Bios for Sesquicentennial Conference Presenters and Panelists
Dr. Kevin Adams (Breakout D-2) and his wife Gerry began a new church in Rocklin, California in 1991. That congregation inspired a movement that has begun five new Christian Reformed churches in the Sacramento area. Kevin also serves as the new church development specialist for Central California and as codirector of the Sierra Leadership Network, a training program for leaders of emerging churches.
Rev. Pedro Aviles (Breakout D-6) has been the pastor of Grace and Peace Community Christian Reformed Church, an urban church in the near northwest side of Chicago for twenty-two years. In addition, he is assistant professor of church and ministry leadership at Trinity Christian College.
Mr. Nathan Bierma (Plenary F) is communications and research coordinator for the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and the author of Bringing Heaven Down To Earth: Connecting This Life To The Next (P&R Publishing). He is also contributing editor to Books & Culture magazine and writes the weekly On Language column in the Chicago Tribune.
Rev. Tim Blackmon (Breakout – Plenary F) is a pastor at River Rock Christian Reformed Church in Folsom, California. After completing his undergraduate studies in France, Rev. Blackmon, a native of Holland, immigrated to the United States to attend Calvin Theological Seminary. He worked at Oasis Community Church in Moreno Valley from 1994-1998. In 1998, Rev. Blackmon and his wife Betsy moved to Northern California to plant River Rock. The Blackmons have four children.
Dr. Joel Carpenter (Breakout D-3) is the director of the Nagel Institute for the Study of World Christianity at Calvin College. From 1996 to 2006 he was provost of Calvin College. Prior to that he was director of the Religion Program at Pew Charitable Trusts, a position he took in 1989 after twelve years of college teaching at Calvin, Trinity International University, and Wheaton College. While at Wheaton, he was the director of the Institute for the Study of American Evangelicals.
A graduate of Calvin College, Dr. Carpenter received his doctor of philosophy degree in history from The Johns Hopkins University. His special expertise is American religious history, and he has published many articles and chapters in that field. He is the author of the award-winning study, Revive Us Again: The Reawakening of American Fundamentalism (Oxford University Press). His latest work, which he coedited with Lamin Sanneh, is The Changing Face of Christianity: Africa, the West, and the World (Oxford University Press).
Dr. Carpenter was born in South Haven, Michigan, and was reared in Allegan, another small town in southern Michigan. He is married to Janis A. Rhoads, who is a special education teacher and a native of Baltimore, Maryland. They have two grown children, Rebecca and Andrew.
Dr. Mark Fackler (Breakout D-1) earned his doctor of philosophy degree from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana). He has been professor of communications at Calvin College for the past nine years and teaches primarily communication ethics. He has lectured at universities from North America to Africa and Europe. He coauthored Media Ethics: Cases and Moral Reasoning (Longman, Allyn/Bacon) and Good News: Social Ethics and the Press (Oxford) as well as many scholarly and general-interest articles. Dr. Fackler has written radio drama, biblical commentaries, and encyclopedia entries. His teaching and research interests focus on development communication in East Africa. He also serves as an umpire for baseball games. Long ago, before Calvin was anywhere on the radar, he was a member at Hessel Park Christian Reformed Church in Champaign, Illinois.
Dr. Harry Fernhout (Breakout B-2) was born in Holland and immigrated with his family to Thunder Bay, Ontario, at the age of three. He received much of his early spiritual formation in the First and Bethlehem Christian Reformed Churches in Thunder Bay. In 1970, Dr. Fernnhout received a bachelor of arts in philosophy from Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa. In 1975, he completed a master of philosophy degree at the Institute for Christian Studies (ICS) in Toronto. After completing a doctorate in the philosophy of education at the University of Toronto, Dr. Fernhout returned to ICS in 1985 as a faculty member. In 1989, he was appointed president of ICS, and served in this capacity until 2005. He was instrumental in securing expanded degree-granting authority for ICS, including the first publicly accredited doctor of philosophy degree offered by an independent institution in Canada. In 2005, he was appointed president of The King’s University College in Edmonton. Over the years, he has served in various volunteer capacities in church and Christian education contexts. He has been licensed to exhort in the Christian Reformed Church for fifteen years.
