Noord
Pastoral Counseling Award
at Calvin Theological
Seminary, 2009
Internships:
Calvin College,
Student Life Division
2006-2007
Spectrum Butterworth Hospital
Chaplaincy Internship
Clinical Pastoral Education
through Pine Rest,
Grand Rapids, MI
2008-2009
Contact:
616-745-6588
krmanion@gmail.com
I believe that Jesus Christ is God Incarnate, our Savior. He is God’s
gracious way to eternal life, life with God now and forevermore.
Together with the Father and the Spirit, Jesus is ever at work to draw people to himself. I believe that the church is Christ’s Body and is entrusted
with the task of faithfully representing God in the world, a task that is
impossible were it not for the cleansing power of Christ and the em
powering presence of the Spirit. I believe that people are deeply lost and
incapable of any saving good, totally and utterly dependent on God’s
grace. I believe that many of us do not fully recognize (a) the depth of
our sin; nor (b) the depth of God’s gracious love for us in Christ. I affirm
that the Bible is the Word of God; that through it God continues to
speak to his people today. I affirm the Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian
Creeds as well as the Reformed Confessions as reliable summaries and
guides to biblical faith.
In many ways, my growth in Christian conviction and living is unremarkable, but I believe it speaks powerfully of the faithfulness of God.
I grew up in a Christian home and received Jesus as a very small child.
When I was an older elementary school student, my parents began be
concerned that I was not growing a caring heart for those who didn’t
know Christ. (I attended a Christian school). For a few different reasons,
among them, my parents’ desire that I would care for people who were
unfamiliar to me, they enrolled me in a public school for middle and
high school. The experience of moving from a small Christian school
to a much larger public school helped me recognize breadth in God’s
kingdom and deepened my appreciation for faithful Jesus-followers in a
variety of denominations.
As a student at Calvin College, my faith continued to grow. My classwork encouraged me to see where God was at work in all areas of life,
and to join him in it. I delighted in that prospect. As the challenges I
encountered became more significant, I relied on God more. I look back
on college as a time of focused growth in my relationship with Jesus as
I became an emerging adult. I served in volunteer and paid leadership
positions in my residence hall and campus apartment building and grew
a lot as a Christian and a leader through being an RA.
In college I met the man I eventually married. Just about the time Josh
and I married, my parents divorced. This was (continues to be) a sorrowful part of my life and theirs. Both are committed Christians and people
whom I love and respect. They have forgiven each other and are remarkably cordial to one another, but the end of their marriage has been a
warning to me and to Josh to prioritize our marriage relationship as a
strong base from which we can both serve God.
Josh is, in many ways, God’s gift to me as he helps me see the lighter
side of things, is incredibly hospitable with the use of our home, and
has always encouraged me in my sense of calling to serve God. His was
an enthusiastic and steady voice in encouraging me to attend seminary, even though female pastors are not prominent in either of our
Christian traditions. Seminary was a faith-building time as well, as I had
opportunities to study and practice what I was learning. A highlight
was one extended unit of CPE as a hospital chaplain intern. While this
a ssignment intimidated me, it also provided me many opportunities to
rely deeply on God and to watch him meet people through me. It was
thrilling.
Josh and have been married for nearly twelve years. In that time God
has given us many blessings--jobs that have provided for us, a church and
Bible study small group to belong to that truly was a community for us,
opportunities for God to shape our characters through work and service,
a supportive and challenging seminary community, the healthy births
and lives of our two sons. We have also weathered a few trials--health
issues, job loss, miscarriages. God has been present with us in all of these
things.
Kristy Manion
Statement of Reason
Believing that God has called me and is faithful to complete the work
he has begun, I am seeking candidacy as a pathway to ordination as a
Minister of the Word in the Christian Reformed Church. I believe God
has prepared the road that I have traveled through a decade long pursuit
of an M.Div. degree, growing and shaping me particularly in the areas
of pastoral care and preaching to serve his church. If granted the status
of a candidate for ministry, most immediately I will continue to serve in
my current ministry settings as a workplace chaplain and as a member of
the preaching team at my church, Madison Square CRC: North Campus
in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I am seeking candidacy and ordination as
a Minister of the Word also to prepare for future ministry opportunities that may arise as our children mature and I have greater freedom to
serve in different ministry capacities.
Kristy Manion
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
I grew up in the Christian Reformed Church – daughter, granddaughter and niece to CRC pastors. Being raised in the CRC gave me a solid,
theological foundation for which I am deeply grateful. My parents, John
and Ellen Van Til, understood the love and grace of God, modeled for
me the gift of a personal Savior and greatly influenced my personal relationship with Jesus. At a young age I surrendered my life to the Lordship
of Christ and desired to be used by God for the furthering of His Kingdom. Mine was a typical CRC childhood complete with Sunday School,
Catechism Classes, Calvinettes, singing in the choir and teaching Sunday
School to younger children. I attended Christian schools throughout my
education: elementary, secondary and college.
Name: Elaine May
Age: 45
Place of Birth: Big Rapids, MI
Spouse Name: Greg May
Calvin College
B.A., 1991
Fuller Theological Seminary
Part-time, non-degree, 1994-96
Tozer Theological Seminary
Visiting student, 2010
M.Div., 2015
Internships:
Grand Rapids North Classis –
Home Missions
Leadership Development
Coaching
March 2012-May 2013
Mayfair CRC, Grand Rapids, MI
Renewal Lab Team Leader
Sept 2013-May 2014
Contact:
616-724-6820
egm087@calvinseminary.edu
I have a solid foundation of faith in Christ – my roots are deep and
my understanding of life with God is growing upon the bedrock of my
Reformed faith. It’s in the assurance of God’s love for me that I can
regularly and freely confess my sin and brokenness to Him. His grace
and forgiveness amazes me every day. The Gospel is just as much for me
as it is for nonbelievers; because from beginning to end, my salvation is
entirely dependent upon the grace, truth, and power of the work and
person of Jesus Christ.
In the fall of 1991, God graciously gave me a greater vision for who He is
and the life He longs to live with me. It was during that season that I was
drawn through the power of the Holy Spirit to partnering with God in
ministry to the Kingdom – to bring His kingdom here on earth. I grew
in my awareness of living by the Spirit and through His power. God
taught me of His desire to allow ministry to flow through me by being in
relationship with Him. I saw with greater clarity how Jesus modeled this
relational ministry with his Father while he walked on the earth. I was
profoundly changed.
God has deeply influenced my spiritual growth through my husband
Greg’s faith. He became a Christian as an adult and helps me view my
faith through a fresh perspective. We have four children and moving
frequently has caused me to rely on God in greater and deeper ways. In
times of isolation, God’s presence became my lifeblood. During those
years, I learned to trust God with my future and surrender to the transforming work He was doing in my heart. My journey with God has been
one of faith since the beginning. I am humbled by God’s invitation to
love and lead His people. In faith I am empowered to live a life of obedience to the one who loves me, desires to do life with me and calls me to
minister in His name.
I now find myself looking for opportunities to lead, guide and equip
people to move towards God in relationship, encouraging them to surrender to the transforming work of the Holy Spirit and helping them
discover their unique contribution to the body of Christ. I long to do for
others what God graciously did for me. He provided pastors, leaders and
mentors who modeled an intimate relationship with Him and discipled
me in my faith.
Elaine May
Statement of Reason
As a follower of Jesus, I am called to steward all that I’ve been given for
the furthering of His kingdom and for His glory. Pursuing ordained
ministry in the Christian Reformed Church is both an act of obedience
to serve God through shepherding His church and a honored privilege
to be entrusted with His people. I am seeking candidacy to live in full
obedience to my calling to empower, equip and strengthen the body
of Christ to expand and advance the kingdom of God. It’s my desire to
lead a congregation through preaching God’s Word and administering
the Sacraments for individuals to flourish in their baptismal identity and
participate in God’s mission to restore and renew His creation.
Elaine May
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 3
Faith Journey
Name: Daniel Meyer
Age: 39
Place of Birth: Calgary, AB
College Attended:
University of Calgary
B.A., 1998
Regent College
M.Div., 2008
EPMC, 2013
Internships:
Alberni Valley CRC, Port
Alberni, BC
Summer 2012
Immanuel CRC, Langley, BC
October 2002 — May 2004
Contact:
604-317-4676
danmeijer@gmail.com
As long as I can remember, I have been close to God and was able to
interact with him in his three persons. To me, he is the Mighty Creator
of the universe and a loving Father. He is an amazing teacher and the
Saviour of the world. He is the comforter and revealer of truth. It was
him, the Spirit, who has come alongside me and propelled me forward.
My faith, or Christian commitment, has survived and eventually grown
stronger through some hardships in life. Losing my father to cancer
in 2003 was a blow to our family, but also to my Christian paradigm
and intimacy with Christ. I wrestled with the big theological questions
revolving around God’s providence and the problem of evil. After what
seemed like somewhat of an exile journey, I came out on the other side
of the desert less focused on answering all the questions of the ages and
more recognizant of the Lord’s supremacy. Like Job, he owed me and
gave me no explanation, but rather told me he loved me and asked for
my trust and loyalty. I realized that I could not be fruitful apart from him
(Hos 14:8, Jn 15:4) and so by his grace I gave him what he asked of me.
I have been learning over the years to rely not on my own understanding,
but to rather trust and obey (Prov. 3:5-7), and to foster intimacy with
Christ in the good and the bad. My academic studies have helped to
ground this deeper faith paradigm in the Word and to accept that
following Christ is, to some degree, following the way of cross-carrying
(Rom 5:3-5, 2 Tim 2:3, 1 Pet 4:12-13, Jas 1:2-4). That being said, I
recognize and live in the tension which the Bible speaks of in relation
to God’s kingdom. Despite the Christian life being marked by suffering,
it is also marked with joy and the enjoyment of life (Jn 10:10). I wholeheartedly see God and his kingdom-fullness in the here-and-now, where
he invites us to enjoy and celebrate his creation in all of its capacities,
in our individual lives and in greater society. There is a profound
amazement in learning that giving, dieing, and losing are actually the
most enlivening, recreating, and gaining experiences in life. I will always
be learning the deeper reality of this I am sure.
Part of my faith journey has been doing other things as opposed to
studying theology and the Bible. This included my studies in Politics
and Business at a secular university and being his light among some
of the darkness there. It also included my work in social services as a
youth-worker, working in the trades and running my own house-painting
business. It even included driving a semi-truck for two different stints in
my life, where I could worship God, listen to sermons, and pray to my fill.
It was actually at one of my lowest times in my life and on one of my most
frustrating days driving truck when the Lord used a stranger, a woman
named Mary, to speak to me — to remind me of God’s love and his call
on my life. It is in the everyday, in the below and the above average of life,
that God was always working, shaping, pruning, and discipling me.
Going to Calvin Seminary to complete the EPMC program has been an
enriching book-end to God’s preparation of me. It was a blessing to be
there and to feel the support and passion the denomination has for God’s
word and his church. I did not expect to find in the midst of all my studies
of church polity and dense theology, a deep sense of God’s empowerment
and encouragement for the journey ahead. Praise the Lord, for he is Good!
Daniel Meyer
Statement of Reason
Ultimately, I am seeking candidacy in the Christian Reformed Church
because I feel called by God to do so. I have long felt his call to ministry
in general and have lived it out in many ways through my life, but over
the years God has clearly brought me to this point of seeking ordination.
Why the CRC, you ask? Well, that is a good question! I was baptized in
the CRC and grew up in it, and yet went through a ‘teenage phase’ of
disliking the family and running from it. So stiff! So stoic! So stuck! So I
thought! After my short “prodigal” journey I found myself in welcoming
arms back at the CRC table, chewing over the confessions, appreciating
anew the rich depth of theology, and saying to myself, “Hey! This is
better then I remember!” A well-prepared appetizer of theology is still
left wanting without the sustenance of the bread of life: the Word. I love
to dig into scripture and discover its unending depth and power to speak
from the past into the present — to convict, to redeem, to transform.
Having the added privilege of joining the Holy Spirit in communicating
its message of love, grace, and hope to others?! Well, that is a massive
blessing. I am aware of the great pressures and responsibilities that go
with being a minister, yet I believe my gifting is well suited for it. I look
forward to this next phase of serving Christ and the Church alongside
his people.
Daniel Meyer
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 4
Faith Journey
I was born and raised in Grand Rapids, MI by my parents Robert and
Sandra Recker. I have one sister who is six years older than me. Her
name is Jessica. We grew up with an extended family that was very close
in large part because of my grandparents (my father’s parents). My
grandfather (Rev. Robert Recker) was a missionary in Nigeria and taught
at Calvin Theological Seminary. Since they lived in another country for
quite a long time, family became very important to the two of them and
they instilled that in their six sons, including my father.
Name: Dena Meyerink
Spouse: Ryan
Age: 26
College Attended:
Calvin College
B.A., 2010
Seminary Attended:
M.Div., 2014
Internships:
Coit Community CRC,
Grand Rapids, MI
Summer 2012
Maitland River
Community CRC
Wingham, ON
Summer 2013
Contact:
616-914-4200
der245@gmail.com
While faith in God was highly supported in my family. I really struggled
with my faith, specifically with regards to understanding grace. Through
high school and the beginning of college I really felt that I needed to be
better in order to truly commit myself to Christ. In a sense, I understood
the concept of grace, but was unable to truly believe it in my own life.
This was really hard for me. I struggled with why I was different than the
rest of my family. It seemed like faith in God and what He has done for
us through the work of His Son was so easy for all of them to understand.
At age nineteen, this struggle really came to a head, and other events
were occurring that made life very hard to understand and to deal with.
My grandfather was really starting to struggle and we knew that his time
was coming fast. My grandfather was very important in my life and in
many ways still is, so this was especially difficult for me to deal with.
Around a week before my grandfather’s death, I was with my cousin in
her car driving home from hospice after a visit with my grandfather.
(This cousin has also been very influential and supportive throughout
my life and faith journey). While in the car, I can best describe it as a
sudden moment of peace. I remember there being a lot going on in my
head. Questions about everything (God, life, school, family, etc.). There
was a lot of frustration for me. But in that one moment I felt complete
peace and like someone was telling me that everything was going to be
ok. The questions I had about whether or not I truly believe in Christ as
my Lord and Savior were gone. I knew in that moment that Christ was
and is exactly that, my Lord and Savior.
During the next year, there were many different experiences and ways
that I felt myself drawing closer to God and God drawing closer to me.
Some were good experiences and some were bad. This was all during
my time at Calvin College. I started at Calvin Fall of 2006 and graduated
fall of 2010. It was while I was at Calvin that I first felt called to go to
seminary. I was on a semester abroad program in York, England. I
was getting asked regularly about my faith and what I believe. One
day, a voice in my head said to me, “You should go to seminary.” Now,
I know that sounds very interesting, but I would have never have had
that thought on my own. I truly believe that it was God getting my
attention and leading me down the path that I have now been on for
five or so years. Since this was a thought that I would not have normally
thought, I tried to forget about, to put it in the back of my mind in a
sense. No matter how hard I tried, the idea kept returning in my brain
and in interactions with different people. I could not get away from it.
I finally decided to discuss it with my parents. The two of them both
confirmed very quickly that they thought it was a wonderful idea and
that it completely made sense to them. This was a surprise to me, but
also affirmation that this may be the right direction. I then tested the
idea out on others who knew me very well. They too confirmed that they
believed it was the right path for me, including my pastor at the time.
That then led me a the wild path of meeting my husband, going to
seminary, internships, believing that my gifts belong in a church in the
CRC, and then the pursuit of candidacy in the CRC. I would not have it
any other way. I love the CRC, having grown up in it my whole life, and
I love reformed doctrine. I truly believe that this denomination has and
will continue to make an impact on the church universal and will be a
part of bringing the church together as one.
My hope is to serve God and to be a part of whatever it is that he has
planned for my life. I want to do his will in my life. I want to do His work
in the church and outside the church here on earth. I want to spread the
gospel and let people know just how truly amazing God really is. God has
provided me with so much: a husband who understands and who feels
called to this life as well even though he is not in ministry, a wonderful
family (parents, sister, uncles and aunts, and grandparents) that all care
for me and give support, a good friend base who are also very supportive
and help to keep me accountable, an education that has been very
challenging and yet God has truly helped me to get through it, and so
much more!!! I feel so blessed and taken care of, and I trust that God
will continue to provide what it is that I need in this life.
Deana Meyerink
Statement of Reason
I feel a call to ministry to do God’s work and will in my life and the lives
of others. As well as, I was raised in the Christian Reformed Church, and
I feel that the work of this denomination is a part of and has an impact
on the Church Universal. As a result of both of those aspects, I feel
called to pursue candidacy. This does for me feel and seem like it will be
a heavy burden, but I cannot deny the call that God has placed on my
life and then affirmed through those around me. I feel that pursuing
candidacy will help and is an aspect of the call that God has placed on
my life. I continue to look forward to seeing what God is going to do in
my life and the discernment process that will be a part of that.
