Birmingham is located in what has been called the Bible Belt, where churches of the Presbyterian, Baptist, and Methodist denominations filled the towns and dotted the countryside. God used new experiences to bring further development during these years.

The seven fruitful years of growth and development spent at Hope were followed by five years of missionary work in the deep South from 1979 to1984. During our almost seven years at Hope the VanOverloop family had grown from two to five children. Included in that which God used to further develop me for the ministry were children. And every step of the way He used to equip me further. This experience undoubtedly played a role when, a year later, I had to consider the call from South Holland PRC to be a home missionary in Birmingham, Alabama. The experience in New Zealand was powerfully used by God to teach me the breadth of the body of Christ and it instilled in me a desire to teach to others the rich Reformed tradition in which I had been raised and often took for granted. Sue and I still remember the long, wearying flights with four young children to and from New Zealand. Those seven months were spent at a small, Presbyterian congregation in Christchurch, New Zealand. Powerfully God used every experience to mature and develop me in the service of His church and people.Īlso during my ministry at Hope, the consistory sacrificially took a decision to send me, their pastor, away for seven months, in order to meet a need presented by Synod and the Committee for Contact with Other Churches. One year the number of pastoral calls almost equaled the number of days of the year. Before another calendar year closed, there were four more funerals, two for a set of twins who died two weeks apart shortly after birth, and two more for beloved saints who, while still in their 40s, left their mates and children.ĭuring the time at Hope many catechism classes were taught and pastoral calls made. By comparison he was older because in the next nine months there were three more funerals, of a 22 year old, then his 18 year old brother, and then of a 10 year old. The first funeral was only eight days after ordination-an older (by comparison) saint died of cancer at the age of 61. Baptism into the ministry was by the fire of funerals. A very young minister was carefully nurtured by godly, experienced elders. Ordination into the ministry took place on a well remembered Thursday night, October 5, 1972.Īlmost seven years were spent with the good saints at Hope.

Had the Lord really called us to the ministry of His Word and sacraments? Would the internal call be confirmed by an external call? For each of us that call came, for myself from Hope Protestant Reformed Church in Walker, Michigan. The graduation ceremony for Candidates Bekkering, Kamps, and Van Overloop was a few days later. The hours and hours of oral exams required to graduate from our seminary took place before synod at its meetings in June of 1972 at First Church in Grand Rapids. However, I and my fellow-seminarians were very conscious of the fact that no matter how much we may have felt inwardly called, what was ultimately required was an external call which God would send our way through a local congregation. The God of all grace kept opening the doors, each time in answer to prayers, confirming the call which I increasingly experienced within my soul.

Six weeks of the summer of 1971 were spent in Forbes, South Dakota which was followed by five weeks in Doon, Iowa.

During the summer of 1970, I spent many weekends in Randolph, Wisconsin. While there were no internships during my years in the seminary, the seminarians did a lot of “speaking a word of edification” I was on the pulpit over 140 times while in seminary. So stop me, Lord, if that is not Thy will.” Not only did God not stop me providentially, but He continued to use my fellow-saints to encourage me in the pursuit of the ministry. If that is not Thy will, then stop me! Make me fail in the necessary courses or put something in my way so I cannot serve. The prayers changed from, “Lord, what dost Thou want me to be?” to “Lord, I think I am called to be a minister. During my high school years, the idea of being called to serve God’s church as a minister grew and developed.

Laura overloop