Reverend Rick A. Oppenhuizen
By Jan Drolen
The Rev. Rick A. Oppenhuizen, Bethany’s twelfth pastor, was born December 30, 1952 in Grand Rapids, MI to James and Rita Serta Oppenhuizen. Rick was raised in the Grand Rapids area, was a member of the Fifth Reformed Church and graduated from the former Grand Rapids East Christian High School in 1971. While in high school, Rick worked many hours in the produce department of the Forest Hills Shop Rite, where his father worked. After graduating from East Christian, Rick entered Grand Valley State University in Allendale. He continued working part-time at a wholesale produce market, and he also became a volunteer at Youth for Christ in downtown Grand Rapids, what he calls his first “dabbling in ministry.” He led Friday night Bible studies, was the manager of a teen center and he also led two Campus Life clubs in area high schools.
Rick graduated from Grand Valley in 1975 with a B.A. degree and a major in social relations from the William Jones College at Grand Valley, a non-traditional program where the students did not receive grades. On August 15 of that year, he married the former Donna Timmer, a graduate of Calvin College, whom he had met while doing volunteer work at Mary Free Bed Hospital in Grand Rapids. Rick and Donna settled in the Zeeland area, where Donna taught second grade at Zeeland Christian, and Rick took a job as full-time development director for Youth for Christ. In February of 1976, however, he was laid off because of lack of funding at YFC, and he decided to enter Western Theological Seminary and study for the ministry. He had to work hard to convince the powers at Western that he was a worthy candidate due to his rather non-traditional college program! Rick studied at Western from February of 1976 to 1979, when he graduated with a Master of Divinity degree.
The Oppenhuizens participated in two summer internships while at the seminary. In 1977 they worked at the First Reformed Church of Sully, Iowa, a rural congregation, and in 1978 they served the Calgary Reformed Church of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The church officials there directed Rick and Donna to spend Mondays through Fridays exploring the attractions of the Calgary area and the Canadian Rocky Mountains!
In addition to Rick’s graduating from Western Theological Seminary in 1979, Rick and Donna also became parents for the first time when daughter Robin was born on August 13. In 1980, Rick was ordained and installed as pastor of the Church of the Master in Warren, MI, near Detroit. Daughter Sheri was born on February 25, 1982. The Oppenhuizens served the Church of the Master until late 1985, when Rick accepted a call to become the twelfth pastor of Bethany Reformed Church. The Rev. Oppenhuizen was installed at Bethany on December 8, 1985, and on his first Sunday in the pulpit he announced that he and Donna were expecting their third child the following May! Daughter Christina was born on May 24, 1986.
Christy was the first pastor’s child to be born at Bethany since our fifth pastor, the Rev. Jerry Veldman, whose son Jerry was born shortly after the Veldmans arrived here in 1933.
Many significant events and program developments highlighted the Oppenhuizens’ time here at Bethany. A Thursday night program called “Kids Klub” was started as a way to reach out to the neighborhood children as well as Bethany’s. The program included singing, challenge learning, a supper, and crafts and recreation. As Pastor Rick was our first pastor to buy his own home instead of living in the parsonage next door, it was decided to convert the parsonage into a community building serving some of the needs of the neighborhood. Bethany held a contest to name the converted parsonage, and the name Friendship House, submitted by Bob Bushouse, was selected. Linda Hand was hired to do children’s ministry from the Friendship House and our Food Pantry opened. Bethany’s parish nurse ministry also started after Louise Smith retired from her nursing job. Another highlight noted by the Rev. Oppenhuizen was the 1988 celebration of Louise Bennink’s 50th anniversary as Bethany’s organist. Reflecting the realities of a 12-year pastorate, he also noted that he performed 101 funerals during his time at Bethany. Donna, Oppenhuizen was instrumental in developing, along with Sue Brannum, our current Children in Worship program.
In December of 1977, almost exactly 12 years after he preached his first sermon as Bethany’s pastor, the Rev. Oppenhuizen announced that he and his family had accepted a call to serve the Grace Reformed Church of Wyoming, MI. Their farewell Sunday was January 11, 1998 with a potluck in the Bennink Social Hall following the morning service.
The Rev. Oppenhuizen retired from Grace Reformed Church in December of 2017 after serving there for 20 years. For a retirement gift, the congregation gave Rick and Donna a 12-day trip to Israel, which they took last June.
The Rev. Oppenhuizen is now a calling pastor at Fairhaven Reformed Church in Hudsonville, a position he is enjoying. He and Donna joined Fairhaven Reformed on February 10 of 2019.
Rick and Donna enjoy spending time with their eight grandchildren, seven boys and one girl. (Daughter Christy is mother of the one granddaughter.) The Oppenhuizens also enjoy their cottage on Kimball Lake in Newaygo County, recently remodeled and expanded.
