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Baptism into the ministry was by the fire of funerals. A very young minister was carefully nurtured by godly, experienced elders. Ordination into the ministry took place on a well remembered Thursday night, October 5, 1972.Īlmost seven years were spent with the good saints at Hope. Had the Lord really called us to the ministry of His Word and sacraments? Would the internal call be confirmed by an external call? For each of us that call came, for myself from Hope Protestant Reformed Church in Walker, Michigan. The graduation ceremony for Candidates Bekkering, Kamps, and Van Overloop was a few days later.
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The hours and hours of oral exams required to graduate from our seminary took place before synod at its meetings in June of 1972 at First Church in Grand Rapids. However, I and my fellow-seminarians were very conscious of the fact that no matter how much we may have felt inwardly called, what was ultimately required was an external call which God would send our way through a local congregation. The God of all grace kept opening the doors, each time in answer to prayers, confirming the call which I increasingly experienced within my soul. Six weeks of the summer of 1971 were spent in Forbes, South Dakota which was followed by five weeks in Doon, Iowa. During the summer of 1970, I spent many weekends in Randolph, Wisconsin. While there were no internships during my years in the seminary, the seminarians did a lot of “speaking a word of edification” I was on the pulpit over 140 times while in seminary. So stop me, Lord, if that is not Thy will.” Not only did God not stop me providentially, but He continued to use my fellow-saints to encourage me in the pursuit of the ministry. If that is not Thy will, then stop me! Make me fail in the necessary courses or put something in my way so I cannot serve. The prayers changed from, “Lord, what dost Thou want me to be?” to “Lord, I think I am called to be a minister. Grand Rapids: July 9: Nora Grace to Chris and Emily Zoladz July 4: Audra Liberty Rain to Nicholas and Heather Blaszczyk July 4: Anna Rose to Jon and Dana Boyd June 30: Cora Jean to Patrick and Jennifer Nickles July 5: Reina Marie to Brittany Daugherty and Joao Mendez July 7: Lucy Joy to Aaron and Lauren Lehr June 30: Adriana Rose-Marie to Brittany Dow and Rodrigo Lopez July 4: Sophia Quinn to Ellen Quinn-Stowie and Paul Stowie July 4: Brielle Sa’Rah to Carlos and Britni Dandridge July 5: Thalia Abri to Aurelia Huerta July 3: Isabella Lopez Pena to Alicia Pena July 9: Arabella Lee to Patrick and Samantha Batshon July 11: Sophia Belle to Joel and Jori Langerak July 10: Adelynn Diann to Jordan and Jessica Gilliam July 9: Davis Rae to Justin and Stephanie Scott June 5: Naomi Grace to Gabriel and Ali Dunn May 24: Hjarsti Rhema to Joel and Katelyn Meyers June 29: Jalayah Monae to TeAsia Dukes and Juwan Simpson June 27: Gianna Maria to Etelvina Hernandez-Medina and Mark Fein July 12: Kennedy Lynn to Allen and Tara Merrill July 13: Francine Sloan to James and Elizabeth McLeod July 14: Jarolyn Kennedy Jean to Rick Jr.During my high school years, the idea of being called to serve God’s church as a minister grew and developed. to Jolisa McDonald and Randy Boston July 12: Austin Tyler to John and Karen Kiss to Kenya Tolbert and Sir Anthony Hill July 6: Linus Abram to William and Kira Weibel July 9: Brady John to Brian and Giovanna Reilly July 9: Jacob Giovanni to Brianne Degano and Thomas Newkirk June 25: Cole Matthew to Matthew and Lindsay Sicilia June 30: Zamir Elisha to Walter and Raven Beamon June 29: Louis David to Kevin and Christy Vos June 29: Vincent Salvatore to Anthony and Lianna Reatini July 11: Theodore Clay to Michael and Kelli Scholten July 14: Hunter Benton to Charles and Amanda Mitchell July 14: Marshall Miles to Hannah Cunningham and Jose Ybarra July 9: Randy Alexander Boston Jr. Grand Rapids: June 23: Rheed Benton to Christopher and Lindsey Alley June 14: Aayden Robert to Aaron and Jennifer Hoye July 8: Brody to Michael and Ashley Malin July 3: Bradley Walsh to Patrick and Melissa Burds July 6: Josiah Mordecai to Antowine and Jennifer Jordan July 2: Jalen David Bates to Nicolette Markham and David Bates July 3: Robert Jack III to Robert and Kathryn Armstrong July 3: Sir Anthony Hill Jr.