Dr. Fernhout is married to Hilda Dykstra, who grew up as a member of the College Avenue Christian Reformed Church in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They have been members of several Christian Reformed churches, including St. Matthew’s Fellowship and First Toronto, Second Brampton, and First Edmonton. The Fernhouts have four children and four grandchildren.
Mr. Bing Goei (Breakout D-4) has been married to Jean for thirty-eight years. They have been blessed with five children and five grandchildren. The Goeis have been members of East Leonard Christian Reformed Church for over forty years. Mr. Goei is the president of Eastern Floral, which has five locations in the West Michigan region. In addition, he has received several business awards, including the prestigious 2005 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for West Michigan.
Dr. Henry Holstege (Breakout B-5) has been teaching at Calvin College for the last fifty years and has been awarded three Telly Awards for videos on aging. He has authored or coauthored several books on the personal and institutional aspects of aging.
Dr. Mary S. Hulst (Plenary F) is professor of preaching at Calvin Theological Seminary. Previously, she had the privilege of serving as the pastor of the Eastern Avenue Christian Reformed Church of Grand Rapids, Michigan, for eight years. Dr. Hulst is a graduate of Holland Christian High School, Calvin College, Calvin Theological Seminary, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Ms. Mary Huyser (Breakout B-4) is Diné of the salt clan and born for the sheer cliff people. She works for the Casey Family Programs as the supervisor of community services in Arizona. She earned her bachelor of science in extended sociology from Northern Arizona University and a masters of social work degree from the University of Denver. Ms. Huyser has worked both on and off the reservation in child welfare by bringing a variety of experiences as the community supervisor to Casey Family Programs. She is a member of the Window Rock Christian Reformed Church in Window Rock. The Huysers have been married twenty-eight years and have three children; Kimberly is working on her doctor of philosophy degree in research sociology, Michelle is working as a physical therapist technician until school begins in the fall of 2007 for the school of physical therapy, and John is in the military specializing in explosive ordinance disposal (E.O.D).
Mr. Robert R. Israels (Breakout D-4) as a president and CEO, is a positive thinker. He has earned degrees in accounting and design. He is the president and chief operating officer of twenty-one national and international corporations, has served on over fifty for-profit and non-profit boards, and has been on the board of directors for four colleges. Mr. Israels is very active in his church, having served as deacon, elder, and president of council. He not only enjoys solving problems but also in capitalizing on them.
Mr. Sidney J. Jansma, Jr., (Breakout D-4) president of Wolverine Gas and Oil Corporation, is in the oil exploration business and is a member of Plymouth Heights Christian Reformed Church. He has served on the boards of various institutions and is currently chairman of the Calvin Theological Seminary Board of Trustees.
Rev. Don Klop (Breakout F-5) is presently serving as pastor of CrossPoint Christian Reformed Church in Chino, California. He is married to Winnie (Anema) and they are parents of five children. He has been the pastor at Bates St., Grand Rapids; at Hope Community in Flagstaff, Arizona (with Home Missions); and at CrossPoint in Chino, California. Rev. Klop has served on the race relations team of Southern California for twenty years.
Mr. Milt Kuyers (Breakout D-4) is the chairman and CEO of GMK Companies, a group of manufacturing companies headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He has been and is currently involved with many activities with respect to Christian education and job-creation efforts around the world.
Rev. Jimmy Lin (Breakout D-5) is the Chinese broadcast minister of The Back To God Hour. Rev. Lin was born and raised in Hong Kong and received his master of divinity degree from Westminster Theological Seminary and his master of theology degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. Rev. Lin shares the Christian message daily (in both Mandarin and Cantonese) to Chinese listeners throughout China, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and North and Central America using radio and the Internet. Extensive materials in literature and CD format are published continually.
Dr. Bertha Mook was born in Holland, lived and studied in South Africa, and received her doctor of philosophy degree from the University of Ottawa, Canada, in 1968. She was professor of psychology at the University of Ottawa and retired from this position in July 2006. She specialized in the fields of phenomenology, hermeneutics, and psychotherapy. She also has a strong and longstanding interest in metabletics (historical psychology), family history, and family therapy. Dr. Mook has authored two books, has coedited a third, and has written many book chapters and numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals. Her writings include metabletic studies on the history of the family and the history of childhood; various phenomenological and hermeneutic studies in child, adult, and family psychotherapy; and articles addressing foundational and methodological issues in psychotherapy research. She is consulting editor for the Journal of Phenomenological Psychology and the Humanistic Psychologist. As a clinical psychologist, she has also been involved in part-time private practice with children, adults, and families for the past thirty years.
