Yesterday was a great day for our Heritage Reformed Congregation in Grand Rapids. In the morning service, John Byl (2nd from right) was ordained into the ministry as our fourth pastor, joining Pastor Simon Yin (far left; also Mandarin-speaking to serve our Chinese members), Pastor Darryl Dedert (2nd from left—ordained last month with a special focus on evangelization), and me.
Dr. Michael Barrett (who served as John’s mentor for his four years at Puritan Reformed) preached the ordination sermon from 1 Timothy on “Good Ministers” and Dr. Maarten Kuivenhoven (who mentored John through a one-year internship among us) read the ordination form and gave the personal charge from John 21:15-17. In the evening, Rev. Byl delivered his inaugural sermon on “The Centrality of the Cross” from 1 Corinthians 1. Along with three others, I spoke some personal words to him (on 2 Cor. 4:1). Pray that Pastor Byl will be a great blessing for our flock in preaching and pastoring to the welfare of believers and the unsaved to God’s glory.