Dena Meyerink
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
Mine is a story of humble beginnings, of grace, of pain, and of forgiveness. A story of God’s undeniable faithfulness and pursuit. A story of
God’s action and my response. Like John Calvin, mine is a journey
from fear to faith in which God has worked incrementally to change
me slowly over time. As a second generation Christian, my conversion
narrative spans a quarter century. Gordon T. Smith speaks against the
punctiliar notion of conversion, encouraging us instead to see conversion as a period of time (generally longer for those who grew up in a
Christian home).
Name: Janina Mobach
Age: 30
B.S., 2007
Regent College
M.Div., 2013
University of British Columbia
MPH, 2015
EPMC, 2015
Honors Received:
TKUC Valedictorian 2007
Internships:
First CRC, Vancouver, BC
Downtown Friends,
Vancouver, BC
Contact:
778-938-0937
janina.mobach@gmail.com
My journey to faith is not a road-to-Damascus type narrative. It doesn’t
involve a dramatic turning from a life of drugs or promiscuity or crime.
As long as I can remember I knew that God loved me and that I loved
God. My lifelong prayer has been that God would use me in his kingdom. As a baby, I was baptized in a gown made from my Oma’s wedding
veil - a testament to the lineage of faith in my family by God’s grace.
Before I could even roll over on my own, God claimed me as his own,
welcomed me into his covenant family.
My first conscious response to God was out of fear. It was after watching a
Christian film of four teenagers who are killed and three go to hell. The
filmmaker’s depiction of hell, so isolated, fiery and painful was more
than my seven-year-old imagination could handle! I ran home crying and
asked my mom to pray for Jesus to come into my heart because I didn’t
want to go to that scary place!
God took that humble cry and has been transforming me more into his
likeness ever since! Akin to Eustace’s encounter with Aslan in The Voyage
of the Dawn Treader, my habits of perfectionism and bouts of legalism had
to be torn away. Questions of worth and purpose had to be answered in
the wake of abuse. God has been my great Healer, patiently bandaging
up my wounds and imbuing my spirit with new life. He never gives up on
me. When I come to the end of myself, at the bottom of the pit, in my
darkest hour, Christ is there. He is there deepening my joy and my trust.
In my weakness, I have known Christ’s strength, experienced his power
being made perfect in my weakness. And so I declare with confidence
and with gratitude that God is God and I am not, that God is good and
that He is faithful.
I believe we, as humans, have screwed up. We have screwed up our relationship with each other, with ourselves, with creation and with God. Our
world is broken and hurting, with injustice and systematic oppression
visible at every level of society. But God wants to mend this brokenness
and usher us into a new kingdom. A kingdom built on love and justice
and peace. A place where the lonely are put into families and where the
dynamics of oppressor and oppressed do not exist. God invites us into
this new way of life, a way made possible because Jesus took upon himself
the consequence of our screwing up, of our sin. The Bible tells us of this
story, a story of human failing and God saving, a story of redemption. In
those pages we also discover how to live this kingdom life. It’s an upside
down kingdom where the power does not lie with the rich, nor does the
glory go to the first in line. The church is Jesus’ body on earth, his bride
whom he is coming back for. In the power of the Holy Spirit, we the
church join God in the work he is already doing, in his mission. We work
with hope, waiting for that day when the kingdom of God will be here in
fullness. Come Lord Jesus Come.
Janina Mobach
Statement of Reason
I love God and I love His body, the church. I believe He has called me to
use my gifts in the service of his kingdom as a minister of the Word. Thus
I present myself before this community of saints. If God has truly called
me to this path, I believe the broader community will also believe this is
God’s call for me. If this community does not reflect this call on my life
back to me, then I trust that God will open up another path.
Janina Mobach
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
I believe in God the Father, Jesus Christ his only son, and the Holy Spirit
as the mysterious Trinitarian expression of God. God created everything
that was, is, and is to come, and created it good… even very good. Sin
entered the world through Adam, and as such all the good things God
created, humanity in particular, are marred and marked by sin and its
effects. So in our community and in our work – 2 good things that God
gave to humanity in the garden – we both bear God’s image and experience the frustration that sin brought.
Name: Mark Mohrlang
Age: 36
Place of Birth: Oxford, England
Spouse Name: Summer Mohrlang
Taylor University
Biblical Studies &
Christian Education
Fuller Seminary
M.Div., 2015
EPMC, 2015
Honors Received:
Christian Service Award,
Taylor University, 2000
Internships:
Sanctuary CRC
Sept 2013-July 2014
Contact:
206-919-4053
mark.mohrlang@gmail.com
God is at work in human history restoring all things to himself in Christ.
We see this through his covenant with Israel – a fiercely loving commitment to a people chosen by God, uniquely communicated with in the law,
forgiven, set apart to be a vehicle through which God would redeem and
restore his broken creation. This redemption was accomplished when he
sent his only son, Jesus, to take on flesh, live, teach, minister, heal, suffer,
die, and rise again. Through Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross, our
sin is no longer counted against us. Through his resurrection, death itself
is defeated. And his promised return gives his creation hope in the future.
God’s people are no longer bound to one race or nation, but rather are
all those who believe in Jesus and follow him. The church is Christ’s body
here on earth, and though there are regional, theological, and denominational differences that exist, the Holy Spirit unites us all in Christ and
together we speak, heal, serve, and love in Jesus’ name, and in the power
of the Spirit.
My family is the first and foremost place where this belief was instilled in
me. My mother and father are both strong Christians, are theologically educated, and both have served in overseas missions. So my early and formative
years were shaped by their deep love of scripture, and their strong awareness of the worldwide nature of the church, particularly the struggles of
Christians in Africa and other places where the church experiences persecution. The importance of evangelism was a significant aspect to faith that
our church encouraged, and so I began to see my role at the public school
I attended more and more as a light for Christ. I also began to see that the
majority of people in my world didn’t share the same belief in Christ.
At Taylor University, a Christian college, I remember reaching a point
where I was sick of doing my “quiet times” for the sake of simply doing
them. I reasoned that Jesus would rather have me do what he said, than
simply read about it. As I tried to live into this new paradigm, it became
clear to me that in order to do what Jesus commanded, I needed to
read it in the gospels. My degrees in Bible and Christian Education were
formative during this time, as was my experience in more charismatic
churches, and my time spent leading worship. The Holy Spirit began to
take on a larger role in my faith.
It has been since college that the reformed faith has captured my imagination, particularly its emphasis on God’s initiative, and that everything
I bring to my life and faith is simply a grateful response of worship to the
one who has chosen me, loves me, saved me, and is leading me on his
mission to restore all things in Christ.
Mark Mohrlang
Statement of Reason
I am seeking candidacy in the Christian Reformed Church for two
reasons: I have for some time now sensed a call on my life to pastoral
ministry, and the CRC is the denomination that has become my home
both practically and theologically. I have been in ministry for over 15
years, primarily as a worship leader. However, my own sense of call and
gifting has broadened over the past several years so that, even though
my title is still “Worship Director,” I see my role in the community as
that of pastor – of one who is helping to shape and encourage the faith
of this particular community. A particular gift to me has been those in
my church calling me their pastor, and identifying gifts in me that they
have seen at work in our church community. Though I did not grow up
in the CRC, I have found myself very at home not only with the theology
of the reformed faith, but at home at Sanctuary CRC, where I’ve been a
member and worship director for the past 8 years. It is through both the
convictions and the loving lives of the individuals in this congregation
that I feel at home in the CRC.
Mark Mohrlang
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
My name is Karis Mpindi. I was born on July 8, 1989 to Paul and Charlotte Mpindi, in Bangui, Central African Republic. I am Congolese (from
Democratic Republic of Congo) by blood, and now a naturalized American citizen (praise the Lord)!
It is through my Dad that God has blessed our family, and me personally. My Dad was a professor in Bangui’s evangelical seminary. He had the
opportunity to come earn a Ph. D. at Calvin Seminary and so one day
in October 1993, my Mom, little Brother Don and I found ourselves in
the United States. Dad had come a couple of months earlier to prepare
the way.
Name: Karis Mpindi
Age: 25
Place of Birth: Bangui,
Central African Republic
Spouse Name: Rebecca Mpindi
Calvin College
B.A.
M.Div., 2015
Internships:
Citadel of Faith Church (ECC),
Detroit, MI
June-July 2012
Covenant CRC,
Sioux Center, IA
June-August 2013
Pine Rest Christian Mental
Health Services
June-August 2014
Languages: French
Contact:
616-826-2827
km017@calvinseminary.edu
I grew up a seminary kid, living on campus, playing with my Brothers,
and other friends. Our home church was Calvary Christian Reformed
Church in Lowell. It was through my own parents and the people of Calvary that I learned the basics of the Christian faith. I learned many Bible
stories from children’s church and Sunday school. I learned how to pray
and live in dependence on God from my parents. I made good friends
with fellow students there and learned what it meant to be Christian in
the CRC. Eventually our time at Calvin Seminary drew to a close and we
returned to Bangui in 1999. I returned to a world that I had previously
only known through pictures. It was so interesting to see people and
places that I thought were part of a dream. It was there that the Spirit began to place the desire for God to rule my life. But I was also distracted
by reacquainting myself with this ‘lost world.’ It was also during this time
that I saw my relatives for only the second time in my life. I remember
always wondering to myself: “who do I belong to?”
It would not be until my freshman year in college that the answer to my
question would be answered. I made my profession of faith and since
then the Lord has been drawing me into deeper communion with Himself and His people. Since my sophomore year of college I have become
increasingly grounded in certain teachings of the Bible. I confess and
believe the general teachings of what is known as the Reformed faith in
the matters of biblical hermeneutics and salvation theology. I read our
Reformed Confessions and accept them as being true to the basic teachings of the Bible. I am also increasingly being convinced that the Church
of God should not be centrally defined according to the worship services
we participate in on Sundays, but rather we must be centrally defined
by the work which Christ does in and through us each and every day.
This shift in emphasis means that I do not view my calling into pastoral
ministry as being mainly about preaching on the Lord’s Day. The Word
of God is central and essential for any kind of growth in the Church.
But we must not limit God’s power by only focusing on proclamation in
our corporate gatherings. I believe that ministers of Christ’s Church are
called to apply the Word of God and the gospel in every area of life. This
means that pastors and elders have been given as gifts to the Body in
order to train all the Saints for the work of ministry, which is to proclaim
Christ as Lord of all, and salvation in Him only. When God’s people are
firmly grounded in Christ and His message, then we are able to handle
everything which is thrown at us. My desire is to see not only one congregation, but every congregation in the Christian Reformed Church grow
deeper in our understanding of the whole of Word of God, the gospel,
and live lives marked by holiness and love, which come only to those who
have been born of the Holy Spirit. May God be pleased to continue the
good work which He has already begun!
Karis Mpindi
Statement of Reason
My name is Karis Mpindi and I am seeking candidacy in the CRC out of
a desire to see the denomination in which I have been raised grow more
deeply in the gospel, and I humbly seek to offer myself, to work together
with those already doing the same within this denomination. History
has shown us that when we focus on sticking to the main calling of the
church, which is preaching the gospel and making disciples, then we will
be strengthened internally. The result of this internal gospel focus within
our churches will also lead to reaching out to our neighbors and culture.
I seek to offer various cultural insights as one who has grown up in the
CRC but also having been influenced by my African background, as well
as having learned the faith from people of different Christian faith traditions. I hope to be considered for service in the denomination which
has blessed me so greatly, and which the Lord seems to be calling me to
serve.
Karis Mpindi
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 4
Faith Journey
I was raised in a Christian family. My father was a pastor and my mother
a leader of the women’s programs in my local church. The Holy Spirit
used my parents to ignite my love for God and the church nurtured
me in that faith. The church I grew up in was Baptist in its theological
background. In order to be baptized I needed to attend a catechism class
and pass an oral test. At eleven years of age I passed the catechism test
and was believer-baptized.
Name: Cornelius Muasa
Spouse: Lauren Muinde
Age: 35
Place of Birth: Makueni, Kenya
College Attended:
Scott Theological College
Bachelor of Theology, 2002
Seminary Attended:
MTS, 2007
ThM, 2009
M.Div., 2015
Internships:
CPE Pine Rest,
Grand Rapids, MI
Summer 2009
US Army Chaplain,
Ann Arbor, MI
October 2012 –
September 2013
Languages: Kikamba,
Swahili, and English
Contact:
616-308-9024
nealmuasa@gmail.com
I attended a boarding high school where I joined the school’s Christian
Union, which emphasized the Pentecostal faith. They taught that true
Christians spoke in tongues and saw visions. My high school freshman
year was a low point in my faith; I was made to doubt my salvation
because I did not speak in tongues, see visions or prophesy. My faith was
reaffirmed my sophomore year when my church hosted a youth camp
focused on the spiritual gifts.
In 1998 I answered God’s call into ordained ministry and joined
Scott Theological College, the ministry school for the Africa Inland
Church. After graduating in 2002 my District church called me to serve
both as a local church pastor and as a Bible School teacher. In 2004
I came to Calvin Theological Seminary and graduated in 2007 with
the MTS degree and 2009 with a Th.M. degree, Pastoral Care. While at
Calvin Seminary I embraced the Reformed theology as my faith story.
I became a member at Woodlawn CRC.
All these experiences matured my faith, which is now defined by being
rooted in the early church creeds, the reformed confessions and belief
in the Bible as the authoritative word of God. I believe in God the father
almighty creator and sustainer of the whole universe. I believe in Jesus
Christ the son of God the only true savior of this fallen world. I believe in
Jesus’ second coming, the resurrection of the body, the final judgment
and restoration of shalom. I believe in the Holy Spirit and its work of
reconciliation in and through the church, the bride of Christ.
Cornelius Muasa
Statement of Reason
I am seeking ordination because I believe that God has called me as
a leader in his church to partner in God’s mission of reconciliation.
I have a strong love for God, God’s word, God’s church and compassion
for the lost sheep to be reconciled to God’s fold. I am candidating in
the Christian Reformed church because I have come to love Christian
reformed theology and I am committed to the denomination’s church
polity, creeds and confessions. Cornelius Muasa
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
I was raised Catholic and went to a Catholic grade and middle school for
eight years. I’m thankful for the good information I was exposed to during
that time, even though I don’t remember ever hearing the gospel clearly.
I remember feeling a sense of emptiness, however, starting in middle
school and continuing on from there. Things at home may have contributed to some of this as well. Because of these factors, I turned to other things
in middle school, high school, and my first two years of college to try to
satisfy this feeling of emptiness. I was caught up in the party scene, and
I also was into bodybuilding to try to find significance in late high-school/
early college. And while at SIU, I began studying and playing classical
guitar, mostly for the search for significance and fulfillment.
Name: Joseph Nasvytis
Age: 45
Place of Birth: Aurora, IL
Spouse Name: Ann Nasvytis
Southern Illinois University
B.S., 1993
Reformed Theological
Seminary
M.Div., 2008
EPMC, 2015
Internships:
Campus Crusade for Christ at
University of Central Florida
2005-2008
Lake Baldwin Church,
Orlando, FL
2006-2008
Languages: Conversational
in Turkish
Contact:
630-442-3036
jwnasvytis@yahoo.com
One day between my senior year in high school and my freshman year in
college, I stopped by to visit an old friend of mine who I occasionally partied with. I was walking by his house and heard him practicing his drums
in the basement and wanted to stop by and hear him play. He was a very
accomplished musician, and I also had heard that he became “religious.”
He invited me in to hear him play, and I was really impressed and really
respected him because of his musical talent. But what impressed me more
was the change I had seen in my friend Jeff. He was very joyful and kind
and told me that when he wakes up in the morning, he spends time with
the Lord. He also said when he plays the drums, he plays for Christ. So
I told him I had to go, but I was very moved from that experience and knew
that Jeff had the deep joy and soul satisfaction that I wanted. I started reading the New Testament on and off over the next two years as a result.
Sophomore year in college at Southern Illinois University, a friend who
lived across the hall got a random phone call while I was in his room
from a local church who was doing Evangelism Explosion training.
I heard him talking about spiritual things with the person on the phone
and asked if I could talk to them. They asked me the two “Kennedy”
questions. They asked if I were to die that night, what the chances would
be that I would go to heaven on a scale of 0% to 100%, and I said about
90% because I was trying to steer clear of the party scene. Then they
asked how I would answer God if I did die and were standing before Him
after God had asked me why He should let me into His kingdom. I said
I’ve been trying to be a better person.
So they invited me to the church, and I went and really liked it as they
were all really friendly and had the same joy and kindness that I had
seen in my friend Jeff. After the service I filled out a visitor’s card that
had different boxes on it you could check if you wanted more information about Neighborhood Bible Fellowship, and the last box asked if you
would like to receive the free gift of eternal life. Since I was raised Catholic, I thought eternal life was something you had to work for, so I thought
this box definitely seemed like the best option. I checked the box, and
shortly after that a couple from the church stopped by my dorm room to
explain the free gift of eternal life. That was the first time I had clearly
heard the gospel that I could remember, and it seemed so simple to me
to just ask Jesus to forgive my sins and trust Him to do this and to come
into my life. So on March 5, 1989, I did ask Jesus into my life to forgive
my sins so I could know Him personally.
