New rhythms

by Karl Overbeek

edited by Bob Terwilliger, fall 2023

I remember entering Hope College in 1962, looking at four years of college and then another three years of seminary, thinking I’d never get done with school. Now, at 83, having completed 53 years in ministry, I can’t believe how quickly time has passed.

In high school, I was contemplating a career in medicine until a distinct realization came into my mind that God was asking me to be a doctor of the soul, not the body. The clarity of that call pointed me to ministry. I have never regretted for a moment the joy and fulfillment I found in serving God in this way.

My first summer assignment after completing one year of seminary was in Santa Ana, California. Ruth Ann and I thoroughly loved our experience at Parkview Reformed Church, to the point we went back for a full year of internship after my middler year at Western Theological Seminary.

That experience confirmed for Ruth Ann her call to serve in ministry as a pastor’s wife. We both fell in love with ministry and California.

After graduating from Western in 1966, we accepted a call to plant a church in Flint, Michigan. In our time there, we built a beautiful sanctuary and education facility—dedicated by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale. I discovered that the combination of customer service and leadership learned from our family grocery business in Holland, Michigan, along with my seminary training were foundational for planting a church.

It was a challenging and rewarding way to begin my time in ministry. We also adopted our two children, Nathan and LeAnn, from Bethany Christian Services during this time.

Then came the call to Winding Way Community Church in Carmichael, California. Back in my internship days, I mentioned to a colleague that if Winding Way ever became available, I’d be interested. It proved to be a wonderful experience for us—back in California where we found doing ministry such a unique missional opportunity. We spent a little over 12 years there, relocating from our 2.8-acre site to a 10-acre site about a mile away. We worshiped at the Seventh Day Adventist church while our new facilities were being built. We renamed our church Christ Community Church. One week before we were to move into our new “home,” a fire destroyed the sanctuary. Back to the Seventh Day Adventist church for another year. This congregation was so warm and supportive, we could not have had a better temporary “home” for this season of ministry. Through those trying days, God continued to grow our congregation. I have often referred to this time in ministry as the golden years of my career.

Yet, after 12 plus years of exciting ministry, I found myself burned out. Instead of seeking a sabbatical, getting the rest to get back on my feet, which was virtually unheard of in those days, I accepted a call to another church. In retrospect, that was not a healthy or wise decision. I left the congregation I so dearly loved.

After a time at Second Reformed Church in Kalamazoo, Michigan, we moved back to California—Church of the Chimes in San Jose, California. We gave the final 15 years of our 39 years in ministry to this congregation. We made some significant adjustments to meet specific needs. We added a contemporary worship service—a new concept in ministry. I remember well one of our elderly ladies saying to me, “We have had our ministry opportunities; please get this right for our kids and grandkids.” I found this gracious and loving attitude so refreshing and helpful. It was fun being back in my ministry element. I loved the missional culture of California.

One of the most unique and fulfilling experiences in ministry was the invitation by the Billy Graham Association (BGA) to teach in the Billy Graham Schools of Evangelism (BGSE). During a Billy Graham Crusade in Sacramento, Larry Turner, a Billy Graham staffer, worshiped with us. We became close friends for a lot of years. The invitation to teach in the BGSE came through Larry. These were five-day training events for pastors and lay people. I taught on the themes of pastoral care and conducted a workshop on the pastor’s personal and work life. I participated in two events a year in the U.S. and Canada for 17 years. In my many years with the BGA, I never met a staff person I didn’t like. And what amazed me most to this day is the fact I came out of the Reformed faith; the BGA was a part of the Baptist tradition. Never once was I told what I could or could not say, and neither did I violate any aspect of their tradition. I loved the integrity of this ministry.

I retired from ministry in the local church in 2005. Thinking I would retire to a whole new way of life, the leadership of our classis—Central California Classis—asked if I would assume the leadership role of classis. Ruth Ann and I prayed about it and accepted the call and challenge. Originally I told them I would give them five years of ministry time. I loved it so much it turned out to be a 15-year experience. While there were many challenges and lots of travel because of the geography of our classis, I found the pastor-to-pastor relationships most meaningful and rewarding. I had the joy and privilege of working side-by-side with a fantastic group of pastors and lay leaders.

I retired again, after 53 years of ministry. It was time. Time to enjoy life and family in a whole new way. While I miss the rhythm of preaching/teaching and the interaction with the people, I love this season of life. I don’t miss meetings; in fact, if there are meetings in heaven, I hope somebody will cover for me.

Life hasn’t been without pain and challenge. We lost our son, Nathan, to the consequences of a long battle with diabetes. He was 53 years old. Barely getting beyond the grief of this loss, Nathan’s wife, Christine, died of cancer during Holy Week this past year. It was a very quiet Father’s Day this year. Yet, we have the joy of ongoing relationship with our daughter, LeAnn, her husband, Mark, and family. The joy of watching our grandkids grow up is nothing short of delightful. They are a huge blessing to us.

Yep, I’m 83 years old and enjoying good health—and so is my wife of 63 years. We are forever grateful for God’s grace and provision over the years. We are committed to serving him and enjoying whatever time is given to us.

Karl received his BA from Hope College and an MDiv from Western Theological Seminary. He has served Resurrection Reformed in Flint, Michigan; Christ Community in Carmichael, California; Second Reformed in Kalamazoo, Michigan; and Church of the Chimes in San Jose, California. Karl and Ruth Ann live in Penn Valley, California. pklo1@comcast.net