CURRICULUM VITAE
MY STORY (IN A NUTSHELL)
Born on January 25, 1951 in the Netherlands, I was raised in a Christian home, nurtured in the context of the Reformed faith, and a professing member of the Gereformeerde Kerk, Nederland (GKN). In 1972 I emigrated to St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. I worked as a machine operator in a sheet metal factory and as a truck driver for greenhouse operators. During this time in Canada (1972-1974), I went through a period of spiritual renewal and became very involved in the work of the Maranatha Christian Reformed Church in St. Catharines.
Sensing a call to evangelistic work, I decided to attend the Reformed Bible College in Grand Rapids, Michigan for further training. While there for one year, I changed directions and began attending Calvin College to pursue a liberal arts education, majoring in classical Greek, and thus preparing for seminary entrance. In 1978 I graduated from Calvin College and entered Calvin Theological Seminary to prepare for ordained, pastoral ministry in the Christian Reformed Church in North America. In 1981 I graduated with a Master of Divinity degree. Also, in 1977 I married Rosanne Bierma; the Lord has blessed us richly with four children: Jessica, Joy, Elliot, and Eric.
After a one-year internship at the Dearborn CRC, I received a call to serve the North Blendon CRC in Hudsonville, MI as an ordained pastor. I served that church from 1982-1988. In the spring of 1988 we moved to Des Moines, Iowa, where I served the Des Moines CRC until 1995. At that time I received and accepted a call from the Providence CRC in Beamsville, Ontario, Canada. While working full-time as an ordained pastor, I pursued my doctoral studies in the area of Christian worship. In 1998 I graduated from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Chicago, Ill. with a Doctorate of Ministry in Worship. In the fall of 2004, I responded to a call from the Calvary CRC in Edina, MN to be their lead pastor. So, in January 2005, I began my task with the Calvary Church to lead people into a growing and committed relationship with Jesus Christ and his church.
Formal Education:
1998 Northern Baptist Theological Seminary: D.Min (with distinction)
1982 Calvin Theological Seminary: M.Div.
1978 Calvin College: AB
PASTORAL MINISTRY RELATED EXPERIENCE
2005-Present Ordained Minister: Calvary CRC, Edina, Minnesota
1995-2004 Ordained Minister: Providence CRC, Ontario, Canada
1988-1995 Ordained Minister: Des Moines CRC, Des Moines, Iowa
1982-1988 Ordained Minister: North Blendon CRC, Hudsonville, Michigan
1981-1982 Internship Dearborn CRC, Dearborn, Michigan
2006-present Church Visitor (Classis Lake Superior)
2006-present Chuch Visitor (Classis Lake Superior)
2005-present Synodical Deputy for Classis Lake Superior
2002-2004 Church Visitor (Classis Niagara)
1999-2004 Member/Chair of Student Fund Committee (Classis Niagara)
1999 Delegate to Synod
1998-1999 Member of the Editorial Council of Calvin Institute of Christian
Worship at Calvin College
1997-1999 Member of the Editorial Council of Reformed Worship journal
1995-1997 CRC Home Missions Committee (Classis Niagara)
1992-1994 CRC Home Missions Church Growth Consulting (Midwest USA)
1992-1994 Church Visitor (Classis Pella)
1990 Delegate to Synod
1989-1994 CRC Home Missions Committee (Classis Pella)
1985-1987 CRC Home Missions Committee (Classis Zeeland)
1999-present Formally on staff as an adjunct professor teaching The Church Year at Dr.
Robert Webber’s Institute for Worship Studies (Florida Campus)
(Doctoral program: D.W.S or Doctor of Worship Studies)
Ø Taught one-week intensive at Tyndale Seminary in Toronto, Canada. July 14-18, 2003 “Services of the Year” (WORS 0604).
Ø Taught one month intensive from July 30-August 30, 2001 [independent study: “Services of the Year” (WORS 0604)] to 4 M.Div. students at Tyndale Seminary in Toronto, Canada. “Services of the Year” (WORS 0604). Done primarily by mentoring over the internet.
Ø Taught one week intensive from November 6-10, 2000 at Briercrest Biblical Seminary (Caronport, Saskatchewan, Canada).
Ø Taught one-week intensive at Tyndale Seminary in Toronto, Canada. August 2-6, 1999 “Services of the Year” (WORS 0604).
1982-present Catechetical/church school/Adult church school classes related instruction
1979-1981 Calvin College: assistant professor (part time) Dutch language.
DOCTORAL THESIS/PROJECT SUPERVISION
June, 2007 James W. Walraven: “A Table Celebration Study for Home Group
Use at Community of Hope Evangelical Lutheran Church in
Wilsonville, Oregon.”