Joseph Nasvytis
Statement of Reason
After sensing a call to full-time vocational ministry during the summer of
1990 while on an eleven-week leadership training project with Campus
Crusade for Christ in Panama City Beach, Florida, I did go into ministry
with Crusade in the summer of 1995. I worked with Crusade at Western
Michigan University, where I was exposed to reformed theology as a
member of Third Reformed Church in Kalamazoo, Michigan. I continued working with Crusade for the next nine and a half years, then sensed
the Lord calling me to pastoral ministry in the church. After finishing
a Master of Divinity at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando,
I worked as a pastor of congregational life at Bethel Christian Reformed
Church in Waupun, Wisconsin for two years, where I was also ordained
as a commissioned pastor. I then took a call to be the senior pastor of
Living Faith Community Church here in San Diego over two years ago.
To continue in my role as senior pastor here, I am seeking ordination as
a minister of the word in the CRC.
Joseph Nasvytis
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
What do I believe? My beliefs have been shaped by the places and communities I have been a part of. From my early childhood in a country
congregationalist church I hold the promise of being Born Again. This
tradition shaped me to see that God loves each and every person, and
that through Christ we may die to our sinful self and be Born Again as a
new creation by the Power of the Holy Spirit. During my early adult years
God used a Charismatic church to show me how God is active in the
world and is beyond our ability to grasp or imagine; and that’s a good
thing. From my time in the Reformed Tradition God placed within me
the truth that we, the community of Faith, are the foretaste of the coming fullness of the Kingdom of God in the same way that Christ’s resurrection is the foretaste of eternity. Here is a small taste of What I Believe.
Name: Jacob Porter
Age: 34
Place of Birth: Huntington, IN
Spouse Name: Kristina Porter
Hillsdale College
Grand Valley College
State University
B.S., 2007
M.Div., 2011
EPMC, 2015
Internships:
Real Life Fellowship,
Holland, MI
October 2011-May 2012
Hamilton CRC, Hamilton, MI
May 2012-July 2013
Contact:
616-437-0288
pastorjake80@gmail.com
God loves God’s creation. God is gracious and compassionate, slow to
anger and abounding in steadfast love, God relents from bringing calamity upon those who deserve it. God causes rain to fall on the just and on
the unjust. Every single thing and every place will one day reveal God’s
love in all its fullness. God is restlessly at work to reveal God’s love, and
lordship, over the whole cosmos. Throughout history God freely and
providentially is known in the history of Israel and the Church. God is
the judge of the world. God continually watches and works to see justice
and love brought to all of God’s creation in God’s own time.
Jesus is the central person of all human history and the fulcrum of reality. Jesus is the second person of the Trinity, God the Son, who became
incarnate to fulfill the purpose of God’s salvation story for the world.
Through him all things were created, all things live and move and have
their being, and through him all things will be consummated in the full
glory of God’s revelation. Jesus is God from God, fullness of the divine
made flesh. Jesus is our savior because he took on human flesh, was
born as a baby, lived a perfect life, died, and was resurrected so that we
could be reconciled to God. Jesus’ perfect life was a recapitulation of
what human life should be. Through his life we see how we are meant
to live, and through the Holy Spirit the righteousness of that perfect life
is bestowed upon us. Jesus is the True Image of God, and through his
assumption of humanity we are shaped into the likeness of God, reflecting the divine character. Jesus lived the life humanity was created for.
Through the incarnate Christ humanity can again be in right relationship with God. While we were still dead in sin Christ died to awaken us.
God the Holy Spirit is the third member of the Trinity; in oneness with
God the Father and God the Son, yet distinct with a particular identity.
The Holy Spirit is the Advocate who was sent by God the Father and God
the Son to call us out of the nations, transforming and equipping us as
children of God. Without the intervention of the Spirit we are eternally
lost. The Holy Ghost comes to convict the world of sin so that we may
know the truth and we may be one. The Spirit equips us to become fully
human, living into the glorious future that God has for us as the communion of saints. The same Spirit that descended upon our Lord at his baptism descends upon us and dwells within us. We, as the body of believers
in Jesus Christ, proclaim the truth of God’s reign in the world. It is in the
power of the Spirit that we encounter Jesus Christ and in this encounter
are awakened to freedom and brought to life, so that we, as the Christian
community, may share in the proclamation of the Gospel to others and
so take up our share in the mission of God.
Jacob Porter
Statement of Reason
I have been deeply involved in the church my entire life. When I was
a child my father was the Children’s Pastor at our church, he went to
seminary in my pre-teen years, and had his first pastorate during my
adolescence. I have always loved being part of the local expression of
God’s body. When I was a freshman at Hillsdale College, during intro
to philosophy class, I heard God call me to become a pastor. Through
many other stops along the journey God as brought me to the Christian Reformed Church. Hence I am now seeking ordination within this
denomination. As I have followed God’s leading, listening to the Spirit’s
guidance, I have seen more and more how God has called me to do that
which I have been created to do.
Jacob Porter
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
I was born into a Christian (Reformed) home on 26 June 1979. My
parents were my earliest Christian influence, telling me Bible stories and
teaching me to pray. They brought me to church every week and made
sure I was involved in all the spiritual formation opportunities on offer at
our church: Sunday school and eventually catechism class, Vacation Bible
School, and the like. They sent me and my siblings to a Christian school
from kindergarten through senior year of high school, and encouraged
me to go to a Christian college, which I did. They did everything they
could to help me view the world from a Christian perspective, and to
nurture in me faith in the triune God: Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer.
Name: Christina Brinks-Rea
Age: 35
Spouse Name: Michael Rea
Number of Children: 5
Dordt College
B.A., 2001
University of Notre Dame
Ph.D., 2010
M.Div., 2015
Internships:
Church of the Savior CRC
South Bend, IN
Dec 2013-May 2014
Contact:
574-271-7875
christina.brinks.rea@gmail.com
When I was in high school I began to take more ownership of my
Christian faith. I made profession of faith when I was 15 years old, which
in my church was a demonstration of my knowledge of and personal
commitment to the Christian faith before the elders, and the mark of
full membership in my church, including participation in communion.
Attending a Christian college further nurtured my faith, which took on a
wider perspective as I learned about Christian theology from around the
world. (I majored in Theology in college.)
After college, I attended Calvin Seminary, believing that I was called to
be a professor of theology. My faith went through a very dry and stagnant time while I was in seminary, due in part, I think, to my inability to
continue with the spiritual disciplines that had always sustained me (such
as Bible reading and journaling). The Bible and theology went from
being part of my spiritual life to being part of my academic life. I continued to believe in God and God’s redemption of God’s people through
Christ’s death on the cross, but this was largely “head-knowledge” that
did not connect very well with my soul. This continued on into my postseminary graduate work in theology, until I gradually found a way (and
am still finding it) to integrate “head knowledge” of the Bible (its history
of composition, cultural setting, etc.) into my soul connection with God.
The most significant aids on this journey have been learning about the
Bible from Jewish teachers, participating in spiritual direction, and preparing sermons.
I believe much the same things about God that I grew up believing, but
post-Ph.D. I believe them differently than I did as a child. I believe that
God exists and is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. I believe that
human beings are deeply flawed and limited creatures. I believe that
God desires connection with all people, and that Jesus, the Son of God,
was born as a human baby to make a way for that. I believe that the Bible
is God’s word written in human words, and is a gift to us for making us
aware of God’s movement in our lives and in the world. I believe that
God is redeeming the whole creation in a way that will reveal God’s
perfect love and justice.
Christina Rea
Statement of Reason
I am seeking candidacy because I believe it is what God is leading me to
do. Until a few years ago I had no intention of either being a minister
or becoming ordained. Over the last few years, however, I have come to
see that that is what God is calling me to be and to do. I have seen this
mostly through other people, and in particular through the congregation that has called me to be their pastor. They called me to this role in
the hopes that I would soon be ordained, so that I could serve them as
a Minister of the Word, with responsibilities in preaching and performing sacraments. I believe that ordination plays a significant role in the
Christian community, the ordained person being tasked with caring for
the souls of people. An important part of the care of souls is infusing
everyday events and transitions with meaning – such as a shared community meal, a birth, a marriage, and even death. My ordination will allow
me to serve my community in this way. Although I have often questioned
the call and felt unworthy, the consistent message from my church is that
they see in me gifts for ministry and want to entrust me with the care
of their souls. In this call and invitation from my church, I have experienced the call and invitation from God to seek ordination.
Christina Rea
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
I was born into a Christian home to Dutch immigrant parents who had
moved to North Carolina a few years before I was born. I grew up on a
dairy farm with two older brothers and a younger sister. My parents were
members of the Christian Reformed Church and I was baptized as an
infant. Attending church, Christian day school education, and nurturing faith were important to my parents. The daily pattern of devotions
following each meal was formative. The story of God calling the child
Samuel was meaningful to me and Jesus as the Good Shepherd was
also significant.
Name: Barbara Sanders
Age: 55
Place of Birth: Belhaven,
North Carolina
Spouse Name: Dan Sanders
Number of Children: Six
Calvin College
B.A., 1981
M.A., 2000; EPMC, 2013
M.Div., 2015
Internships:
Fellowship CRC, Grandville, MI
1995-present
Commissioned Pastor,
2009-present
Clinical Pastoral Education,
1 unit
Pine Rest Christian
Mental Health Services,
Grand Rapids, MI
Sept 2007-March 2008
Chaplain Intern
Oak Crest Senior Living
Community, Holland, MI
July-October 2011
Preaching, field education unit
Calvary CRC, Wyoming, MI
Summer 2013
Contact:
616-340-5986
barbsanders82@gmail.com
Throughout childhood I had a love for the church and an interest in
some way being involved with the ministry of the church. In high school
my pastor encouraged me to participate in a summer ministry program,
which I did for three summers in three different states and ministry settings. These experiences nurtured a growing interest in God’s church
throughout the world.
I was involved with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at Calvin College.
Through this ministry I went to the Philippines for one summer. This
summer was life impacting in regards to an awareness of God’s church
in the world and experiencing immense poverty. Experiences of this
summer confirmed an existing desire to someday adopt children from
another country. Following college graduation I married Dan Sanders,
taught elementary school for a few years, and then was a licensed home
daycare provider during the preschool years of our children.
Since 1995 I have been part of the ministry staff of Fellowship CRC in
Grandville, MI, where I am currently Pastor of Discipleship and Education. Through this ministry I provide leadership for ministries which
focus on the spiritual nurture and pastoral care of people. I am thankful
for the gift and opportunity to participate in God’s mission as I use gifts
and education to encourage people to grow as faithful followers of Jesus
Christ. God has used my involvement with the children’s ministry and
adult ministries to contribute to the spiritual growth of people. From
sharing in pastoral care visits with the senior pastor to serving at home
communions, I have been blessed to be used by God to share His grace
and compassion with hurting people.
As a shepherd leader it is my desire to companion with people in ways
that point them to Christ, the Good Shepherd, who is faithfully present with us. My personal life has contributed greatly to how I seek to be
present with people in difficult places. Dan and I have six children, four
of whom entered our family through international adoption from Korea
between the ages of 2 years - 10 years. All our children are now in their
20s and 30s. From journeying with various challenges with our children
and the death of our parents, I have experienced God’s faithfulness.
In 2000 I completed a M.A. in Educational Ministry from Calvin Seminary. In 2009 I was ordained as a commissioned pastor. As the years
continued so did an interest in pursuing a Master’s of Divinity degree; an
interest that has tugged since college. I am thankful this became possible
through the online distance learning program of Western Theological Seminary, which I began in 2010; and the online EPMC program at
CTS. My life has been enriched through deep learning and encouraging
relationships.
This is a glimpse into my awareness of God’s leading in my life. It is my
prayer to be attentive to our triune God’s faithful leading and that God’s
Spirit will enable me to embody the living Word in my words and in my
presence; and in this way be a faithful witness to the assurance of grace,
the good news, that is in Jesus Christ.
Barbara Sanders
Statement of Reason
It is my desire to be a faithful follower of Jesus Christ, and I am not
sure how that takes shape as life continues to unfold. I am thankful for
the ministry position in which I am currently serving. It may be that I
am called to remain in this current ministry, but having completed the
M.Div. opens up other possibilities. Some aspect of chaplaincy ministry
continues to be of deep interest. I am pursuing candidacy to be open to
where God may be leading. I pray that my living is a faithful witness of
our triune living God’s faithful compassionate presence, gracious embracing love, and transforming guidance.
Barbara Sanders
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 4
Faith Journey
In a word, I believe the three ecumenical creeds and three confessions
of the Christian Reformed Church; I believe that one of the great gifts of
the Spirit to this denomination is its tradition of thoughtful engagement
with the world, especially the world of ideas; I believe that the Church is
called to simultaneously pursue unity with Christ, and incarnation as His
body in ministry to His world. How I got here is partly a story of good
parenting as a child, and partly a story of adoption by our denomination.
Name: Kurt Schaefer
Spouse: Anne
Age: 56
Place of Birth: Peoria, IL
Colleges Attended:
Bradley University
B.A., 1980
University of Michigan
M.A., Ph.D., 1980 – 1984
Seminary Attended:
M.Div., 2014
Internship:
Calvin College
Campus Ministries
2012 – 2013
Languages: English, German,
and Hungarian
Contact:
616-285-8189
schk@calvin.edu
I was born to a pious Lutheran family in 1958. I was baptized at age two
weeks, have always been attracted to God, and was fortunate to always
be in a position to take the next step in a maturing relationship to God.
The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod is a theologically-conservative,
Christian-education promoting, historically ethnic, confessional,
Reformation church—probably as near to the CRC without being CRC
as is possible.
I grew up in Richard Prior’s neighborhood in Peoria, Illinois—an
urban working-class ghetto—so my church community was something
of an island of normalcy. Surrounded by decay, we lived a mix of Bach
chorales and American spirituals, of catechism classes and Billy Graham
rallies. I attended a Lutheran grammar school, at which we had the usual
subjects, plus one hour a day of Bible, plus one hour a day of doctrine
and church history. Then I attended a large urban public high school.
The formative personalities in my life, in roughly chronological order,
have been Danny Kaye, Martin Luther, Mark Twain, Abraham Lincoln,
Steve Martin, John Stott, Mister Rogers, and Pope John Paul II.
I began having my own daily devotions early in high school, under my
brother’s influence, who was in turn influenced by both our church and
the high school Campus Life group. Combined with making good highschool friends from a diversity of Christian backgrounds, this had an
enormous positive effect on my adolescent spiritual development. I was
better able to make my faith my own by beginning to see it from the
perspective of believers with slightly different backgrounds than mine.
Then I was involved in leading Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship
chapters in college (Bradley University) and graduate school (University
of Michigan, Ann Arbor) as I studied for my bachelor’s and doctorate in
economics. I had come to love economics for the way it trains analytical
skills, and it seemed to me that there was much work to be done in
economics by Christians who would work from a basis in the Christian
tradition, as this academic field is markedly secular. In those days,
Inter-Varsity was known for its leadership development and advocacy
of reading and thinking. It was in these circles that I was exposed to
Reformed theology. Gradually, during college and graduate school,
I came to understand that Reformed theology was what I had been
looking for since I left grammar school. I was so intrigued by the things
I was reading from faculty members at Calvin College that one summer
day my wife and I drove up to Grand Rapids from Ann Arbor just to take
a tour and see this place we were reading about.
I believed that God’s place for me was as an evangelist and Christian
academic on a hostile secular campus, and my first two academic jobs
were consistent with that belief. But my family was not happy with living
in upstate New York, and wanted to return to the Midwest. It was a
difficult decision when I left a tenure-track position at Hamilton College
to take a one-year visiting position at Calvin College, because this move
challenged my understanding of my basic vocational calling as a believer.
The Calvin position became permanent, and it has been a very good
fit. In retrospect I can see that my ability to think faithfully about my
profession, and to teach faithfully, would have been severely stunted
without coming to Calvin, and so my sense of calling to be a Christian
witness in academic life has been served by being in Grand Rapids.
We had two children in the 1980s, and child raising became a very large
and delightful part of my life. When our kids were grown I began to
think about going to seminary, which I’d always wanted to do. Then our
son enrolled in seminary, and I saw my chance to enroll with him. I was
intending to finally receive some theological training so that I could be a
better Christian economist, so I enrolled in the MTS program. But after
three years of MTS work, I concluded that I should be in the program
that would help me consider whether I should be contemplating a
change in jobs, so I switched to the M. Div. program. And now, at the end
of seven years of seminary work, I am navigating the candidacy process.
Kurt Schaefer
Statement of Reason
In my 27 years as a professor at Calvin College, I have always thought of
myself as working in the ministry of the Christian Reformed Church.
One of the special gifts of the Spirit to our denomination is its ability to
thoughtfully and theologically engage the world, especially the world of
ideas. I have delighted to be a part of our denomination’s exploration
of this gift, and to be a part of our attempts to give this treasure back
to the Church Universal. And as I have been a part of this work, I have
been given opportunities to develop my pastoral gifts with students
and colleagues, my administrative gifts through a variety of leadership
appointments, and my preaching and teaching gifts. It may be that I
am called to remain in my current position. But having completed the
M.Div., opens up other possibilities of service. And so I am pursuing
candidacy in order to make myself available to the Spirit’s leading and
the church’s direction.
