This afternoon we had a 3-hour open house for the retirement of Henk Kleyn as Vice President of Operations at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, which included a one hour program expressing thanks. Hundreds attended the open house to express their love and congratulations.
Our dear brother Henk served here faithfully at PRTS with all his heart, exemplifying Christlike love, for nearly 17 years, supported throughout by his dear wife Margaret who also showed much love to the students.I gave a 15-minute opening meditation which included thanking him especially for four of his most sterling qualities, using the acronym of PRTS: Passionate service, Readiness to serve, Tender-hearted leadership, and Sacrificial spirit.
Following the meditation, a half hour video was shown in which about a dozen faculty and students expressed their deep love and thanks for brother Kleyn in a variety of ways. Dr. Bilkes closed the program with some heartwarming comments, the reading of Revelation 4 (a chapter that is precious to Henk), and prayer.
We will miss brother Kleyn greatly; he truly served “the Lord with gladness,” as Psalm 101 commands, which was also the text he quoted at the end of all his letters. Please pray for him as he enters a new phase of his life where he will be doing part-time volunteer labor in the Free Reformed Church serving as a kind of “pastoral visitor” while this vacant church continues to seek to receive its own pastor. And please pray also for Chris Hanna and Jonathon Beeke as they take up the responsibilities that Mr. Kleyn as carried for so many years.
