The NRC of Kalamazoo, Michigan (7)

In August of 1983, glad tidings were again received, when Rev. Herman Hofman of Gorinchem, The Netherlands, informed us that he had accepted the call to become our minister. He was not familiar with the English language, but his niece, Kay Meeuwse, offered to go to the Netherlands to tutor him for the several months remaining before he and his family would leave there. This proved quite beneficial, although he had to struggle for some time with the language, reading the sermons which he had written in Dutch and which had been translated by members into English. The installation and inaugural services were held on December 20, 1983, with Rev. W. C. Lamain, our faithful moderator for so many years, again performing the installation. Again the congregation gathered under the lively preaching of the Word from Sabbath to Sabbath, with the prayer for the Lord’s blessing and favor upon it. Rev. Hofman’s ability in the language steadily improved, and the difficulties of the first days were soon behind him. The ministerial labors in the midst of a congregation are many and varied, but it was with love and desire that he labored in our midst. On November 30, 1984, our moderator, Rev. W. C. Lamain was taken away by death, and was mourned by many. This added to the work of Rev. Hofman, who then also had the task of serving the Grand Rapids congregation as moderator in the months following. However, young and old received his attention in all daily and difficult circumstances. Therefore it was with sorrow that the congregation heard once more that their minister was departing from them. In July of 1988, Rev. Hofman moved to Sioux Center, Iowa, to serve the congregation there as minister.

While Rev. Hofman was with us, a new pipe organ was installed in the church, and approval was also given for air conditioning the sanctuary. The air conditioning installation was made in the spring of 1989 after his departure.

Thus we have arrived at the present time, tracing chronologically the events throughout the one hundred years of existence of the Kalamazoo congregation. There were times both of great gladness and deep sorrow, but the Lord has remained the faithful Jehovah in maintaining the church and congregation, providing His servants at His time to lead the congregation. How we must bow in humble acknowledgement, exclaiming with the poet,

O sing ye Hallelujah,
’Tis good our God to praise;
’Tis pleasant and becoming
To Him our songs to raise.
He builds the walls of Zion,
He seeks her wandering sons,
He binds their wounds and comforts
The broken hearted ones.

—Psalter 402, vs. 1

Rev. Herman Hofman

Rev. Herman Hofman was born August 16, 1931, at Krabbendijke in the province of Zeeland, The Netherlands. Soon afterwards, the family moved to Moerkapelle, since his father, Rev. M. Hofman, had accepted a call from the congregation there. Herman Hofman therefore grew up in Moerkapelle.

In 1945, after a brief illness, Rev. M. Hofman passed away, and Herman became fatherless at the age of fourteen years. Although it was a very difficult time for the family, the Lord took care of the widow and her children. Mrs. Hofman was a God-fearing mother and served as both father and mother in the family.

After finishing high school, Herman obtained a job in a grocery store in Rotterdam-South, and there he met his wife-to-be, Johanna Baan. Herman was then eighteen years old and was required to serve in the army for eighteen months. In 1953, the young couple were united in marriage by Rev. A. de Blois, who used as text for the occasion, “And both Jesus was called, and His disciples, to the marriage” (John 2:2).

The Lord began to work in Herman when he was yet quite young. From his early youth he had a strong desire to become one of God’s servants. However, it was not yet the Lord’s time. His way was directed to a bakery in Beekbergen, which had been the business of his older brother. This brother had been accepted by the curatorium for theological training and later became a minister in our congregations. Herman spent fourteen years in the bakery of Beekbergen. How wonderful and unsearchable are the ways of the Lord!

In Beekbergen, four children were born. Herman served the congregation as an organist for several years and later became an elder. However, at God’s time there came an end to the bakery and to the work in Beekbergen. The Lord called, and in 1968, Herman presented himself to the Curatorium and was accepted. He was then thirty-seven years old.