Kurt Schaefer
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 4
Faith Journey
I was about four years old when I learned the song, “Jesus loves the little
children.” It’s amazing how I saw Jesus then. He was the man in the
bible-coloring book sitting with some other men at a table with a big
loaf in front of them. Jesus was also the man in the stained- glass picture
looking at me with penetrating eyes at the Good Shepherd Anglican
Church as if bidding me, “Come.” So as early as I can count up to
twenty, God was calling me to ministry. By the time I was twelve, I made
Confirmation and began to be nurtured in the faith. I still remember
my aunt who played the organ while I stood next to her in the choir loft,
singing old hymns like, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.”
Name: Paula Seales
Age: 56
Place of Birth:
Trinidad and Tobago
College Attended:
University of the West Indies
B.A., 1984
M.B.A., 1995
Seminary Attended:
M.Div., 2014
Internship:
Madison Square Church,
Grand Rapids, MI
June 2012 – October 2013
Contact:
616-485-0402
pseales2000@yahoo.com
Life was good then. We lived as a middle class family in Trinidad where
the beach was just only 45 minutes away. The warm temperature, clear
water and white sand with coconut trees all around were a glimpse of
heaven. I pursued my dreams - a BA in Economics and an MBA , got
a great job as a junior economist , got married and had two children.
But then life took a turn. I was only twenty- six when I lost my parents.
Mom had said her farewell before she died from cancer. She left a
legacy of prayer, love for education and unyielding compassion for the
underprivileged. Dad was finally eased of his suffering from congestive
heart disease, a year earlier. He showed me to love beyond myself. Those
Thursday night dinners cooking up some rice and peas to feed our
neighbors and relatives still flood my memory. But things got worse.
I was a victim of abuse. Two marriages failed.
Hardness of heart and fear tried to enter, but what the devil meant for
evil, God used it for good. I immigrated to the United States in 1997
where I now live as a citizen. The Spirit of Jesus also entered into those
wounded places and shaped a tender heart for ministry - a heart eager
to serve, to proclaim the good news of the gospel which I do at Madison
Square Christian Reformed Church, to testify of God’s saving grace and
Christ’s benefits; a heart that holds dearly to the profound truth that I
am not my Own, but belong body and soul, in life and in death to my
faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his
precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He
also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head
without the will of my Father in heaven: in fact, all things must work
together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy
Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing
and ready from now on to live for him.
Paula Seales
Statement of Reason
I feel called to serve God’s people and the word of the Lord that was
given to me by the Spirit comes from Isaiah 61, “The Spirit of the
Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to
the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and
recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free and proclaim
the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Paula Seales
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
Name: Hannah Smele
Age: 25
Place of Birth: Brampton, ON,
Canada
B.A., 2011
M.Div., 2015
Internships:
ESL Ministry
Toronto, ON, Canada
June-July 2014
Ministry with Anne and
Naji Umran
Cairo, Egypt
June-August 2014
Contact:
616-375-7563
hrs027@calvinseminary.edu
I am thankful for the diverse road I have been on up to my ordination.
I am blessed with a variety of experiences that have contributed to my
unique formation. I have been formed in a Christian Reformed church/
community my entire life. However simultaneously I was being formed
spiritually in a charismatic youth group which deepened my intimacy
with God and gave me a beginning inclination of being called to ministry. This passion and vision led me to Redeemer University College
where I majored in theology and psychology. In my second last year of
university I felt God was leading me to profess my faith in my Christian
Reformed church. At this time in my life I felt more drawn to Pentecostalism over being Reformed but God showed me that he wanted me
to minister in the Christian Reformed church. From here God made it
clear that he wanted me to attend Calvin Theological Seminary.
At this stage in my life I have been tested and stretched to truly grow into
who I am. God has made clear to me a future vision for which I could
have never imagined. Since being at seminary I have been formed by my
sharing in the lives of so many communities. I have worked with Muslim
refugees, Mennonites, and Middle Eastern Christians. My understanding of God’s working in this world has been broadened and deepened
greatly. I am so thankful.
I know that the Lord is sending me to Egypt to do his work there. My
theology and passions are broadly Reformed, with ecumenical accents.
I wish to live authentically always. This means a humble, honest reflection of who I am before God. I am passionate about social justice, care
for the poor, and those who feel they fall outside of the church. I believe
that God will use me in ways that I cannot imagine. I will remain obedient to wherever he calls me.
Hannah Smele
Statement of Reason
I believe that the Lord has called me to this denomination for his work.
My call has developed over the years to become more complete but I am
sure of God’s choosing me to be a pastor/missionary. I have experienced
a confirmation of call both internally and externally. I believe that being
a Minister of the Word will open up further the ministry options for
myself. I know that my gifts and capabilities match the description of this
ordained role.
Hannah Smele
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 1
Statement of Faith
Growing up in a Christian home, the Christian faith has always been a
part of my life. Some of my earliest memories are of my dad praying with
me at bedtime. Through experiences like this, I gained an appreciation
for prayer and for God’s word. These early experiences have given me
a firm foundation throughout my journey of faith. My faith has been a
journey. On this journey, there have been highs and lows. There have
been times that God seemed very close and very real. There have been
times that God seemed very distant.
Name: Julie Stuelpnagel
Age: 40
College Attended:
Calvin College
B.A., 1994
Northern Illinois University
M.S. Ed., 2000
Seminary Attended:
M.Div., 2010
Mentored Ministry Internships:
Christina Reformed World
Missions
El Salvador, Summer 2008
Clinical Pastoral Education
Fargo-Moorhead CPE,
Fargo, ND
Summer 2008
Willoughby CRC, Langley, BC
Summer 2009
Covenant Health Care,
Saginaw, MI
Pastoral Resident, August
2010-Present
Contact:
616-648-9546
jstuelp6@calvinseminary.edu
As I look back on my journey thus far, I can see how God has always
been with me, in the good times and the bad. I have gained a greater
appreciation for God’s grace. Through God’s grace I have been saved by
faith. This is not something I have earned; it is a gift from God.
My journey has not always been easy, but through it all God has led me
closer to him. I have a greater appreciation for the beliefs that were
instilled in me as a young child. I believe in the authority of God’s word.
God has revealed himself through his Word. I also affirm the Ecumenical
Creeds and Reformed confessions. I have found them to be reliable
guides to Scripture.
I believe in a triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the
Holy Spirit. There is one God in three persons. I believe in God the
Father, the creator of the world. God’s continues to work in the world,
upholding and sustaining the universe.
I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I know that Jesus died for my
sins, and that I belong to him. Fully God and fully human, Jesus came
to redeem us. It is through Christ that I have eternal life. I believe that
Christ lives, that he will return and make everything new.
I believe in the Holy Spirit. I believe that the Holy Spirit is poured out
on the church. The Holy Spirit works in the hearts of believers, helping
them to live as reflections of Christ in the world.
I wholeheartedly believe in this triune God that loves us and guides us.
God continues to work through his Church. I know that the faith that I
was raised with is true. As I look back, I see how God has been molding
me and shaping me throughout my life. I also know that this will con
tinue. I know that God will always be with me as I continue to serve Him.
Juli Stuelpnagel
Statement of Reason
I am seeking candidacy in the Christian Reformed Church after
recognizing God’s call on my life. I believe that I have been called by
God to minister in this denomination. I have lived and worked in many
places. Living overseas, I worshipped with people of many different
denominations. As much as I appreciated these experiences, I have
always been aware of my roots in the Christian Reformed Church. I
am truly thankful for this faith that I was brought up in. I feel called to
minister in the Christian Reformed Church. I have felt this call in my
heart, and have received affirmation in this call from others. I want to
use the gifts Christ has given me to further His kingdom. I love God and
I love people. I am thankful for the chance to serve God and His church.
Juli Stuelpnagel
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
I believe that God created the world good but this world became corrupted when Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God. At that point
all humans are born into sin, are corrupted and can do nothing to save
themselves. So, humanity needed a savior and God sent his son, Jesus
who is fully God and fully human to earth where he suffered and died
for my sins and made me righteous before God. Therefore, through my
faith in Jesus Christ I have been saved by God’s grace. I believe that Jesus
was resurrected from the dead after three days, then ascended to heaven
and is with the Father their now. I also believe that one day he will come
again to rule in the new heavens and new earth.
Name: Jason Terpstra
Age: 26
Calvin College
B.A., 2011
M.Div., 2015
Internships:
Degage Ministries,
Grand Rapids, MI
June-August 2012
Shalom CRC, Sioux Falls, SD
June-August 2014
Contact:
616-648-6871
jt079@calvinseminary.edu
I believe that God is one essence with three distinct persons which are:
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, as stated in the Belgic Confession. When Jesus ascended to heaven the Holy Spirit was sent in his
stead. The Holy Spirit works in me (and all humans) and continues to
sanctify me working to purify me. The Holy Spirit opens my eyes to what
God wants me to see and teaches me.
I believe and am committed to the creeds and confessions of the CRC
and what they teach. I also recognize the importance of preaching the
gospel and spreading God’s word as Jesus commands his disciples in Matthew 28:1620 and am committed to living out this command. Throughout my life God has guided me and put others around me to teach me
about him. He continues to walk with me on my faith journey and I am
committed to God and these beliefs that I have stated. Looking back on
my life I can see that my faith journey began at the very beginning and
has led me to what I believe today.
I was born and raised in a Christian family where my parents placed
heavy importance on talking about God, praying to him and reading
God’s word. I was baptized in the Christian Reformed Church and from
an early age my parents prayed with me, taught me Bible stories and
through them God instilled in me a great love for him and his word.
Through my parents, my teachers at the Holland Christian Schools and
through adults at my church, my faith began to grow. Then one day,
when I was around 8 years old, I remember one of my Sunday school
teachers talking about how Jesus suffered and died on the cross for our
sins. As we were all standing in a circle, in the classroom, the teacher
invited us to say a prayer and accept Jesus into our hearts. That Sunday
morning was the day I accepted Jesus as my savior.
As the years continued God placed many people in my life to nurture
my faith. As a teen I discovered that I had the spiritual gifts of leadership
and administration and became involved in the church through running the sound system and singing on worship teams. As I continued to
grow in my faith I could feel God urging me to take on this faith as my
own and profess it in front of the congregation. So when I was thirteen
I stood up in front of church and professed what I believed and made my
commitment to God.
Throughout high school I went on many conventions which helped
strengthen my faith but a mission trip to Mexico had the largest impact
on me. I witnessed people come to Christ and had the opportunity to
share my testimony and what I believe. Then I went to Calvin College
where I began to feel God’s calling to ministry. I majored in religion,
learned a lot about the Christian faith through my various classes,
which tested and ultimately strengthened my faith. As the years went
by, I gradually began to sense a stronger calling from God to go into
ministry. So, then I found myself at Calvin Seminary. During my time
here I have learned a lot about God, the creeds and confessions of the
CRC and pastoral ministry. I have also greater discerned and have been
affirmed in my call to ministry. I am still on my faith journey and will be
till the day God calls me home. However looking back on my life I can
see how God has placed people and events around me that have shaped
what I believe about him. I am committed to these beliefs and am committed to preaching the gospel and teaching about the gracious work of
God for the entirety of my life.
Jason Terpstra
Statement of Reason
Looking back on my life I can see how God has gradually led me to
ministry in his Church. From an early age he instilled in me a great
love for him, his word and gave me a desire to learn more about him.
Throughout the years I have grown in my faith, through the work of the
Holy Spirit, and made a commitment to follow God and to share God’s
love and gospel with others. I seek candidacy for ministry in the Christian Reformed Church as a result of God’s calling in my life. God has
called me to be a leader in his church where, being empowered by him,
I will preach and teach the gospel. God has instilled in me a love for
his church, specifically the Christian Reformed Church and the creeds
and confessions to which this denomination holds. Through the time I
have spent at Calvin Seminary, I have discerned that God has called me
to lead, to serve and to minister to people in his Church with the help
of the Holy Spirit. This calling has been affirmed time and time again
through the internships I’ve done, the sermons I’ve preached and ministries I have been a part of. I will not and cannot ignore this calling.
Jason Terpstra
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
The backdrop to my childhood was Christianity – it was always there.
I was born to Christian parents who were involved in the church and the
Christian school, both of which I attended. The majority of my friends
were raised in a similar context. In many ways Christianity was the language I knew, it was the only way I knew how to live, or at least how I was
supposed to live. That upbringing set the strong foundation in my life.
One of the most formative experiences of my life was witnessing a period
a great spiritual growth in my father. I was in my early teens at the time,
and was blessed to be a witness to the Spirit’s work in my dad’s life.
He grew in passion for the Lord, and he grew in love. This gave me an
experiential connection to the faith.
Name: Jeremy Vandermeer
Age: 32
Place of Birth: Richmond
Spouse Name: Julie Vandermeer
B.A., 2004
Regent College
M.Div., 2015
EPMC, 2014
Internships:
Ladner CRC, Ladner, B.C.
Sept 2013- April 2014
Contact:
604-671-0022
vandermeer.js@gmail.com
I was raised in a Christian home, educated in Christian schools, and had
been part of church programs, but this witnessing my dad’s spiritual
growth gave me something tangible to behold – it was something I could
enter into. This experience confirmed for me what I had been learning at home, church, and school. This solidified for me that God was
real and actively involved in this world, and that through the Spirit, God
unites his people more and more into union with Christ, conforming
them in the precious image of his Son.
What this did was set a foundation for me that I could not erase.
Throughout my teen years I could not escape the reality of God. Though
I did not necessarily live my life as a Christian, I knew fundamentally that
God was real.
Another formative experience for me was being called into ministry.
I had never thought of myself as a pastor. I had a passion for the church,
and for serving God in the church, but I had never wanted to be a pastor. People started telling me that I should consider being a pastor, and
I kept brushing those comments aside – I was not interested. My life was
full – in the good way—I really enjoyed my work at the church, my wife
and I were enjoying life with our two young children, and I was working
with my dad hoping to partner with him down the road.
One day, out of the blue, at the dinner table, I said to Julie: ‘so I’ve been
thinking about what it would be like to be a pastor.’ The next morning
Julie had an epiphany and knew that yes, Jeremy is going to be a pastor.
I was not as quick to come to that affirmation. The next two weeks were
some of the longest of my life as I wrestled hard with that calling. I tried
to ignore it, argue it away, but I could not escape from that call that God
had placed on my life. By the end of the two weeks I was empty, I submitted to God, and immediately he filled me up with his peace.
I still had no idea how I was going to be a pastor, but God granted me
his peace and day by day he grew me in confidence of that call, and then
over the months, and then the year, gave me continued affirmation for
that call. This has been such a formative experience for me as it has lead
me into pastoral ministry, and because it has deeply impressed upon me
my need to trust in God, be attentive to his voice and rest knowing that
he will be with me in all things.
Jeremy Vandermeer
Statement of Reason
It is with excitement and gratitude that I am seeking candidacy in the
Christian Reformed Church. I feel a strong call to enter pastoral ministry, and it is with joy that I look back over the years to see how God has
led me to this point. That sense of call has also been affirmed to me
externally through family, friends, church members, my internship, and
classes I have taken at Regent and Calvin. This has given me confidence
in this call, and eagerness as I anticipate the Spirit further molding me
and forming me for this vocation in the CRC – the denomination where
I feel at home.
Jeremy Vandermeer
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
“I believe that God has called me to lead his people to maturity in Christ.
And it is not I but the Spirit who works in me. Therefore, to be faithful to God and His Word, I wish to attend seminary to be adequately
prepared for service in the Church.” With those words, my Dad, Roger
VanderVeen applied to study at Mid America Reformed. Seminary.
Though I never knew my Dad, he has been a great inspiration in my
faith journey and my own calling into ministry. For those who knew him,
his life was a testimony to God’s grace. That is what my faith journey is all
about: God’s grace.
Name: Kevin VanderVeen
Age: 25
Place of Birth: Edmonton,
Alberta, Canada
Kuyper College
B.A., 2012
M.Div., 2015
Internships:
Edmonton Native Healing
Centre, Edmonton, Alberta
June-August 2013
Trinity CRC, Goderich, Ontario
June-August 2014
Contact:
616-258-3979
kv081@calvinseminary.edu
There was never a time in my life where the church, or faith had no
role. My journey doesn’t include a radical transformation or life altering
events. Rather, my journey is about a slow a steady climb towards a love
for God and the church. Growing up, I was raised in a Christian home
and given a Christian Education, both of which have been tremendous
blessings in my life. When I was younger, I spent nearly every summer
at Bible camp, and I remember dedicating my life to Christ nearly 100
times. Back then, I didn’t exactly know what committing my life to Christ
meant, but I knew it was important. That was how I felt about my faith in
general when I was younger. I didn’t understand much about the Christian faith, but I knew that it was important.
At the very center of my faith journey growing up was an identity struggle.
