Present Joys

Ronald Redder

edited by Bob Terwilliger, spring 2022

I retired from active church ministry in 2012, so it has already been ten years.  I served the Pella Reformed Church of Adams, Nebraska; the First Reformed Church of Denver; the American Reformed Church of DeMotte, Indiana; and then I served as an intentional, specialized interim pastor for twelve churches within the RCA and the CRC. It was a most rewarding experience. Through it all I was able to live “at home,” but then I was asked to go to New York State. That was not for me. So retirement began.

One of the first things Fran, my wife, and I decided to do was to tour Israel, which proved a most wonderful experience.  I encourage all who are able, to do so before too much strength and desire leave your body. During the first couple years I would preach in local churches, but life became so full that I decided to stop and enjoy family and home, lots of which I had often missed during active ministry.

Having built a little cottage on a lake just outside of Grand Rapids, summers and falls are now spent having the children and grandchildren over. We found a wonderful church home at the LaGrave Ave. CRC of Grand Rapids, where Fran became the director of the KidsHopeUSA program, which she developed into the largest in the denomination. Each year there are about 72 tutor/mentors, 72 prayer partners, serving 72 students, along with several clubs both in the local school and at church. Each year, through generous DeVos grants, special events are held for the children, including summer Camp Roger experiences, and reading and social study programs within the school. When I retired from active ministry, Fran also retired from KidsHopeUSA.

Involvement in our church has been a unique blessing for the two of us, Fran with her involvement in KidsHope and now with a painting class, and I became an elder and a teacher for the fifth grade. I had taught that grade often during the pastorate, and especially love that age of eager and inquisitive children.

In 2017, however, things began to worsen for me. My health began to deteriorate, and while spending January with our daughter in California, I entered the hospital. After I returned home, I was admitted to the hospital in GR several more times. My well-being began to decline. Where once Fran and I regularly walked, I could no longer.

The problem was something with which I was born, a humbling gift from the Lord. I had a congenital heart-murmur, which suddenly worsened. My physicians told me I ought to have died around the age of 40, and every subsequent year was pure grace. Now I was told that without surgery to repair the bi-cuspid aortic valve I was born with, which ought to have been a tri-cuspid valve, I had possibly ten months to live. So surgery, of course.

My surgery was in April, 2018.  Recovery in the hospital involved two weeks during which healing did not progress well. After the initial extended stay, I returned twice with multiple complications.  Healing finally began. Today, I would consider myself back to good health, but it was quite a journey.

         Since I retired I have been able to achieve something I always thought I would never do. I got rid of much of my nearly 4,000 book library. As most retired pastors realize, there is no treasure more precious to us, other than spouse and family, than that of our books. I can’t tell you how sad it was for me. However, now others, primarily pastors in Africa and Christian high school students, will be able to enjoy them as I did.

Fran and I attempt to spend the worst of the Michigan winters in California and, when her sister was alive, time in Florida. In the summer we enjoy outside yard work and water fun surrounding what we call our “Quiggle Pond House.” Often in the fall we have gone to the Rocky Mountains, enjoying hiking and the Aspen colors. Our son and family worship at LaGrave Ave. as well, so we not only enjoy being with the children during the week, but also spending time with family for Sunday dinners, something which I had often previously missed when preaching.

Our daughter is a physician in California, married to a physician, and they have three children.  Our son is a Learjet captain, married to a FSA actuary, and they also have three children.

My present joys, since active ministry in a congregation is over, are family, church, and reading. I often have two or three books going at the same time, with many projects to fulfill my desire to learn. LaGrave Ave. Church still offers morning and evening worship services, and nothing surpasses the experience of the music, the preaching, and the wonderful fellowship of that congregation.

Ron received his B.A. from Hope College and his M. Div. from Western Theological Seminary. He served as pastor at Pella Reformed in Adams, NE, at First, Denver, and at American, DeMotte, IN. He also served as an interim pastor at 12 different CRC and RCA congregations. Ron and Fran live in Ada, MI. ronaldleeredder@gmail.com