Due to the distance between Beekbergen and Rotterdam, where the Theological School was located, the family moved to Klaaswaal. Two more children were born there. Under the instruction of the ministers, Rev. K. DeGier, Rev. H. Rijksen, Rev. A. Vergunst, and Rev. J. C. Weststrate, and elder Van Bochove, he completed his studies in 1972, and became eligible for a call. His heart was inclined and made willing to accept the call from the congregation of Goudswaard, where he was ordained on August 9, 1972, by his brother, Rev. A. Hofman. Rev. Herman Hofman preached his inaugural sermon on the words found in Galatians 1:3-5, “Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

In Goudswaard, the family grew to seven children. However, they spent only two and a half years in Goudswaard. A call came from the congregation of Rotterdam-South, which he felt compelled to accept. He preached farewell to his Goudswaard congregation, using as text Ephesians 3:20-21. On February 26, 1975, he was installed in Rotterdam-South, again by his brother, and his first sermon there was based on James 1:21b.

After five years, his ministry in Rotterdam also came to an end, when he accepted the call from the congregation of Gorinchem. His farewell sermon in Rotterdam was based on Luke 25:50-53. Installed again by his brother in Gorinchem on May 26, 1980, his inaugural sermon was preached that day, using as text Acts 2:41.

At that moment little thought was given to the possibility of another field of labor outside of the Netherlands, but in 1983 a call came from the congregation of Kalamazoo. Already before the call came, the Lord gave him much exercise with the congregation of Kalamazoo, showing him, on the basis of Isaiah 55, that he would call a nation that he did not know. When the call came, much strife was encountered, as there was much involved in such a move. However, the Lord took all objections away, and he had to accept the call. The peace which the Lord gave him in his heart afterward was remarkable.

There were times both of great gladness and deep sorrow, but the Lord has remained the faithful Jehovah in maintaining the church and congregation,

The following months were busy, but finally on December 1, 1983, Rev. and Mrs. Hofman and three of their children departed for Kalamazoo, leaving the other four children behind them. The Lord prospered their journey, and on December 20, 1983, he was installed by Rev. W. C. Lamain. His inaugural sermon was based on Psalm 84:10, “For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.” The study of the English language took much time and effort. At first he read his sermons, but after approximately two years, he was enabled to speak from only an outline.

The Lord had yet other labors in store for him. After serving the Kalamazoo congregation for about four and a half years, he accepted a call from the Sioux Center, lowa, congregation, “Come over and help.” On July 3, 1988, he laid down his shepherd staff in Kalamazoo, and on July 14, he was installed in his new congregation by Rev. J. den Hoed. The text for his inaugural service was Acts 8:35. On August 6, 1991 Rev. Hofman was installed in the NRC of Chilliwack, British Columbia.

Encouragement for Ministers

The longsuffering of Christ towards sinners teaches His ministers to imitate their Lord in patience and longsuffering. Christ is our pattern of patience; if He wait, much more may we. We think it much to stand from Sabbath to Sabbath, pleading and inviting, and are apt to be discouraged when we see no fruit follow. The want of success is apt to cast us under Jeremiah’s temptation, to speak no more in His Name, and make us lament with Isaiah that we have labored in vain. It is a hard case to study, pray, and preach, and see all our labors without fruit. It is not so much the toil as the returning of our labors upon us in vain, that discourages our hearts. “Ministers would not die so fast,” says Mr. Lockyer on Colossians, “nor be grey-headed so soon, did they see the fruits of their labors upon their people.” But let us look to our Pattern in the text, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” If the master wait, let not the servant be weary: “The servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patiënt; in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth” (2 Tim. 2:24, 25).

Though the beginning be small, our latter end may greatly increase. Though we now fish with hooks, and take but now one and then another, the time may come, and we hope it is at the door, when we shall spread our nets and enclose multitudes. Besides, the fruit of our labors may spring up to a blessed harvest when we are gone: “One soweth, and another reapeth” (John 4:37); but if not, our reward will not be measured by the success, but by the sincerity of our designs and labors. Our zeal for the conversion of souls to Christ will be accepted, but our discouragement in His service will certainly displease Him.

—John Flavel

He is All, we are nothing but what He maketh us to be.

—Thomas Manton

Garret J. Moerdyk serves as elder in the Netherlands Reformed Congregation of Kalamazoo, Michigan.

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