I didn’t know who I was, and I straggled with my relationship with my
parents, my brothers, my friends, and I struggled with God. My parents
always used to say something to me that I’ll never forget. They always said,
“Be yourself’. Whenever I heard that, I always had to think twice, because
I never really knew what they meant. I didn’t understand how I could be
myself when I didn’t even know who I was. It was around this time that
I was faced with one of the most difficult decisions of my life. I had to
choose to take either my Dad’s name (VanderVeen), or my step Dad’s
name (Houtstra). During that time, I faced a lot of uncertainty in my life,
yet I can remember when it all changed. It was March 6th, the reunion
of my Dad’s passing and my family was in the living room hearing stories
about him from my Morn. Something about hearing stories triggered me,
and I went down to my room in tears. Not long after, she came down and
sat right beside me on my bed. Fighting through the tears, I told her how
unfair it was that I never got the chance to know him, and I felt as though
he wasn’t really my Dad. Then she told me this story:
When he was airlifted to the hospital, my Morn knew that it was more
serious than they thought. All day she would stay in the hospital, and she
couldn’t help but think: what if? What if his condition worsened? What if
he never recovered? What if this was the end? So my Morn and Dad started to talk about their unborn child (me). If this was going to be the end,
they wanted to know the name for their child. Before he died, my Dad
looked at my Mom and he gave me my name: Kevin Jared VanderVeen.
Even though I never knew my Dad, he knew me. He gave me my name.
Not long after my Mom told me that story, I went to a youth conference
with my Church youth group. During the first main session, the Pastor
began to preach. As my friends began to wander off, I began to listen. It
was a strange experience, because as I listen I felt like he was preaching
directly to me. The Pastor was preaching on the story of Jesus calling imperfect people to be his disciples. In that moment, God called me, and
I was led to surrender my life to his Lordship. I realized that God knew
every part of my being. He knew my heart, he knew my circumstances,
he knew my struggles, and yet he still called me. Just like my Dad knew
me and gave me my name, my heavenly Father also knew me, and he
called me.
From that moment on, my faith began to grow deeper and I found
within myself a love not only for God, but also for the Church. That love
for the Church grew into a desire to serve the Church. When God called
me into ministry, everything in my life began to make sense. All that I
had been through had served to prepare me for God’s call in my life. In
the summer before my senior year of high school, I had the chance to
attend Facing Your Future at Calvin Seminary. That summer I was given
a chance to discern God’s call in my life, and I discovered that God was
calling me to full-time ministry. For me, at that time, being called into
ministry was being given the opportunity to follow in my Dad’s footsteps.
My Dad left a legacy of faithfulness that I was blessed to follow. After
high school, I attended Kuyper College, which was previously Reformed
Bible College, the same school my Dad attended. After graduating from
Kuyper with a Pre- Seminary major, and a Greek Minor, I began studying
at Calvin Seminary.
Like my Dad, I have also pursued a Seminary education so that I can be
more adequately prepared to serve Christ and His Church, and it is not
I, but the Spirit who works in me.
Kevin VanderVeen
Statement of Reason
“I believe that God has called me to lead his people to maturity in Christ.
And it is not I but the Spirit who works in me. Therefore, to be faithful to God and His Word, I wish to attend seminary to be adequately
prepared for service in the Church.” With those words my Dad applied
for seminary, having been called into ministry. It is with great joy that
I follow in his footsteps as God has also called me into ministry. The
love that I have for God and the Church continues to grow, as does my
desire to serve. I believe that God has shaped me and formed me for so
that I may honor- him and my calling. I am pursuing Candidacy in the
Christian Reformed Church so that I can serve God and his people in
Pastoral ministry.
Kevin VanderVeen
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
Through word and deed my parents incarnated for me what it was to be
a Christian. They faithfully instructed me in God’s covenant love and
grace. As I grew and began to understand what this love and grace meant
for me personally, I eventually affirmed my baptism by acknowledging
that Christ was my personal savior, too. In November 1993, I publicly professed my faith. By no means do I see that date as an end; rather it was a
beginning of a life lived in relationship with the Triune God.
Name: Mark VanderWerf
Age: 34
Spouse Name: Rachael VanderWerf
Kuyper College
B.S., 2004
Cornerstone University
B.A., 2004
M.Div., 2014
Internships:
Facing Your Future
June-July 2011
Crossroads CRC,
San Marcos, CA
June-August 2012
Contact:
616-240-7972
mvanderwerf@grcs.org
In high school, I was heavily involved in Young Life. My Young Life
leader mentored me and modeled for me the Christian life. Young Life
provided an abundance of opportunities to grow in my faith. I attended
weekly Bible studies, summer camps, and winter retreats. More important than any of these events however were the relationships that were
formed during these years. Just as Christ taught his disciples while in
relationship with them, so too, my faith in Jesus Christ grew through
godly relationships with mature Christian adults. We prayed together; we
laughed together; we served together; we cried together. I often think of
their mentoring in light of Paul’s words to the Corinthians: “Follow my
example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1).
For the most part, my life in Christ had grown quite steadily during my
junior high and high school years. However in the summer of 1999, our
family experienced a tragic loss. In response, I found it difficult to sing
in church or to pray at all. I didn’t have the faith vocabulary to deal with
the pain or the questions that I was asking. I struggled with this for quite
sometime until a professor mentor at Reformed Bible College suggested
that I learn to pray God’s ancient prayer book, the Psalms. I found in them
a vocabulary of faith that could handle my questions and pains. Through
the Psalms, God nursed me into a stronger and more honest faith.
My years in college studying Bible, theology, and church history were
good and fruitful years. I enjoyed the discipline of examining Scripture
and applying it to life. I enjoyed the community of scholarship, both
inside and outside the classroom. It was during this season of life that
I grew to appreciate the rich traditions of Christian spirituality and began to incorporate some of the classic disciplines into my life.
It was also during this time that grew in appreciation of the holistic Reformed vision of the Christian life. I began to see the cosmic proportions
of the gospel; I began to boldly delight in God’s good creation, lament
its distortion (in me and in the world), rejoice in Christ’s redemption of
all things, seek by the Spirit – healing and restoration, and eagerly anticipate, with all of creation, God’s New Heavens and New Earth.
In 2004, my wife and I, following God’s lead, moved to Escondido, CA,
where I began teaching at the local Christian high school. During this
time I also served as an elder and in various other roles in the local CRC.
Working with high school students and serving in the local church –
particularly in its teaching and shepherding roles – confirmed my sense
of God’s call to serve Him and his church through teaching. A particular
Biblical text that has reinforced this conviction is Mark 6:34: “When Jesus
landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they
were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many
things.” Following Jesus’ lead, I seek to weave together compassion,
shepherding, and teaching as the basic fabric of my life and ministry.
Mark VanderWerf
Statement of Reason
After Peter affirmed his love for Christ, Jesus repeatedly gave this
instruction: “Feed my sheep” (John 21:17). Love for Christ means care
for his church. It is with this conviction that I am seeking ordination
in the Christian Reformed Church. I love Christ and his church and in
response to the various nudges and affirmations – both internally and
externally – of God’s call upon my life, I am seeking ordination. I believe
that I have been called and equipped by the Holy Spirit to be a servant
of Christ and his church. It is with a deep sense of gratitude and humility
that I desire to be faithful to this call.
Mark Vanderwerf
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
I was born into a Christian family in sunny Southern California. My
parents were actively involved in the church community and as a result
I spent a lot of time at church – whether reading the children’s books in
the library, being a part of Little Lambs, or Sunday School.
While in Sunday School I was the good kid – I would sit still and answer
whatever question the teacher asked. I was always wanting to learn more
and would often ask questions about what we had learned in Sunday
School or something which we had read about during family devotions.
Name: Philip VanderWindt
Age: 25
Place of Birth: Long Beach, CA
Kuyper College
B.S., 2012
My parents were able to answer these questions, and this allowed my
Christian faith to continue to grow. As I reflect back on this time in my
life I can see that my Christian foundation was not only formed by these
answers, but by watching my parents modelling their Christian faith in
their daily lives. I was able to learn new things in Bible class in elementary school and then would discuss them with my parents. At this point
in my life, I thought I knew where I was going to go and what I was going
to do when I got there – and then, when I was 11, we moved to Canada.
Gold Chord
Baker Bookhouse Award
Looking back ar this move, I can see how God was sovereignly guiding my life, but as I sat watching the snow fall in what still feels like the
longest winter ever it did not feel that great. I went from a large school
to a small school with a much smaller budget – this meant that many of
my classes were repetitive of what I had learned in previous years. I was
no longer getting new information, and I was spiritually starving. My
parents noticed this and started to teach me some of the spiritual disciplines. It was at this point that I had to answer the question, is Jesus just
the answer to a question or is He your personal Savior. In my senior year
of high school my passion for Christ as my Savior continued to grow, and
I felt the call into ministry.
Internships:
Cross-cultural
A Christian Ministry in the
National Parks,
Waterton, AB, Canada
June-Sept 2013
After my senior year because of conversations with my parents and
mentors and the experience I had during Facing Your Future I went
to Kuyper College for their preseminary program. While at Kuyper I
continued to grow in knowledge, but I also met other people who had
similar passions for ministry and began to see other areas in my life grow.
This was a time of tremendous growth as the Spirit molded me.
Pastoral
First CRC,
Kingston, ON, Canada
June-August 2014
In my final years at Kuyper College, God humbled a prideful college
student who thought he had it made. I did not get a leadership position I thought I was guaranteed, the plans I had made fell through, and
anything that could go wrong did go wrong. At the end of my senior year
I went to the Dominican Republic for a class trip, this experience awakened the passions in my heart in a way which put God first. I learned
what it meant to be a servant leader and what it looks like for the church
to be the hands and feet of God in a world which is hurting. I began to
rely on God’s strength rather than my own knowledge and understanding; I was beginning to understand what it means to be a disciple of
Christ. This passion continued to be nourished through my classes and
internship experiences which God led me to in seminary.
M.Div., 2015
Honors Received:
Kuyper College
Dean’s List, 2008-2012
Contact:
616-821-5411
p.j.vanderwindt@gmail.com
As I reflect back on my life I can see how God has led me to this moment of entering into ministry I am amazed at how everything which has
happened was orchestrated by God, that even what seemed insignificant
played a major role in getting me to this point. Through the leading of
the Holy Spirit I have followed Christ through the ups and downs of life.
This history of God’s faithfulness excites me to see where He leads me
in the rest of my life, and inspires me when I get up every morning. I am
not a West Coast Kid or a Crazy Canuck, but a Spiritfilled, bloodbought,
son of the living God.
Philip Vanderwindt
Statement of Reason
Ever since I was in high school I have felt God’s call on my life was for
me to enter into the ministry. I have always been a part of the Christian
Reformed Church and have a deep appreciation for her theology and
desire to serve Christ from a Christian Reformed slant. I feel a call to
nourish the body of Christ, comfort the hurting and lead His people
to be His hands and feet. I feel that God has gifted me and molded me
through life events to be a leader for his people. Therefore I, Philip
VanderWindt, am seeking candidacy for ordination in the Christian
Reformed Church in North America.
Philip VanderWindt
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
I was born in 1976 and I have never known a day when I have not known
the fear of the Lord. From my earliest existence, my father and mother
taught me the Christian faith and raised me to know and understand
the mercy of God toward me. As I grew older I confessed faith in Christ
and after leaving high school followed my father into the construction
business. I worked for various contractors in town, but felt that something was lacking in my life, the lack was not something which could be
filled but rather a lack which identifies a giftedness which was not being
utilized. So I began to attend to different teaching opportunities within
the church such as Sunday school, catechism classes, young people bible
studies, leading prayer meetings and visiting with the sick and shut-ins.
Name: David van Eyk
Age: 39
Place of Birth: Chatham
Spouse Name: Barb van Eyk
Huron University College
B.Th., 2010
University of Western Ontario
M.A., 2012
M.Div., 2015
Honors Received:
Dean’s Honour Roll, 2006-7
Internships:
Stratford CRC, Stratford, ON
June-August 2013
Hospital Chaplain
St. Joseph’s Health Care
London, ON
Regional Mental Health Care
London
May-August 2014
Contact:
519-358-3525
mrdavidvaneyk@gmail.com
In 2006, after many years having an over-whelming sense of calling we
began the process of getting my undergraduate degree. During this time
while at school, as a family we encountered a tragedy in our family which
was really troublesome for us. We began to doubt God’s love toward us,
and the sense of purpose in our lives was upended for a while. God in
his mercy, dealt gently with us and humbled us to recognize that we are
dependent on him for everything even our life and the lives of our children. Having completed four years of undergraduate work I decided that
I would pursue a graduate degree in theology as well, having discovered
a love for academia. After earning my Master’s degree, I attended to
finish the goal of going to school, and entered Calvin Theological
Seminary.
One of the reasons for pursuing a graduate degree was because I was
hoping that I could escape the pastoral ministry and be used by God in
the academy. However, having finished my graduate degree, I now know
that although the academy has some very nice and enjoyable features,
the Lord has not called me to that direction at this time. There continues to be a pull into the direction of the pulpit ministry, and it is this pull
that I have tried for so long to escape from. There are many times when I
feel like Jonah fleeing from the one thing that God has called me to do.
As has already been mentioned, I have been involved in church ministry
for a long time already. Currently I am ministering to our church by serving as an elder. And as a family we are spending our time with the older
people in the nursing homes. As a family we have committed to visiting
the nursing home every Sunday afternoon and this has been a real joy to
us, but also an opportunity to teach our children practical Christianity,
that is showing them how being a Christian and denying ourselves does
not necessarily mean that we have to die at the stake; it can be denying
ourselves to pleasure of spending time for our own enjoyment. This has
proved to be a wonderful experience for our family and for those who
we have befriended in the home.
As I complete my studies at Calvin, as a family we are eager and excited
to see what God has in store for us as we move forward in our faith
journey.
David Van Eyk
Statement of Reason
I am seeking candidacy in the CRC because the CRC is my church and
this is the place where I am being called to minister. I have received
over-whelming support and encouragement from the people of God,
and I look forward to devoting myself to serving the people of God in
the CRC. The CRC is a place that my family has found rest and a comfortable place to worship God in the Reformed faith that we cherish, but
with a vision and goal for the redemption of the whole world—this is
where we want to serve.
David Van Eyk
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
Reflecting on my 39 years of life I see God’s fingerprints have been
very evident throughout. Being born and raised in the CRC, attending
Christian school from kindergarten through college, faith in a Sovereign
triune God is significant for me. This worldview of a God who not only
created the world but loves and sustains the world with his presence and
power moves me to respect humanity as they are created in the image of
God. My attitude should reflect those beliefs. I aim to treat other people
with the respect and love that an image bearer of God deserves. I am
striving daily to honor him in all I do and say, realizing that I fail often,
but knowing also that his forgiveness and love never leaves me.
Name: Chad Van Ginkel
Age: 39
Place of Birth: Sioux Center, IA
Spouse Name: Onita Van Ginkel
Dordt College –
Degree in Psychology
Western Theological
Seminary – 2 years (2010-2012)
Calvin Theological Seminary –
3 years (2012-2015)
Internships:
Cross-cultural:
VBS on Rosebud Indian
Reservation
Prairie Light Youth Camp
2008-2014
Street Evangelism
New York School and
Urban Ministry
Summer 2012
Pastoral
Faith CRC, Sioux Center
January-August 2013
Contact:
712-441-5272
gink@faith-crc.org
I believe in Jesus, God’s one and only Son, who being God Himself, for
his glory and for our restoration came to earth as a man not only to
teach us about the Father but to succeed where we had failed in satisfying God’s need for justice by being our atoning sacrifice. This good
news has significantly changed my life. I have a strong conviction that
my belief in Jesus Christ as Lord should be evident in all aspects of my
life. Whether it is in my interactions with my family, my co-workers or my
friends I want to be authentic, compassionate and giving. As Christ intentionally humbled himself and was punished, died and endured hell in
my place so that I might be re-united with him. I believe that after 3 days,
for his Glory and our hope, Christ arose from the tomb and that He now
lives conquering death and hell. I believe that my only true comfort in
this life or in death is that now because of Christ’s work I am no longer
my own but belong body and soul to a faithful Savior. This Savior now
sits at the right hand of the God the Father, preparing and awaiting for
the appointed time where he will come again in glory to take those God
has given him to be with him to share in that glory.
I believe in God the Holy Spirit, who walks with me on life’s journey and
guides my heart in the paths of righteousness, transforming me daily
to be more like Christ. I believe man is sinful by nature and therefore
there is no good thing I can do to please the Father without the Spirit’s
influence and help. I believe that God’s love is irresistible and that for
those in him this present life is the closest to hell they will ever get. I was
bought with a price, hence there is nothing I can do to lose his love, nor
could I ever truly walk away from his love.
I believe in the church as a family of believers loving each other in the
name of Christ. I believe that by Jesus calling us to follow him, those in
him share in his work, pain, death, and ultimately in his joy, peace, glory
and life everlasting. I believe that God reveals all of this and himself to
us through his holy word, creation, and to the hearts of those willing to
listen. I believe that I am his workmanship, his ambassador to my neighbors, created to act justly, to love mercy, and to be active in sharing my
faith so that I and my neighbors might better understand how to once
again walk humbly with our God.
