Introducing Rodney denBoer

G’day! My name is Rodney den Boer. As I reflect on four years of CRTS training, it stands out that God has been exceedingly good to me. I’m grateful and excited (though a little nervous) to see where his good hand will lead me forward!

As I write this from Hamilton, Ontario, I’m about as far away as possible from the place where I was born. The town of Albany on Western Australia’s southern coast is almost directly on the opposite end of the globe, and it was there that I grew up, breathing fresh ocean air. I’ll never forget the white, sandy beaches and the good old jarrah trees. Perhaps it was Albany that gave me an early love for God’s creation – I still enjoy the outdoors today.

So how did I end up on the opposite side of the globe? I grew up in a loving, Christian family and was taught the gospel as soon as I could understand it. From a young age I wanted to serve God with my life. I often thought about gospel ministry and wondered, “Is God calling me to serve in this way?” The quest to answer that question took me from Albany to Perth for university. A few years later, having finished my undergraduate degree along with a basic understanding of biblical languages, I still wasn’t completely sure. At that point, a few people encouraged me to take a leap of faith and sign up for seminary. So I did. It really was a leap of faith – I remember, for instance, booking that one-way ticket away from family, friends, and everything I knew. Somehow the finality of that moment hit me. It was a leap into a lot of unknowns. However, I’m so glad God led me to come here to Hamilton.

As I mentioned, God has been very good to me in the last four years (my whole life, actually!). One of the biggest highlights has been the bonds formed with my classmates and lots of other people along the way. Bonds formed through sweaty ping-pong matches, a lot of coffee-time banter, serendipitous chats in the seminary hallways, times of singing praise to God together (I’m going to miss our chapel singing), and excursions onto the ice rink or even the ski hill. The friendships have gone deeper, too – bonds have been forged through the fires of suffering together and strengthened as we’ve prayed with and for each other.

Throughout this time God has worked in me an increasing desire to serve in gospel ministry. This has been strengthened through various internships, which have taken me to a few different corners of the world, from the farmland in Fergus (Ontario), to the much more tropical Papua New Guinea, over to the other side of Canada to Aldergrove (BC), back to Ontario to Owen Sound, and finally, a short internship in Niagara Falls.

Through all these experiences our good Father has shaped me and has been preparing me to serve in his kingdom. He has guided my past and my future is secure in his hand. I remind myself of that often. My continual prayer is that he will be glorified in my life wherever he calls me to serve him.  With this in mind, I plan to present myself to Classis Ontario-West at the beginning of June to become eligible for call.