Dr. Paul Mpindi (Breakout D-5) is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo. He was born in and grew up in Kinshasa, the capital city. Dr. Mpindi received the Lord Jesus Christ as his savior when he was fifteen years old. After graduating from high school and sensing God's call, Dr. Mpindi left his home country and went to Bangui, the capital city of Central African Republic where he started his theological training. In 1990, Dr. Mpindi graduated from the seminary with a master of theology degree. After graduation, Dr. Mpindi stayed at the seminary where he taught biblical Hebrew and the Old Testament for three years.
In 1993, Dr. Mpindi came to America and attended Calvin Theological Seminary where he earned a master of theology degree in Old Testament and a doctor of philosophy degree in historical theological. Dr. Mpindi's dissertation is titled, "Calvin's Hermeneutics of the Imprecatory Psalms." He was ordained as a Christian Reformed Church minister in 1999, and since then has worked as the French broadcast language minister for The Back to God Hour. Dr. Mpindi is married to Charlotte Mpindi and the Lord has blessed them with three sons (17, 14, and 11 years of age). Dr. Mpindi and his family live in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Rev. Dr. Setri Nyomi (Plenary D) is general secretary of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC), is a theologian from Ghana. He studied at the University of Ghana, Legon; Trinity Theological Seminary, Ghana; Yale University Divinity School; and Princeton Theological Seminary.
As an ordained minister of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Ghana, Dr. Nyomi has served as a parish pastor in both Ghana and the United States. Immediately prior to his appointment as the general secretary of WARC, he spent six years with the All Africa Conference of Churches as a senior executive. Before then, he taught at Trinity Theological Seminary in Ghana.
Dr. Nyomi is married to Akpene Esther. They have three children.
He took up his current responsibility as the general secretary of WARC in April 2000. He thus became the first non-European general secretary of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, one of the oldest confessional bodies that unites Presbyterian, Reformed, Congregational, Waldensian, and some United Churches, serving more than seventy-five million Christians in about 107 countries.
Dr. Jim Payton (Breakout F-3) is professor of history at Redeemer University College. A member of the Interchurch Relations Committee, he has served on committees for both the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada and the Canadian Council of Churches.
Dr. Cornelius Plantinga, Jr., (Closing Worship) is president and Charles W. Colson Professor of Theology at Calvin Theological Seminary. He earned a bachelor of arts degree from Calvin College in 1967 a bachelor of divinity degree from Calvin Theological Seminary in 1971, and a doctor of philosophy degree from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1982.
Dr. Plantinga is an ordained minister in the Christian Reformed Church and has served as a pastor in Webster, New York, and supply preacher in Cliffwood Beach, New Jersey. Before joining the faculty at Calvin Theological Seminary, Dr. Plantinga taught at Princeton Theological Seminary (1976-1978), Fuller Theological Seminary (1985-1987) and Regent College (1997). From 1996 to 2002 he served as the first ever Dean of the Chapel at Calvin College. He now serves as president of the seminary and teaches systematic theology. President Plantinga's vision for the seminary is for it to be a place where "the gospel will become the bass note that supports and accompanies all we do and think" as well as a place where an excellent education is provided.
Dr. Plantinga is married to Kathleen, and they have two adult sons, a daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren. He enjoys swimming, biking, golf, travel, reading, listening to music, and practicing the violin. He has written several books including, Not the Way It's Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin (1995), Engaging God's World: A Christian Vision of Faith, Learning and Living (2002), and Discerning the Spirits: A Guide to Thinking About Christian Worship (2003).
Pastor Gordon Pols (Plenary C) emigrated from Holland as a youngster. He is married, has two children and two grandchildren, has enjoyed almost thirty-seven years of ministry in four Christian Reformed Churches (in western and central Canada), served on worship committees for most of those years, led worship in all of those years, and is keenly interested in how worship relates to life and how it helps to shape and nurture a biblical worldview.
Ms. Mary Jane Pories (Plenary E-1) is president of Fishladder, Inc., and a graduate of Calvin College. Mary is also an alumna of the renowned comedy theater The Second City. In 1999, she founded Fishladder Inc., a company devoted to using improvisation to improve teambuilding, communication, leadership, and creativity in the workplace and beyond.