Chad VanGinkel
Statement of Reason
From a young age I have felt a call to working with teenagers and assisting them in finding their foundation and hope in Jesus Christ. After I
completed my bachelor degree from Dordt College, God opened the
door for me to be a Youth Director at Bethel CRC in Lynden, WA. Working there I felt affirmed in my gifts to minister to youth. As God led my
wife and I to Sioux Center, IA my life’s calling to work with teens became
solidified. After 12 years of youth ministry I came to the conclusion that
my life’s calling to youth work was one in the same as a calling to ministry. I desired to broaden my skills as a youth pastor as well as expand the
areas I could serve my greater church family. This desire for greater and
diversified service is my reason for candidacy.
Chad Van Ginkel
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
I was greatly blessed in my growing up years. I was born into a Christian
home where I was taught by my parents the Christian faith. My parents
and my Christian school teachers were shining lights of who I wanted
to become. When I was faced with choosing whether to live for myself,
gratifying my sinful nature, or living for God, it was the Christian role
models in my life that helped me to want to live for God. Having been
raised in a Christian home, nurtured in a Christian Reformed church,
and taught the faith in Christian schools from first grade until university,
I was taught the Scriptures and the Christian life and worldview. Here are
some of my beliefs and convictions:
1. The Old and New Testaments of the Bible, which is the revelation
of God, is the source of all my beliefs and convictions. God is the
primary author of the Bible and he used men from different time
periods and places to write down everything He wanted to reveal
about Himself and the great plan of salvation that He worked out
through Jesus Christ. The 66 books of the Bible are complete and
infallible. I grew up with a respect for the Bible instilled by my parents
and teachers. Now I also love God’s Word which He created in me in
order to call me into ministry.
Calvin College
B.A., 1997
2. I serve the living true God, who is one in essence, but three in
persons. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit make up the Godhead and
each are equally deserving of worship and obedience.
Georgian College
Diploma, 2000
3. I believe that God is in complete control of all things and is intimately
involved in all of creation working out all things for the good and for
His glory.
Name: Charles Van Hoffen
Age: 39
Place of Birth: Grimsby, Ontario
Spouse Name: Heather Van Hoffen
Brock University
B.Ed., 2004
M.Div., 2015
Honors Received:
Georgian College – Honors
Internships:
Bethel CRC, Lacombe, Alberta
June-August 2014
Facing Your Future
June-July 2013
Contact:
616-309-5944
cwvh052@calvinseminary.edu
4. People, both male and female, were created in the image of God. God
created humans perfect, but our first parents doubted God’s words
and disobeyed Him. All people are born with a sinful nature and are
in a helpless state on their own.
5. God is a just God and does not leave my sin unpunished. Before the
foundation of the world, our triune God had the plan of salvation
worked out. Jesus Christ who is fully God also became fully human
and lived a perfect life because I could not do so. Jesus took my place
and died a criminal’s death on a cross even though He was innocent
so that all who believe in Him, would be saved through Him, and be
adopted into God’s family.
6. The Holy Spirit regenerates all those whom God has called into His
family, by changing their hearts and giving them a new nature that is
no longer enslaved to sin. The Holy Spirit then indwells the believer;
and for the rest of the believer’s life, works in cooperation with the
believer in growing him into a deeper relationship with God. God
blessed me with a nurturing environment where I learned about the
gospel. The Holy Spirit gave me a new heart, and is in the process of
molding me and shaping me into the person He wants me to be.
7. The Church consists of the people who God in Christ has gathered
together. Here God uses pastors and elders to instruct the believers in
the faith and raise up more leaders. They are also called to minister
to the hurting world outside of the church. God uses the preaching of
the gospel, through the regeneration of the Holy Spirit, to convert the
hearts of people.
8. Jesus is the victor over sin and death because he rose from the dead.
This gives me hope for the resurrection of the dead, as I wait for the
return of Jesus when He will judge the living and the dead, and when
He will make all things new. We will then live in His presence forever
worshipping and serving Him.
Charles Van Hoffen
Statement of Reason
My name is Charles Van Hoffen, and I am seeking candidacy in the
Christian Reformed Church, because I am committed to the CRC, and
am called to minister to its congregations. I have a continuous urgency,
desire, and passion to be a minister. I have been called by God to preach
His Word to the people so that the gospel is proclaimed and that the
true guide for Christian living is taught. I have been called to minister to
and care for God’s people. God’s call has been affirmed by the gifts He
has been developing in me, as well as the affirmation that people have
given me.
Charles Van Hoffen
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
What I Believe and How I Got Here
My journey of faith began with the incredible gift of being raised by
parents who were not only long and committed to one another but to
the Lord. I grew up learning the ancient tales found in scripture: Noah’s
Ark, Adam and Eve, The Walls of Jericho, Jesus and so on. As far as I
could tell, as a child, I believed that God was who I pictured in Jesus:
Bearded man, winning smile, white robes, blue (sometimes purple)
sash. He was always surrounded by sheep and children. I knew the Jesus
stories. I have vivid memories of praying to this God, I believed that he
loved me and that he would answer my prayers. My childlike faith grew
as more tales from scripture were added, and I continued to pray, asking
for nightmare free sleeps and to bless my food and drink.
Name: Corey Van Huizen
Age: 26
Place of Birth: St. Catharines,
ON, Canada
Spouse Name: Alanna Van Huizen
Redeemer University
College, 2012
Calvin Theological
Seminary, 2015
Internships:
Sunrise Community Church,
Austin, TX
June-July 2013
Caledonia CRC, Caledonia, MI
Sept 2014-present
Contact:
616-647-7142
cv096@calvinseminary.edu
When I was about 12 years old that picture of God that I had, supported
by biblical stories, began to change. In the fall of 1999 my beloved
Uncle Sid, a man who was like a grandfather to me, was diagnosed with
lung cancer. I remember one February night before bed, getting on my
hands and knees and praying as hard as I could to God, asking that he
let Sid live long enough so that we could go fishing one more time this
summer. I knew that I was praying hard because I was squeezing my fists
and clenching my jaw as hard as possible, so hard that my finger nails
dug into my palms. On March 1, 2000 Sid passed away. I was the one to
answer the phone call that morning. Two days later I went to Cadets,
my church’s boys club. When we all arrived, the head counselor told the
group what I already knew, that Sid had passed away. The counselor then
proceeded to tell us its because we didn’t pray hard enough: “we were
throwing prayer strings to Sid, when we should’ve been throwing prayer
chains,” he informed us. Unfortunate response given my palm digging
prayer that February night.
My understanding of who God was took a bit of a nose dive the following
years. For most of my teenage life, I prided myself on knowing lots of biblical stories, but punching holes in them. I was upset with God. I believed
that God existed, out there... somewhere. I believed that he made the
world, but that he obviously didn’t answer prayer or really interact with
his creation at all. It was more like he built it like a wind up watch, then
let it go. God was no longer the bearded Jesus that I knew of as a child.
God became distant and far away, uncaring. To have faith in a deity like
this was pointless. BUT, through the encouragement of friends, He Chose
Nails by Max Lucado, some loving adults and a rather supernatural experience with God, I began to understand the closeness of God again.
As a 17 year old, I remember being on a retreat with my class at a camp
up in Muskoka, Ontario. Early one morning, I woke up. I was up way
before everyone else, which was abnormal. I laid there for a few minutes before deciding to head down to the beach. The sun had not yet
risen over the trees. There was a fog on the water, obscuring the island
75 yards off the shore. I found a log on the beach, and for some unknown reason decided to have it out with God. He met me there on the
beach. I poured out my frustration and spoke with him honestly about
how I felt. I expressed my anger for not answering my prayers the way
I wanted, and so much more. And I felt the comforting presence of God.
He communicated his love and forgiveness to my heart in a way that 1 cannot explain. Like I said, he truly met
me on the beach that morning. As I rested in his presence, the sun was rising and the beams of light pierced
through the fog illuminating the island. I didn’t realize til much later, how much like my faith that was. The fogginess of my faith in a distant God, pierced by his light and love making him more clear to me that morning.
While my faith grew tremendously during those next few years, it was mostly a “me and Jesus” type of faith. It
continued to grow though, especially as I went off to Redeemer University. God had revealed himself slowly.
I learned a head knowledge of Him and a heart for Him and His people. I have been mentored, loved, challenged and encouraged along the way, knowing and trusting that he is leading me.
6 years of university, 2 internships and still a whole lifetime to go; I still have so much to learn. I often feel like
I have only begun to fall in love with God, and share his love for his world. I believe that the faith which I have
now, is a gift from Him.
So this is my statement of faith, what I believe now. Above is simply part of how I got here:
1. There is one God and he made this world. Its not important how, whether he used evolution as a tool, or a big
bang as a starting point, is irrelevant. What is relevant is that God is the creator. He is not the creation, He is
not our creation. The sun is not god, my body is not god, my house is not god. He is God the creator. And he
made this world good, very good.
2. But this world fell into sin. God set parameters on how best to function in relationship to Him, and human
beings disobeyed. Sin means broken or sick, not the way its supposed to be. You know it because you see it
on the news, or on your twitter feed. You feel it when we talk about war or disease. You experience it in your
relationships, estranged family members or battles with loved ones. If you’re honest with yourself, even in our
choices we are profoundly selfish and prideful. We make mistakes too. But where we feel it most, is in death.
Things aren’t the way they were supposed to be. We are separated from God, who in his perfect holiness
cannot be with sin, and we suffer at a distance.
3. So God set out to fix it. This is the good news of the gospel. God is going to fix everything. He wants to live in
relationship with us, his desire is that everyone would know him and that this whole creation would be liberated from brokenness. So God himself entered into the brokenness in Jesus Christ. He walked our walk, he
lived our troubles and pains, and he was God in a hopeless place. He took all of the brokenness on himself
and died with it. A sacrifice to pay the price for our sickness. He reconnected us with a holy God.
4. Three days later Christ rose from the dead by the power of God. He overcame death. The first sign of God fixing the brokenness. Jesus offered his Holy Spirit to us, which would empower us to live more like Jesus every
day of our lives and invite us to join him on the project to fix everything. Then he returned to his heavenly
realm. And even though we will one day die, it wont be the end.
5. At the end of time, God will return, we will be resurrected and sin, death and brokenness will finally be
overcome. God will finish the ultimate redemption project and fix everything.
Corey Van Huizen
Statement of Reason
I am seeking ordination in the CRCNA because I believe that God has called me to a life of pastoral ministry.
I have arrived at this conclusion through both an inward sense of call and an outward confirmation from respected mentors, leaders and loved ones. I seek ordination in the CRC particularly because I believe that the beliefs of
this denomination reflect the Scripture honestly and stand firm on its confessions based in that same scripture.
I believe that given my person and gifting, I would be best used by God in this denomination. I love God and His
Church and desire to serve her.
Corey Van Huizen
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 4
Faith Journey
Name: Lesli van Milligen
Spouse: Thomas
Age: 52
Place of Birth: Denver Colorado
College Attended:
Calvin College
B.A., 1983
Fuller Theological Seminary
M.Div., 1988
EPMC 2014
Internships and Ministry Experiences:
La Iglesia Bautista
Alcobendas, Spain
Summer 1985
L.A. Community CRC,
Los Angeles, CA
September 1987 – June 1988
Woodlawn CRC,
Grand Rapids, MI
September 1988 – July 1990
Back to God Hour, Palos
Heights, IL
September 1990 – August 1991
Languages: English and Spanish
Contact:
519-265-3979
Leslilynne@gmail.com
Many years ago in one of my Calvin Seminary classes I remember Dr.
Neal Plantinga describing one of the jobs of the church as presenting
the life of faith to be so compelling and attractive that our youth would
have to be dragged away kicking and screaming from moving toward
being more and more IN Christ. This is my story. The trajectory of
my faith journey is lined with folks who took their baptismal vows
seriously. Through the faithful teaching and leadership of a Sunday
School teacher, I asked Jesus into my life and received him as my savior
when I was in elementary school, later professing my faith publicly when
I was 14. Having been raised in a Christian home, I cannot remember
a time when Jesus was not a part of my life and I felt a call to ministry
from a very young age even though I had not seen a woman in this
role. My walk with Christ was strengthened by folks who walked with my
family through my mother’s diagnosis with MS and my father’s leaving
our family to fend for itself. Our church families in both Colorado
Springs and Denver were Jesus to us and were faithful in helping us
see God’s providential care for us even in those difficult times. These
2 congregations were also instrumental in giving me opportunities to
articulate and live into my faith through various ministry opportunities
which they encouraged and supported. During this time, God not only
revealed himself to me as a Father to the fatherless, but he provided
spiritually mature and healthy father figures in a variety of places as my
sisters and I grew into adulthood.
It is through Christ’s ministry of reconciliation and forgiveness that
I have come to peace with my father’s leaving, recognizing that God
can and does work for the good of those who love him. I have grown in
my experience of God’s faithfulness, especially through his enlarging
my experience of the Holy Spirit through various prayer ministries
and engagement in ALPHA. As an Evangelist/Ministry Associate/
Commissioned pastor the Spirit has lead me into opportunities to
share God’s Word in places I would not have previously imagined: with
Muslim women, in prison and though a variety of civic organizations,
confirming his desire that we be disciple makers. During the past few
years I have been particularly focused on what it means to be in the
business of discipling each other and intentionally tapping into the work
of the Holy Spirit in enabling us reflect Jesus more and more. This focus
has been encouraging in my own growth as a follower of Christ as I
continue to go through times of refining.
I am thankful for the great theological foundation I received growing
up (we received grades in catechism) and for the many people who
helped me reflect on how God was at work in my life even in difficult
circumstances. My time at Fuller Seminary proved to be a great
opportunity to solidify and articulate my Reformed accent, allowing me
to sign the Form of Subscription without reservation because our creeds
and confessions had and have informed my faith language. At the age
of 52, I continue to lean into God’s promises, revealed in Christ and
continually confirmed by his Spirit and the truth that I am not my own,
but belong to my faithful Savior, Jesus.
Lesli van Milligen Statement of Reason
I have been serving the CRC as a Commissioned Pastor for the past 17
years in a job sharing capacity with my husband, Tom, who is ordained
as a Minister of the Word. I am a graduate of Fuller Theological
Seminary, but also did 2 years at Calvin Seminary during the years
when I was not able to enroll in the M.Div. program. I have felt the
call to ministry from a very young age. I was blessed to have been
nurtured by CRC congregations in both Denver and Los Angeles who
gave me opportunities to explore my call and then, once ordained,
3 congregations who have called me and my husband to serve as
their pastors. Each has been an experience of the confirmation of
that call. I am currently seeking candidacy to Ministry of Word and
Sacrament because God has opened up time and resources to do so. My work with Tom in the 3 congregations that we served together, our
roles as parents of 2 daughters and our involvement in our communities
made returning to Calvin Seminary difficult. Our daughters are now
on their own and time has opened up so that I could fulfill that last few
Calvin Seminary requirements. Seeking candidacy is the continuation
of my ministry in the CRC and opens up opportunities for Tom and I
to continue to serve together or to serve in different ministries as the
Spirit leads us.
Lesli van Milligen
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
God is good! My faith walk has shown that God cares deeply for His
children and for bringing them back to Him. I was blessed to be raised
in a Christian home with parents who ensured that their children were
taught the truths of God’s word. Attending church programs and the
Christian school allowed me the opportunity to grow in my knowledge
and understanding of who God is and what He had done for me.
Name: Ben vanStraten
Age: 36
Place of Birth: Chatham, Ontario,
Canada
Spouse Name: Jennifer vanStraten
Canadore College
Diploma, 1998
Emmanuel Bible College
B.A., 2012
M.Div., 2015
Internships:
Sanctuary Church, London,
ON
June-July 2013
Jennings Creek CRC, Lindsay,
ON
June-August 2014
Contact:
616-432-9468
bgv017@calvinseminary.edu
When I was 10 years old, my carefree life took a turn. The stress from
our family’s move to a new city, my father’s new business and my mother
being in-and-out of hospital due to complications from a medical condition and depression, resulted in me questioning the love of God I always
“knew “ about. My confusion over my inconsistent family life provoked
me to rebel against all authority. God used my relationships with my
school teachers to demonstrate His true attributes. Those teachers who
looked beyond my frustrating rebellious behaviour, and saw the gifts that
God had given me. They believed in me even when I didn’t believe in
myself. I felt as though I was outside of God’s grace. I was transformed
when individuals demonstrated God’s grace and truth to me by forgiving me and giving me second chances that I didn’t deserve. If they could
show me grace after the way I treated them, how much more could the
one eternal God show me grace!
I ended grade 12 longing for a deeper, more real and intimate relationship with God. Reading my Bible and doing devotions was no longer a
chore, I actually began to crave those times to connect with God. I no
longer just knew about God but I was beginning to KNOW Him. That
year, I professed my faith in Maranatha C.R.C. After grade 12, I attended
a month long mission trip called S.W.I.M. (Summer Workshops In Missions). On this trip I had the chance to share the love of Christ in very
real and concrete ways. I started to sense a calling in my life.. but was
unsure of where God was going to lead me.
After Grade 12, I pursued a career in small engine repair but remained
heavily involved with the church. I was part of a praise team that led worship regularly, I was a youth group leader and also the chair of the worship committee. I enjoyed my job as a mechanic and lived by the motto
that “I was a disciple of Jesus Christ cleverly disguised as a small engine
mechanic.” I mentored many co-op students from the local high school
at the shop where I worked. I began to realize I was thinking about and
spending more and more time with ministry related work. After many
discussions with family, friends, and my pastor; I felt affirmed that God
was calling me into youth ministry. I took a leap of faith, quit my job, and
began to attend Emmanuel Bible College.