The Oppenhuizens arrived at Bethany in 1985 as a young couple in their early thirties with two young daughters and a third on the way. Bethany members were delighted to watch the girls grow up and become teen-agers as their parents served Bethany with tireless energy, devotion and leadership.
Updated June, 2019
© 2019 Bethany Reformed Church of Kalamazoo, Michigan. All rights reserved.
Rick graduated from Grand Valley in 1975 with a B.A. degree and a major in social relations from the William Jones College at Grand Valley, a non-traditional program where the students did not receive grades. On August 15 of that year, he married the former Donna Timmer, a graduate of Calvin College, whom he had met while doing volunteer work at Mary Free Bed Hospital in Grand Rapids. Rick and Donna settled in the Zeeland area, where Donna taught second grade at Zeeland Christian, and Rick took a job as full-time development director for Youth for Christ. In February of 1976, however, he was laid off because of lack of funding at YFC, and he decided to enter Western Theological Seminary and study for the ministry. He had to work hard to convince the powers at Western that he was a worthy candidate due to his rather non-traditional college program! Rick studied at Western from February of 1976 to 1979, when he graduated with a Master of Divinity degree.
The Oppenhuizens participated in two summer internships while at the seminary. In 1977 they worked at the First Reformed Church of Sully, Iowa, a rural congregation, and in 1978 they served the Calgary Reformed Church of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The church officials there directed Rick and Donna to spend Mondays through Fridays exploring the attractions of the Calgary area and the Canadian Rocky Mountains!
In addition to Rick’s graduating from Western Theological Seminary in 1979, Rick and Donna also became parents for the first time when daughter Robin was born on August 13. In 1980, Rick was ordained and installed as pastor of the Church of the Master in Warren, MI, near Detroit. Daughter Sheri was born on February 25, 1982. The Oppenhuizens served the Church of the Master until late 1985, when Rick accepted a call to become the twelfth pastor of Bethany Reformed Church. The Rev. Oppenhuizen was installed at Bethany on December 8, 1985, and on his first Sunday in the pulpit he announced that he and Donna were expecting their third child the following May! Daughter Christina was born on May 24, 1986.
Christy was the first pastor’s child to be born at Bethany since our fifth pastor, the Rev. Jerry Veldman, whose son Jerry was born shortly after the Veldmans arrived here in 1933.
Many significant events and program developments highlighted the Oppenhuizens’ time here at Bethany. A Thursday night program called “Kids Klub” was started as a way to reach out to the neighborhood children as well as Bethany’s. The program included singing, challenge learning, a supper, and crafts and recreation. As Pastor Rick was our first pastor to buy his own home instead of living in the parsonage next door, it was decided to convert the parsonage into a community building serving some of the needs of the neighborhood. Bethany held a contest to name the converted parsonage, and the name Friendship House, submitted by Bob Bushouse, was selected. Linda Hand was hired to do children’s ministry from the Friendship House and our Food Pantry opened. Bethany’s parish nurse ministry also started after Louise Smith retired from her nursing job. Another highlight noted by the Rev. Oppenhuizen was the 1988 celebration of Louise Bennink’s 50th anniversary as Bethany’s organist. Reflecting the realities of a 12-year pastorate, he also noted that he performed 101 funerals during his time at Bethany. Donna, Oppenhuizen was instrumental in developing, along with Sue Brannum, our current Children in Worship program.
In December of 1977, almost exactly 12 years after he preached his first sermon as Bethany’s pastor, the Rev. Oppenhuizen announced that he and his family had accepted a call to serve the Grace Reformed Church of Wyoming, MI. Their farewell Sunday was January 11, 1998 with a potluck in the Bennink Social Hall following the morning service.
The Rev. Oppenhuizen retired from Grace Reformed Church in December of 2017 after serving there for 20 years. For a retirement gift, the congregation gave Rick and Donna a 12-day trip to Israel, which they took last June.
The Rev. Oppenhuizen is now a calling pastor at Fairhaven Reformed Church in Hudsonville, a position he is enjoying. He and Donna joined Fairhaven Reformed on February 10 of 2019.
Rick and Donna enjoy spending time with their eight grandchildren, seven boys and one girl. (Daughter Christy is mother of the one granddaughter.) The Oppenhuizens also enjoy their cottage on Kimball Lake in Newaygo County, recently remodeled and expanded.
The Oppenhuizens arrived at Bethany in 1985 as a young couple in their early thirties with two young daughters and a third on the way. Bethany members were delighted to watch the girls grow up and become teen-agers as their parents served Bethany with tireless energy, devotion and leadership.
Updated June, 2019
© 2019 Bethany Reformed Church of Kalamazoo, Michigan. All rights reserved.
