Diaconal Ministries Canada Announces Next National Director
Dear Friends of Diaconal Ministries Canada:
This year marks a significant transition for Diaconal Ministries. After serving for more than 14 years as the National Director, Hans Kater will be retiring as of June 30th. We cannot express enough thanks for his wise and gracious leadership which has been a constant blessing for our organization and to our staff, board, committees and partners. Under Hans, Diaconal Ministries developed from its early inception state into a cohesive ministry with a strong staff team. This team daily serves our churches and communities with clear vision and purpose. As a board we will miss Hans’ insights, encouragement and humour around our table, yet we are incredibly grateful for the ways God has been glorified through his many years of faithful service.
Looking ahead, we are delighted to share with you that as of August 1st, Ron Vanden Brink (photo above) will be joining Diaconal Ministries to fill the position of National Director. He grew up in Edmonton where, after graduating from high school, he worked for nine years as an electrician. He then attended The King’s University College in Edmonton, and later graduated from Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Ron gained ministry experience by serving Cornerstone church in Salmon Arm, BC (1994-2003) and New Hope Church in Calgary, AB (2003-2006).
Ron and his wife Monica reside in Kelowna BC, have two grown children and are grandparents of three children. They are members of The Well church plant in Kelowna, where Ron has served as a pastor for the last nine years.
With an excitement for the future of deacons in the CRC, a heart for diaconal ministry and a desire to see communities transformed in Christ, Ron has sought to be faithful by responding to the Lord’s call to this new challenge of National Director. We are eager to see how God uses his particular gifts in this role as he brings his unique perspective and joy-filled personality to the work of Diaconal Ministries Canada.
As an organization, we covet your prayers always, but even more so now during this time of leadership change. We ask that you specifically pray for our exceptional staff team who have been working closely together for many years. We recognize that this time of transition is bittersweet as we bless and send Hans on to his next kingdom adventure. Yet we are confident that God has been leading this process and are thankful that He has been preparing Ron to continue the good work of Diaconal Ministries under our unchanged vision and mission of Transforming Communities in Christ by Engaging Communities, Equipping Deacons and Living Justly. Ron can be reached by contacting the Diaconal Ministries Canada office at 1-800-730-3490 or by email at rvandenbrink@crcna.org.
With gratitude for your ongoing support and our partnership in Kingdom service,
Melissa Van Dyk
Board Chair
(photo: Ron Vanden Brink, Diaconal Ministries Canada’s new National Director)