Soon after, I began working full time as a Youth Director at Exeter CRC.
During my time in Exeter I had many opportunities to grow in my faith
as I got to see God at work in the lives of the youth. After 7 years of being
involved in youth ministry, God called me to pursue further studies at
Calvin Seminary.
Ben vanStraten
Statement of Reason
I thoroughly enjoy studying the word of God and interpreting and apply
ing Scripture to today. My time at Calvin Seminary has been formative and I continue to follow the call God has for me. I am confident
that God will lead, equip, and provide for me and my family along the
way. I have a passion for discipling others and long for the church (the
people of Christ) to thrive in their communities and in the world, for
the glory of God. I am pursuing candidacy in order to have my internal
call as minister of the Word affirmed and recognized through ordination
within the Christian Reformed Church.
Ben vanStraten
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
Name: Scott Van Voorst
Age: 29
Place of Birth: Sioux Center, IA
Spouse Name: Leah Van Voorst
Dordt College
B.A., 2008
M.Div., 2015
Internships:
Kansas City Church
Plant Cluster Internship
Pathway Community Church,
Olathe, KS
June 2012
Graafschap CRC, Holland, MI
June 2013-May 2015
Contact:
616-724-6230
sjvv081@calvinseminary.edu
I believe that God created the heavens and the earth, that humanity fell
into sin, and that God’s love for humanity was such that he would work out
his divine will for humanity to be brought back to him anyways. God is sovereign and totally righteous and just so he couldn’t allow humanities sins
to go unpunished. There was nothing any human person could do to pay
the price for our sins. So God sent Jesus to be the fully human being that
could pay the price as the divine Son of God who could bear the weight of
sin. Jesus died on the cross, and was raised to new life. He defeated sin and
death. In Christ all whom the father has chosen have the opportunity to be
as adopted children, to be with their father in heaven, and to take hold of
the inheritance he has purchased for us. This is my hope and it is the hope
of the world, it is the gospel of God’s amazing grace. Though we have
nothing of value in ourselves and deserve nothing but life in a broken
world that ends in death, God loved us and has poured out his Holy Spirit
on us to transform our experience in his good, but broken world and to
assure us of our heavenly inheritance. Since Abraham God has been in
the business of setting aside people groups who would follow him and be
a channel of his blessing. In the Old Testament it was Israel. Since Christ
ascended into heaven it has been the church. As members of a church we
are the people Christ has left here during this in between time to shine the
light of the gospel into the world as we look forward to his coming again.
When he returns he will bring the fulfillment of his kingdom where there
will be no more darkness, mourning or tears.
I got here because God graciously chose to have me born into a Christian family. I was raised going to church and Christian School. I was
discipled by friends, family, and teachers throughout my grade and
high school years. I was discipled by youth workers, great ministry
volunteers and pastors throughout my college days, when I was training to be a youth pastor. Once I became a youth pastor God graciously
brought around me more Spiritual mentors. In particular he placed
me in a church working alongside a former youth worker, Rev. Lloyd
Wicker. Pastor Wicker encouraged me to keep investing in my learning.
Through that encouragement I sought ordination as a ministry associate and began working on a process towards that under the teaching
of Rev. Paul Vanderklay and Rev. Kevin Adams. Pastor Vanderklay was
the first one to hear me attempt to give a sermon. He affirmed me that
God had given me gifts that should be developed and invested in. Both
Pastor Vanderklay and Pastor Adams highly encouraged me to seek out
ordination rather than a classically bound ministry associate ordination.
Through a time of prayer and Discernment my wife, Leah, and I came
to the conclusion that God was leading us to the next step and the next
cross country move. Having been born and raised in Iowa, mentored
and initially engaged in full time ministry in California, I came to Calvin
Seminary to invest into the gifts that God had invested in me. Through
the assistance of many people, but especially through being a part of
the Renewal Learning Lab with Rev. Keith Doornbos, I have developed
my pastoral identity. I have become even more convinced of the amazing gift of God’s grace, the importance of the church as the channel for
that message, and that God is calling me to be a steward of the gifts and
talents he has entrusted to me by using them for the church.
Scott Van Voorst
Statement of Reason
I, Scott Van Voorst, am seeking candidacy in the Christian Reformed
Church in response to God’s call to serve a church in the CRCNA. I
first felt Called to serve others in their walk of faith in High school. My
cultural upbringing and the opportunities to develop from there led me
to Dordt College for a theology degree with an emphasis in youth ministry. The CRC as a denomination has always felt like home, even in the
last seven years when I have lived in California and Michigan. For three
years I served as a director of youth ministries at a church seeking to
serve the Lord and engage the younger portion of the church with the
good news of the gospel. Since then I continue to be passionate about
my own generation and see a crucial need to continue to hold out the
good news of God’s grace to the many who have left the church. But I
have also grown in my conviction that it isn’t just those who struggle outside of the church who need the good news, but all people. All people
whether they have attended services faithfully for years or have hardly
graced the doors of a church are in need of God’s grace and the reminder that the gospel of Jesus Christ has implications for their lives now. God
called me into youth ministry, he reaffirmed my call to ministry and encouraged me to invest in my gifts by calling me to Seminary. He has since
called me to serve on an internship basis through the renewal learning
lab. Every time I have faithfully responded to his call he has provided
and proven himself to be faithful. Though I am waiting to know what is
next I am confident that he has called me this far to prepare me for the
next call in ministry he places on my heart and that he will be faithful to
my family and I wherever he calls us to next.
Scott Van Voorst
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
I believe in God our Heavenly Father, who is the Almighty and the
Creator of Heaven and Earth. I believe that he sent his Son, Jesus Christ,
to bring about the promises of salvation, to redeem creation from its
fallen state. I believe in his death and resurrection; that he is the promised Messiah and my personal Saviour, without whom I would be lost.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, and in its vibrant and presence in my life.
Name: Adam Veenstra
Age: 27
Place of Birth: Bloomfield, Ontario
Queen’s University,
Kingston, ON
B.A., 2010
M.Div., 2015
Internships:
Westside Fellowship CRC,
Kingston, ON
June-August 2012
June-August 2013
Fellowship CRC, Brighton, ON
June-August 2014
Contact:
613-532-9311 (Canada)
616-309-6669 (US)
adam_veenstra@hotmail.com
I believe that God created the world in perfect working order, but that it
now must be redeemed because of humanity’s fall into sin. This redemption must cover all things, including the church. I believe that Christ
sets forth this process of redemption, and does so out his great love for
us and the world we live in. And so I believe, and wish to belong, to a
church that is reforming. A church that seeks to be the hands and feet
of Christ as we take part in the redeeming of our world. I believe in the
creeds and doctrines professed by the Reformed tradition which are
aligned with Scripture, being the infallible world of God.
I believe that I am not my own, but belong body and soul to Christ,
whose blood was shed to pay for my sins, whose grace I do not deserve,
and cannot repay. And I believe that my life is in the hands of a Father
who knows me and loves me, who has plans for my life, and the lives of
all others, far beyond what I can yet understand.
The faith I have today is rooted in my childhood, growing up in a
Christian family both at home and at church. It remained largely unchallenged growing up, and so it may have been with some naiveté and
inexperience, but no less passion and commitment, that I publically
professed my faith at eighteen. From then, the natural order of the
years to come took over, and through experiences that took me far away
from what was safe and familiar, I began to truly discover what it means
to trust in God and rely on only him. And so my relationship with him
deepened, and readied me to pursue his calling for my vocation, and all
other aspects of my life.
Adam Veenstra
Statement of Reason
I believe that we are all called into ministry, in that way that ministers of
a church are “all the members”. Some of us, though, are further called
into vocational ministry in the way that some are called to be teachers,
firefighters, farmers, or stay-at-home parents. I believe that God has
called me into this process of ordination and vocational ministry so
that, with his guidance and leading, I might be used in a way befitting
my character and gifts to help further his Kingdom. When I am at work
with God’s people in his church I feel alive and fulfilled in a way that no
other work has accomplished. It is in doing this work that I feel the most
myself; that I feel both the most challenged and yet the most at home.
I spent a long time questioning whether ordained ministry was the path
I was truly being led down, and there were many doubts and fears I had
to overcome. But when I surrendered my future to God and answered
his calling I felt at peace, taking comfort in the fact that while I am not
perfect, I never will be. The imperfect man that I am is the one that
God is calling into ministry, the one that he will continue to shape and
nurture as I strive to follow him.
Adam Veenstra
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
I have not always been the Christian that I am today. In fact, there was a
time in my life when I was rather self-destructive, bent on nothing more
than self-gratification, filled with a desire to satisfy my own interests.
Throughout my High School and early college years, I cared nothing for
academic scholarship, responsibility, or Christianity. In fact, I cared nothing for God in general. This manifested itself in various ways, most prominently in the consistent use of alcohol, various drugs, sex, and generally
what most people would consider a worldly lifestyle. This lifestyle affected
me in negative manners, however. For example, I graduated High School
with a GPA of 1.86. I was expelled from college three separate times, once
for alcohol use, once for grades, and once for drug usage.
Name: Jesse Lee Walhof
Age: 31
Place of Birth: Sioux Falls, SD
Dordt College
B.A., 2008
Sioux Falls
Theological Seminary
M.Div., 2015
EPMC, 2014
Internships:
Street Outreach Coordinator
Volunteers of America,
Sioux Falls, SD
October 2012-present
Summit House
Outreach Center
Sioux Falls Theological
Seminary
Sept 2012-August 2014
Contact:
712-540-8487
jsswalhof@gmail.com
Of course, in hindsight, it is easy to see that God was present throughout.
However, as I have stated, I did not care. However, there comes a point
in every Christian’s life when one can simply no longer run from God’s
calling. One can no longer stand in the face of God and deny Him. God
finally pulled me, kicking and screaming, from this lifestyle my third year
into college. Now, this manifestation of God’s presence not only happened spiritually, but organically. It happened through relationships.
Thus, through my friends and family, I became involved with a Bible
Study at my college. It was through this Bible Study that I became interested in what God was doing, and how He existed in the world.
Late one night, after six months of attending this Bible Study, I was walking around campus while praying and intermittently reading my Bible.
I came upon a verse, 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all you anxiety on Him because
He cares for you”, and something inside me clicked. I realized at that
moment that this was the message I was called to spread to others. I knew
that I was to do his work through the church for the rest of my life.
However, I am not good at listening, obeying, or trusting. So, though
I was a Christian desperately fleshing out and growing in my faith, I ran
from the call. I ran for quite some time, over six years. This led to broken
relationships, various jobs, new states, homelessness, and a fall back into
alcoholism, and eventual poverty. Finally, I asked God one last time if
I really had to do ministry. Of course, the answer was yes. So, I called
Sioux Falls Seminary. Three weeks later I was in my first class, with a
home, a job, health insurance, everything I have never had before. I was
building new, lasting relationships. Above all, however, I was succumbing
to the call of the Lord . . . I was now being equipped for ministry.
But, what was this ministry to look like? When I first started, I had no
idea. However, as per the grandeur of the Lord, He knew exactly what it
was to be all along. There is a reason I had to face all the trials of homelessness, heartbreak, and addiction. The Lord has let me gain experience
in the areas for no other reason than to reach out to those whom have
gone through the same issues. I am called to enter into the lives of those
who are hurting and broken. It is this mentality that my entire philosophy
of ministry is based on. This mentality of entering into relationships with
the hurt and the broken is not just my own. This is also Biblically based.
There are a plethora of scripture references supporting the necessity
of what I call the “outreach” mentality. For example, as Jesus states in
Matthew 25:34-36, “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come,
you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom
prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and
you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something
to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and
you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and
you came to visit me.”
These verses typify what we, as Christians are to do with our lives. We are
to help the poor, feed the hungry, everything that Christ outlines. However, it must be said that we, that I, do not do this out of necessity, but
rather I do this out of Joy, because we ourselves, and myself as a Christian, have been given all of these things by Christ. Therefore, we can
be Christ to the hurting, and bring them into the fold of the Christian
brotherhood that we are blessed to be a part of.
Jesse Walhof
Statement of Reason
There are many reasons I feel called to become a pastor in the Christian
Reformed Church. First and foremost, for as long as I can remember,
I have been part of the CRC family. I am familiar with the traditions of
the denomination, the background of the CRC, and our theology with
which we hold dear. This is the first reason I feel called into Pastoral
ministry, as I love our denomination, our theology, and our background,
and would like nothing more than to see it flourish. Secondly, I feel
called to Pastoral ministry because of constant affirmation. For most
of my life I have been told I will make a great Pastor someday, and most
of my life I have promptly ran from this affirmation. However, since
coming to the realization and accepting the joy that this is my calling,
I have been consistently affirmed by mentors, professors, Pastors, family
members and the like that this is indeed the path God wishes me to be
on. Third, and perhaps most importantly, I have an inner desire to be a
Pastor. I feel that I am a good leader; I feel that I have a heart for people, and I feel called to discipling congregations. This combined with
the fact that I genuinely love to preach, teach, and shepherd, leads to
this calling being affirmed within myself. Thus, I feel called to be a CRC
Pastor for it is a calling within myself that is constantly affirmed by the
Spirit and by others, and wish nothing more than to grow the denomination that I love, so that we can be an even more effective tool for Christ
in spreading His Kingdom throughout the world.
Jesse Walhof
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 2
Faith Journey
In many ways, my faith journey could be described as an exploration in
Christian community. I grew up nurtured in a Christian home, Church
and school and have never known a time when I did not know about my
need for a Savior and that Christ fills that deep need. Likewise, I have
always felt God’s pull on my life to work for His Kingdom. At each stage
of my Christian journey, God has placed important people in my path
to direct me in the next step. During high school, I read some Scripture
during Church. A elderly woman “prophesied” to me afterwards that
I would be a pastor some day. At the time, I didn’t take her prophecy
seriously, but I also somehow never forgot it.
Name: Kristopher Walhof
Spouse: Kim
Age: 27
Place of Birth: Bozeman, MT
College Attended:
Dordt College
B.A., 2007
Regent College
M.Div., 2012
EPMC, 2012
Vancouver First CRC,
Vancouver, BC
September 2009 – April 2010
Discovery Church (CRC),
Grand Rapids, MI
January 2012 – May 2012
Contact:
616-432-1119
kristoph6@gmail.com
During the summer after my Senior year of high school, I was fortunate
to attend the Facing Your Future program through Calvin Seminary.
The world of “ministry” was opened to me during that time and I
eventually decided to study theology at Dordt College. I loved studying
theology because everything I learned about God and his ways impacted
my devotional life. The community at Dordt College also opened me to
discover the breadth of serving Christ in all areas of life. I had passionate
friends seeking God’s face in science, writing and agriculture. Dordt
College was in many ways a monastic experience for me (in all the
positive senses). My life was structured around times of worship and
prayer and mentoring. I was also able to flourish through the disciplines
of learning, leading and living in community.
One of the most significant stages in my faith journey was my study
semester in the Middle East. For the first time, I encountered a culture
that looked at the world differently than I did, primarily through a nonWestern Islamic lens. What did it mean that God was sovereign in a world
of both intense religiosity and yet unbelief? The experience challenged
me to discover a more distinctly Christian worldview with which to both
appreciate and critique that culture and my own. Likewise, in the Middle
East, I encountered the full spectrum of Christianity. I experienced
the religious, political and cultural effects of a deeply rooted Eastern
Orthodox community over against radical, Western Dispensationalism
(and everything in between). Encountering this spectrum, I was forced
to ask the question, “Who is Jesus in all of this, and what does it mean
to be a Reformed Christian?” In subsequent years, I have been helped
to discover Jesus anew through the work of an Anglican theologian, NT
Wright, and discovered my Reformed identity anew through thinkers
like Nicholas Wolterstorff, John Piper and Jaques Ellul. My time in the
Middle East also caused me to recognize stark injustice, and to reflect
upon Jesus’ call for his community to be comprised of shalom-makers in
all parts of the world.
After college, I worked for a year at a group home for mentally
handicapped teenage boys with behavioral disorders. Once again, God
taught me about the depth of community: how was I called to live in
community with those who did have marvelous abilities, but certain
disadvantages as well? Most days, the job was great: I got to spend time
teaching, mentoring and sharing life with some wonderful young men.
Other days, the job was very difficult. I was forced to seek Christ’s
Spirit and example in learning the virtues of charity, temperance and
fortitude.
My now wife and I then married and moved to Vancouver BC where I
studied at Regent College to get my Masters of Divinity. Doing theology
in an urban, pluralistic, post-modern setting was an education in itself.
Every day, I rode the bus for an hour and a half—I was surrounded by
people. We were a semblance of community, but everyone was alone,
isolated, an individual. What did it mean to be a Christian, to be part
of a Church in the city? I received some wonderful teaching during
my time at Regent, but perhaps the most formative aspect of our time
in Vancouver was being part of Vancouver First CRC. This community
embodied Christ in an urban setting through deep worship and the
incarnation of simple hospitality towards its neighbors.