Rev. Jack Roeda (Plenary C) is senior pastor of the Church of the Servant Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is also adjunct professor of preaching at Calvin Theological Seminary.
Dr. William D. Romanowski (Breakout B-6) received his doctor of philosophy degree from Bowling Green State. He teaches film, communication, and culture studies. He is the author of the award-winning Eyes Wide Open: Looking for God in Popular Culture (Brazos) and Pop Culture Wars: Religion and the Role of Entertainment in American Life (InterVarsity). Professor Romanowski's three-part video series based on Eyes Wide Open and produced by the Calvin Media Foundation was an Aegis Award Winner and received a Communicator Award of Distinction. In his free time, he enjoys tennis and golf.
Dr. James Calvin Schaap (Plenary E-2) wrote CRC Family Portrait for the 125th anniversary of the Christian Reformed Church, and, in 1998, Our Family Album: The Unfinished Story of the CRC, as well as a dramatic presentation based on that history. For several years, he was a contributing editor of The Banner and has written numerous books of devotionals for children. He teaches writing and literature at Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa.
Dr. Reginald Smith (Morning Devotions and Breakout D-6) was born and raised in Chicago. He received his master of divinity degree from Calvin Theological Seminary in 1992 and was ordained in 1993 as pastor at Northside Community Christian Reformed Church in Paterson, New Jersey. Since 1995, he has been senior pastor at Roosevelt Park Community Christian Reformed Church, a multiracial ministry in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He received a doctor of ministry degree from Western Theological Seminary in 2004. Dr. Smith enjoys life and ministry with his wife, Sharon, and their three daughters, Janelle, Katrina, and Mariah.
Dr. Gary Teja (Breakout F-5) is professor of cross-cultural studies and dean of distance education at Kuyper College. He is also the ministry consultant for Christian Reformed Home Missions in regard to Southeast Asia.
Gary served the Christian Reformed Church in North America for thirty-two years, sixteen of which were in Central America for World Missions, as well as the Synodical Committee on Race Relations, CRC Publications, and more recently, on loan to Calvin Theological Seminary as director of the online master of arts program in missions/new church development.
Pastor Stan Ver Heul (Breakout D-6) recently retired after thirty-six years in the pastorate. His last charge was serving the Los Angeles Community Christian Reformed Church, an urban ministry in South Central Los Angeles.
Dr. Annalee Ward (Breakout F-1) is professor of communication arts at Trinity Christian College. Dr. Ward was educated in a CSI school and has degrees from Calvin College, Colorado State University, and Regent University. Her research interests lie in the intersection of rhetoric, media, and ethics with another area of interest in preaching and the church. She has written a book entitled, Mouse Morality: The Rhetoric of Disney Animated Film, in which she examines five films to discern the worldview that they advocate. Dr. Ward is active in the Christian Reformed church and is currently serving on the Synodical Ministerial Candidacy Committee for the denomination.
Rev. Richard Williams (Plenary C) was born in 1944 and grew up in the Panama Canal Zone. He has been married for thirty-two years to Amalia of Panama City, Panama. They have three daughters and five grandchildren. He has been a member of the Christian Reformed Church since 1977. In 1968, he earned a bachelor of arts degree from Macalester College in St. Paul Minnesota. He attended San Francisco Theological Seminary from 1969-1971 and Fuller Theological Seminary where he received a master of divinity degree in 1978. In 1981, he completed the Special Program for Ministerial Candidacy at Calvin Theological Seminary. He has been the senior pastor of Pullman Christian Reformed Church in Chicago since 1981
Dr. John D. Witvliet (Plenary C) is the director of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and serves as associate professor of worship, theology, and music at Calvin College and Calvin Theological Seminary.
Dr. Witvliet teaches and writes in the area of Christian worship. Among his writings are books on children in worship and on the Psalms in worship. He has lectured, taught, and served as a consultant for several congregations, seminaries, publishing companies, and denominational offices and has represented the Christian Reformed Church in Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, and nondenominational contexts. Like his wife, Hope College psychologist Charlotte Van Oyen, he is a Christian Reformed preacher’s kid—as are now their four very active young children.
Rev. Jerry Zandstra (Breakout F-2) is on staff at Hillside Community Church in Cutlerville, Michigan. He is a senior fellow at the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and is an adjunct faculty member at Cornerstone University.
