John Wildeboer, most recently pastor of Rehoboth Christian Reformed Church in Bowmanville, Ont., started Sept. 15 as the new national director of Diaconal Ministries Canada. Ron Vanden Brink, national director since 2016, expects to retire in November.
Wildeboer sees several streams that prepared him for this role. One began in 2015, when Rehoboth joined Brunchkins, a program providing breakfast and lunches to elementary students in a nearby housing community. “We started to hear what was going on in their lives, and we were able just to walk alongside them,” he said. When the program’s founders moved away, Rehoboth continued running it.
At Brunchkins, Wildeboer often sits with children as they share stories. “You start to realize they don’t have anyone else in their life who really has the capacity or the time to listen,” he said. Brunchkins partners with NewGround, a Diaconal Ministries initiative that supports churches in creating healthy, sustainable ministries. “One of my favorite things every week was just being engaged in the life of the people in the community,” Wildeboer said, noting he plans to stay involved with Brunchkins.
Another influence was the addition of an associate pastor at Rehoboth three years ago. “One of our jobs as leaders is to work ourselves out of a job,” Wildeboer said. As his colleague grew in preaching and leadership, Wildeboer discerned it was a good time to step aside.
The third stream Wildeboer sees is his “passion for organizational health and leadership” and looking to apply those skills in a broader context.
Diaconal Ministries Canada’s board of directors announced the appointment in July. “With a heart for servant leadership and a deep commitment to the ministry of the church, John brings valuable experience and a collaborative spirit to this national role,” the board said, noting the intentional overlap before Vanden Brink’s retirement “allows for a smooth and supportive leadership transition, ensuring continuity in Diaconal Ministries’ mission to equip, support, and encourage deacons and churches across Canada.”
Diaconal Ministries Canada was formed in 2001, funded by annual per-member contributions of Christian Reformed congregations in Canada. It’s a ministry created by Canadian deacons for Canadian CRC diaconates and operates separately from the Christian Reformed Church in North America. “We want to help deacons so they can help their members, so that every member is serving within the church but also in the community,” Wildeboer said. “We’re trying to make sure the church fulfills its God-given calling, that all of us serve, not just deacons.” That role of equipping members to service was emphasized in the Office of Deacon Task Force report to Synod 2013, Diakonia Remixed.
About the Author
Kristen Parker is a freelance writer. She has a passion for words and creativity. Kristen and her husband Chris, enjoy board games and thrift shopping. They attend Stratford CRC in Stratford, Ont.