And now my wife and I live in Grand Rapids, open to further
explorations in the Spirit and Christian community. My wife has always
had a clear call, to serve people through medicine, so she has started
medical school. For me, my calling has not always been as focused.
However, I have always had a clear passion to open Scripture and share it
with people, and allow God’s voice to shape Christian community in all
its chaos and beauty.
Kristopher Walhof
Statement of Reason
I intend to seek ordination in the Christian Reformed Church because I
believe that the CRC embodies the doctrine of God’s sovereignty, God’s
kingship, in the world. As such, I believe the CRC is a Church uniquely
positioned to embody God’s reign of shalom and justice in the world.
The CRC is a place where people can be serious about building the
Kingdom, both in justice work and evangelism; “our world belongs to
God,” after all. Meanwhile, the CRC is becoming a place that is more
open to the movement of the Spirit. As someone who longs to be in step
with the Spirit as the undercurrent of God’s redemption flows beneath
a world subject to brokenness, I feel that the CRC is a place where the
Spirit is and will work powerfully. The CRC is also the denomination in
which I am most at home, culturally and doctrinally. Further, I believe
that this is the Church, this is the corner of God’s kingdom, to which the
Spirit has specifically called me to minister in Word and Sacrament.
Kristopher Walhof
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 3
Faith Journey
God, in his covenant plan for my life, placed me in a Christian home,
a Christian Reformed Church, and Christian schools kindergarten
through 12th grade. One night when I was 16, and at home by myself,
I watched a Billy Graham telecast. That night, all the things I had
been hearing over the years clicked together in my mind and heart
as I listened. I honestly faced up to the enormity of my sinfulness and
was overwhelmed with God’s offer to take it all away. I had known
and understood in my head about how Jesus’ suffering and death was
the only way in which my sin could be erased, but I had never before
admitted that I wanted it for myself. I couldn’t resist the love that came
with such an offer, claimed God’s promise to be my God, and committed
to be his child. I have reveled in his love ever since.
Name: Beverly A. Weeks
Spouse: David L.
Age: 53
College Attended:
Kuyper College
Certificate of Christian
Foundations, 2009
Seminary Attended:
M.Div., 2013
Internships:
Hope Network,
Grand Rapids, MI
Summer 2011
Morrison CRC, Morrison, IL
Summer 2012
Contact:
616-691-8040
baweeks@calvinseminary.edu
When I was 17 years old, my father fell off the roof of our home and died
a few hours later. That experience, tragic and painful as it was, helped
me learn many things about myself, and surprisingly to me, gave me a
confidence in life that I had not known before. I found that God was
able to meet me where I was at and give me strength for each day.
My marriage to my husband, David, began in 1980, and God continued
to lead me in new ways of what it meant to be his daughter. We partnered
in ministries at our church such as worship leadership as organist,
pianist, and song leader, singing in the choir, teaching Sunday school,
as well as being part of a number of small groups that were committed
to studying the Word together and learning more about this great God
of ours. We participated in a couple of service projects in Mississippi
and Chicago and attended a number of conferences over the years that
stretched us even further.
After seven years of marriage, the first of our three living children was
born. Our daughter is married, and our two sons are college students.
With parenthood came a glimpse of what it must be like for God to
be my Father. Such love he must have for me, and on top of that,
to overlook my sin! And he overlooks it at such a huge price — the
death of his own Son. That intense love came to have an even greater
meaning when we experienced the death of one of our children
through a miscarriage. The year afterward was one filled with a sense
of living under a cloud. But God had prepared me well for all the
discouragement that came, and I gained an even deeper understanding
of his love and faithfulness.
Sometimes, the church, sinful just like all of us, can be a place where
difficult situations develop. I went through a very painful conflict a
number of years ago and plunged into a state of despair such as I had
never experienced before in my life. That was when I really needed to
rely on all that God had taught me earlier about the depth of his love
for me. Little by little, and day by day, he took care of me and gradually
healed my soul. Scars remain, but I am committed to let them serve as
a reminder of what I have learned about myself, my relationships with
others, and about the great love of my Savior.
I’m part of the so-called “sandwich generation” — caring for the needs
of our almost-independent children and cooperating with our siblings
to give assistance to our parents. During the past few years, our parents
have been hospitalized for surgeries and illnesses, my father-in-law died
suddenly of a stroke in 2006, and my eighty-three-year-old step-father
of over thirty years passed away in 2012. Even in these challenges, God
has prompted me over and over to remember that no matter what, he is
sovereign, faithful, and loving in all that he does. It’s all part of his loving
plan for my life and I willingly submit to his guidance in my life. He is my
God, and I am his child.
Beverly Weeks
Statement of Reason
It is in obedience to God’s calling in my life, that I look forward to being
used by him to advance the good news of God’s kingdom that transforms
lives and communities worldwide. He has been powerfully leading me
toward ministry through past memberships on various classical and
denominational committees and boards to nudge me along to hear that
call. Now, in response, I humbly offer myself as God’s servant to become
a candidate as a Minister of the Word in the Christian Reformed Church
in North America.
Beverly Weeks
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
I was born into a Christian family and came to faith at an early age. My
parents were active in the church and worked for Christian organizations. Growing up, I was actively involved in the church and took part in
virtually every activity open to me – Sunday school, VBS, AWANA, and
Youth Group. In high school, however, I made some bad decisions and
fought against the Lord. I continued to attend church and pray, but my
choices left me plagued by feelings of guilt and shame. I often prayed
for forgiveness, but proved again and again by my actions that I wasn’t
willing to repent.
Name: Perrin Werner
Age: 33
Place of Birth: Rush City, MN
Spouse Name: Jodi Werner
University of Northwestern,
St. Paul, MN
B.A., 2004
Gordon-Conwell Theological
Seminary, South Hamilton, MA
M.A., 2007
Bethel Seminary, St. Paul, MN
M.Div., 2014
EPMC, 2015
Internships:
Grace Church,
Inver Grove Heights, MN
June 2014-present
Contact:
651-494-2158
perrin.werner@gmail.com
In his mercy, God brought me to Northwestern College (Roseville, MN)
after high school. He used my roommates, professors, coaches, teammates, and the school’s chapel services to renew and revitalize my faith
in him. During my freshman year, I stopped resting on the faith of my
parents and took ownership of my faith. I owned up to my faults and
repented of my sins. At Northwestern, I found a deep and abiding love
for the Scripture and a call to the ministry.
After college, I attended GordonConwell Theological Seminary (GCTS).
At GCTS, I came in contact with a broader cross section of conservative
thought, and I started to question my Baptist roots. After graduation,
I applied to a few Baptist churches, but found my conscience troubled
over the sacraments. I spent the next two years praying, studying the
Scriptures, and reading book upon book. In the end, I left the Baptist
church and joined the CRC because I recognized in The Three Forms of
Unity the God I know and love, and I found in the CRC an evangelical
heart similar to my own.
Changing denominations hasn’t been an easy process for me or my wife.
It has meant starting over with a new church and ordination process.
While I rejoice in being aligned with a church that mirrors my own views
of the Almighty, the move – for the first couple of years – left me frustrated and angry with the Lord for yet another setback and delay. The
path I have been led down is not the path I would have chosen, but I am
thankful for it because God has used it to humble me and draw me close
to him. God has provided me with new opportunities for ministry both
in the church and in the larger world. Over the last five years, I have
taken more responsibility in the local church, I have seen success in my
secular employment, and I have begun to serve Soldiers as a Chaplain
Candidate in the Army National Guard. In all of these places – church,
work, and military – God has given me the opportunity to share his love
with others. It has been a joy.
Two scripture passages have followed me since college and continue
to exercise significant sway over my life. The first is Mark 8:2735 where
Jesus rebukes Peter and calls the crowd to take up their cross daily and
follow him. The second is John 3 where John, rather than be incited to
jealously over the people who were leaving him to follow Jesus, said, “He
must increase, I must decrease.” These verses have challenged me to face
my sins, accept God’s plan for my life – even when it’s scary – and rejoice
with those who are doing the ministry I would like to do.
Perrin Werner
Statement of Reason
I did not grow up in the Christian Reformed Church, but it has become
my spiritual home. I have found in the forms of unity the God I know
and love. I am seeking candidacy because it is my desire to become a
pastor in the CRC. I believe God has called me to this task and has gifted
me for this ministry. This call has been affirmed time and again, both
internally and externally, as I have seen God work and have been encouraged down this path by friends, family, and fellow parishioners. I earnestly desire to point people to Christ, to walk with them from birth to death,
to see their faith strengthened, and to see God glorified in his church
and wherever members of his church dwell as salt and light.
Perrin Werner
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
I was blessed by God to have been born into a Christian home. My parents attended to my formal education by sending me to Christian schools
from elementary school through Calvin College. However, a significant
part of my Christian education was found in the home through practical example. My parents taught me to live as Christ would have us live.
Through them I learned to give of my time and self when someone had
a need. They opened their home to foreigners, to widows and orphans
and even to lonely students who had nowhere else to go for the holidays.
Name: Rhonda Workman
Age: 55
Place of Birth: Ann Arbor, MI
Spouse Name: N/A
Calvin College, 1982
Calvin Theological Seminary,
M.Div., 2014
Internships:
Cross-cultural
LaGrave CRC,
Doorstep Ministry
Sept 2011-May 2012
Pastoral
Palo Alto CRC, Palo Alto, CA
June-August 2013
Contact:
616-648-7402
r2work@gmail.com
My parents taught me to treat others with kindness, love and respect.
I was also taught to respect myself. My parents encouraged me to grow
and become the person that God created me to be. Part of that growth
was to use my mind. Within my extended family God blessed me with
family members who had a wide range of faith. God challenged me to
sort out what I believed. I witnessed simple but steadfast faith professed
through words and questioning faith which revealed its true strength
through actions. Because the depth of faith within my extended family
was so diverse I struggled with what I believed.
I have always believed in God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, but
there was a time when God the Son posed difficulties for me. I was not
convinced that he could be truly God because, after all, he was a man.
Although I had my doubts about Christ I continued to pray to God and
the Holy Spirit. During my high school days I really struggled with faith
in Christ and discussed it with my friends. I thought I had accepted him,
but I was still plagued with doubt for many years. Shortly after marriage
I became involved in a liturgy planning committee. Through the process
of developing services, especially the services of confession, my faith in
Christ steadily began to grow, I thought. Then came a summer when
I suffered an intense spiritual battle. It continued for several months
during which time I prayed fervently. One night as I was praying for faith
to believe the Holy Spirit placed the simple question in my mind – “who
sent the Holy Spirit?’ I remember thinking in response, “Jesus did.” So,
simple, but that was the turning point when I finally accepted Christ as
being truly God. It is only through the working of the Holy Spirit that
I can profess that Christ is King and Lord of my life.
My faith has gained richness and strength over the years. I have had
several trips overseas through which I have experienced the church universal. I have witnessed the faith of those who have had great struggles in
life living on the edge of poverty and in the path of injustice. Their faith
and testimonies have prompted me to greater faith. Additionally, over
the years I too have had some struggles. I have learned that God tests us
to find us faithful (Psalm 66:8-12). Even as he tests us, however, God invites us to test him in order to find him faithful. I accepted his invitation
and found him exceedingly true to his word. He has been my guide, my
companion and my rear guard. This I can say with surety and conviction
– Great is His faithfulness!
Rhonda Workman
Statement of Reason
God has instilled in me a desire to serve his people especially those who
are hurting. I look at a crowd of people and through his eyes see brokenness. God, through Christ, has given us the message of the Gospel – a
message of healing, restoration and peace. I feel called by God to proclaim that message via words and actions in order to comfort his people,
to encourage them to grow through the power of the Holy Spirit, and
to enable them to minister to others. Even as I feel God’s call, I seek the
affirmation of that call through my faith community.
Rhonda Workman
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 4
Faith Journey
After receiving a poor math grade on my seventh grade report card, my
mom dragged me to a local educational center and signed me up. It was
here that I was first introduced to Christ. By the grace of God, through the
care of great teachers at the after school center, I first heard the gospel.
The director of the center who happened to be a youth pastor invited me
to church. While God’s sovereign hand was always guiding my life, it was
in seventh grade through the ministry of this youth ministry that my walk
with God began. Having grown up in a non-Christian home, the church
was not only a new environment but often felt like a new home.
Name: Leo Yoon
Spouse: Su Kim
Age: 32
Place of Birth: Seoul, Korea
College Attended:
Binghmaton Univ., State Univ.
of New York
B.S., 2003
Westminster Theological
Seminary
M.Div., 2007
EPMC 2014
Internship and Ministry Experience:
New Life Community CRC,
Staten Island, NY
Youth Leader 2003 – 2007
College/Young Adult Leader
2007 – Present
Languages: Korean and English
Contact:
718-619-6755
yoonleo@gmail.com
In college, I began serving at my home church, New Life Community
Church (CRCNA) during my summer and winter breaks getting involved
with the youth group and missions teams. As I spent more time working
with the youth I felt that this was possibly where God was leading me
in terms of my vocation. For three summers during college, I was
involved in short-term missions trips to South Africa. It was through
my involvement with the youth group and missions trips that I had a
clearer sense of God’s call for my life. While I graduated with a degree
in Electrical Engineering, during my senior year, I felt God had called
me to attend seminary work in the church as more than a volunteer.
I attended seminary and graduated from Westminster Theological
Seminary with a Master of Divinity. Today, I continue to serve as the
youth leader in my church.
While I did not seek ordination immediately after seminary, I felt that
God was calling and opening doors for me towards ordination and
specifically in the CRC. The EPMC distance program helped allow me to
begin the process of ordination without transplanting my life and family
to Calvin. This was another answered prayer and confirmation during
the process of potential candidacy.
I believe that this is where God has been leading me not only in the
past 10 years but also throughout my life. One aspect of the CRC that
I came to appreciate is the vision of Christ’s Lordship over all creation.
I particularly see the CRC’s understanding of this applied in Christian
education. I’ve found it a great joy to work in a Christian school where
the Lordship of Christ is affirmed in all areas of a young person’s life.
The more I was exposed to the CRC throughout the years, I have come
to not only see how much I hold and believe in the creeds, confessions
and theology of the denomination but have also come to love the way in
which it has been practically applied in the church.
Leo Yoon
Statement of Reason
I am seeking candidacy because I believe that God has called me to be
a minister of the word. My church, family, and Christian leaders that
have been close to me during my Christian journey, have affirmed this.
I particularly seek ordination in the CRC because I hold the beliefs
and positions of the CRC and believe that God has been leading me in
this denomination as well. I believe God has blessed me with the right
talents, gifts, and desire to serve Him in this world through this ministry.
Leo Yoon
A p p l i c a n t
f o r
Ca n d i d a c y
2 0 1 5
Faith Journey
I believe that the triune God who created the world is redeeming it
through his Son who by his death and resurrection brought about a
new creation in the midst of a broken and fallen world. To do this God
has chosen a people for himself to proclaim the good news that God
ultimately is in control. He did this first through the Israelites and now
through the church. God is not limited to the church and makes known
his existence in all areas of life. Yet the church is his primary mode of
making known his saving grace. To give us hope in our sojourn here on
earth, he has given us a testimony of his actions and word in the Holy
Scriptures, the witness of the Holy Spirit who renews our hearts and
minds, and signs of his kingdom that point to the reality of God’s new
creation.
Name: David Zigterman
Age: 26
Place of Birth: Downers Grove, IL
Spouse Name: Rachael Zigterman
Kuyper College
B.S., 2011
M.Div., 2014
Honors Received:
Intercultural Studies Award
Kuyper College, 2011
High Honors Award
Timothy Christian High School
Internships:
Guiding Light Missions,
Grand Rapids, MI
June-October 2012
Morrison CRC, Morrison, IL
June-August 2013
Contact:
630-915-6540
dpz029@calvinseminary.edu
I have come to this understanding of God’s saving grace over time. From
my childhood education at a Christian school and through Sunday
School, mentors, and family I learned of the triune God who sent his
Son to save sinners through faith. When I was young, my understanding
of the extent of God’s saving actions was not very dynamic nor did it deal
significantly with the reality of pain in people’s lives. As I aged, the reality
of pain and suffering in the world brought about repeated crises of faith
and doubt. Faith in a God who simply saved sinners from hell was no
longer enough to sustain me.
Christ’s incarnation, death, and resurrection have been the realities that
have sustained me. God has not turned a blind eye to our suffering but
chooses to enter into our pain in order to bring about a new creation.
That we may begin to experience that new creation and find meaning
in it is what motivates me to be engaged in the ministry of the church.
God has appointed his people to proclaim the good news that our world
belongs to God. This message grants us the hope we need to endure the
hardships of life while we journey on this earth.
David Zigterman
Statement of Reason
I am seeking candidacy in the CRC because I have been fed and nourished by the deep theological tradition of this denomination. I believe
God has called me to serve this denomination by being a steward of
his Word and instill hope in a world filled with sorrow and pain. I want
to be a part of the CRC because of its deep theological tradition that
enables discipleship, pastoral care, and action in this world that has been
claimed by Christ who is Lord of all areas of life.
David Zigterman

candidates - Christian Reformed Church

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