June, 2007 James E. Smith: “Enhancing the Worship of God through Under-
standing and Hallowing the Lord’s Day at Bethel Missionary
Church in Goshen, Indiana.”
June, 2007 David R. Pannabecker: “A Baptismal Curriculum for Senior High
Youth and Adults Toward Making Disciples at Trinity Evangelical
Free Church, South Bend, Indiana.”
June, 2007 Jean Allyn Gothold: “Developing a Theology of Worship for St.
Peter’s By the Sea Presbyterian Church in Rancho Palos Verdes,
CA.”
June, 2007 Robert James George, Jr.: “A Method to Address the Worship
Expectations of Those Attending the United Methodist Church
of Smethport, PA.”
June, 2007 Norman Garcia: “Enriching Worship Through a Training Program
For Salvation Army Cadets in the USA Eastern Territory.”
June, 2007 Perry Kwan Sin Chow: “A Worship Training Course for Can-
tonnese-Speaking Worship Leaders at the Boston Chinese
Evangelical Church, Morristown, Tennessee.”
June, 2007 Charles Lawrence Betters: “A Guide to Help Families Discover
Their Unique Missional Calling Through Family Worship at
Glascow Reformed Presbyterian Church, Bear, DE.”
June, 2006 Calvin Lam: “A Training Manual for Purpose Driven Worship
Leaders at Richmond Hill Chinese Community Church, Toronto,
Canada.”
June, 2006 Gerzinus Hoekstra: “A Resource Guide of Seasons and Symbols
for St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Choir, Niagara-on-the-Lake,
Ontario, Canada.”
June, 2006 Sharon Kivell: “Fostering Harmony Through Healing Workshops
at St. Ninian’s Anglican Church, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.”
June, 2006 Glen Gray: “A Paradigm for Renewal: Seven Pilot Studies for
Interculturated Holy Communion at the American College,
Phoenix, Arizona.”
June, 2005 Chris Monroe: “The Stations of the Cross: A Worship Course for
the Disciples Class of Vinton Baptist Church, Vinton, Virginia.”
June, 2005 Mark Mahaffie: “A Worship Study Course and Services for
Advent and Christmas Designed to Enhance the Spiritual Growth
for Sequoia Heights Baptist Church, Manteca, California.”
June, 2005 Edna Grenz: “Enriching the Journey with Jesus for the People of
First Baptist Church in Vancouver. BC Through a Workshop
Overview of the Christian Year, and Particularly Through a Series
Aimed at Enhancing the Advent Season.”
June, 2005 Lyndell Vaught: “A Daily Worship Guide Book to Promote
Personal Christian Worship During Holy Week Among Senior
Adults, Ages 65-85 at the Silver Serenaders Choir, Dallas, Texas.”
June, 2004 Robin Ziegenfuss: “A Strategic Worship Transition Plan to Assist
First Christian Church of Council Bluffs, Iowa, in Moving From a
450 to a 1000 Seat Worship Space”
June, 2003 Rebecca Whited: “A New Discipleship Curriculum to Enhance
Worship at Tallmadge Lutheran Church”
June, 2003 Tracy Ainsworth: A Sourcebook for the Christian Year for Use by
Churches in the Advent Christian Denomination”
June, 2003 Julie Gibson: “A Worship Curriculum for Commissioned Lay
Pastor Candidates, Boise Presbytery, PCUSA”
June, 2002 Ryan Forbes: “A Study Course to Equip the Lay Worship Leaders of North Broad Baptist Church in Rome, Georgia”
June, 2002 David Ellison: “A Worship Guide for the Season of Advent For the Adult Choir of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.”
PUBLISHING: BOOK REVIEWS, ARTICLES, ETC.
1999 “Bending God’s Ear.” Reformed Worship, June 1999, number 52. Grand Rapids: CRC Publications.
1998 Privately published: (Doct. Thesis) The Significance of Baptism as Taught
Specifically in the Providence Christian Reformed Church and Generally in the Christian Reformed Church in North America.
January, 2006 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship: Symposium on Worship. Presented two workshops: On “Remember Your (Infant) Baptism” and on “The
Presence of the Ascended Christ in the Eucharist”
July 11-22, 2005 Seminars in Christian Scholarship: Participant in “How to Teach
Worship in Congregations and Schools.” Dr. John Witvliet.
January 24, 2004 “Reflections on Worship” (Workshop at Rehoboth CRC, Niagara Falls)
March 29, 2003 “Feasts, Festivals, and the Arts” (Worship and the Arts, Niagara,
sponsored by Jubilee CRC, St. Catharines)
The core of my calling is:
To help people encounter the Lord Jesus Christ by providing leadership in
worshiping the triune God, by preaching the gospel, and by teaching the
Scriptures in the context of pastoral ministry.