Rev. Fred Vanderbom, Trowel & Sword, December 1996
Preamble: On Friday February 16, a stalwart of the Christian Reformed Church, Fred Vanderbom, passed into glory. We remember his wife Helen and the wider family at this time of grief. Fred served the church faithfully over many years and even in his retirement he served as a locum in a number of churches. Many people, in quite a few churches around Australia, will remember Fred and Helen fondly as a couple who loved the Lord and His people. Fred was a gentle man who had an astute understanding of the church and wisely guided the church through his “Australian Gleanings” in the church magazine, Trowel and Sword, over many years. He was a man who looked past the legalistic attitudes that could often be found and sought and encouraged the Christlike in churches and people. The following is one of Fred’s articles which was written for Trowel & Sword in Dec. 1996.
Australian Gleanings – Part 1
During much of this year, the Rev’s Martin de Graaf and Verlan Van Ee have exchanged the duties of their church work. Last March, these pages gave our readers a small taste of the details and expectations of this arrangement. Now that the exchange period has ended, it has been fascinating to read the Rev. Van Ee’s sometimes humorous, often perceptive, at times incisive observations in the newsletters of the Reformed Church of Tecoma in Melbourne.
“The American pastor’s family’s Australian adventure “Down Under” has truly been an awesome Aussie experience. Before she left, Becky [Verlan’s wife] had told people she believed our time in Australia would perhaps ‘be nothing like what we expect, but everything that (God knows) we need”. How prophetic!! How true!!”
Pastor Verlan’s first instalment was entitled “Expectations and First Impressions.”
“Though we thought we had some idea of what this land “Down Under” and its Aussies were like, it could well be said of us: ‘Naive American family discovers another breed of English speaking people, who inhabit a continent totally different from America, and with a culture all their own, and actually a form of English .. .’ I should have read They’re a weird Mob by Nino Culotta before coming to Australia.”
” .. .We have been surprised by how different things are here “Down Under”. To start with let me say we have immensely enjoyed the enchantment of this great red dirt southland with its colourful and endearing array of wildlife. Early on I wrote in my journal: ‘God has made the bush of Australia to be a most unique reflection of His incomprehensible holiness and glory; part of it is so rare and bizarre only the Almighty Creator Himself could conceive of it and create it.”‘
Rev. Van Ee continues with some comments on Australians and on the RCA ethos.
“Some of our first impressions about Aussies themselves were that they are as diverse and colourful as the land and wildlife itself. We did however often find ourselves asking the question: ‘Now is this really Aussie or just Dutch Reformed?’ … I’m still not at all sure about what’s what, and that I believe is a reflection of this ongoing ambiguity amongst the immigrant generation and the first generation born in Australia.
“One of the things … I have enjoyed in the Reformed Churches here is the hospitality and general friendliness of the people. Never in my life have I had so many invitations ‘to have a cuppa’. In eight months our family has shared a meal with more church families here than we probably did in 3 or 4 years in our church in America. Part of that I realise is the unique nature of the exchange itself.
I sense that Aussies have a more relaxed attitude toward work and their careers and do much better at enjoying their holidays and the beauty of their vast country. Most Americans only get 2-4 weeks of paid holidays a year, and long service leave is unheard of.
The typical laid back ‘she’ll be right, mate’ attitude has also been apparent to me in Sunday worship services … Wearing my typical suit, tie, and pants just didn’t seem to fit at Tecoma, so this preacher found himself being a bit more spontaneous in his preaching and worship leadership as well.”
In the second instalment, there were more surprises, and sometimes bewilderment. One was Melbourne’s weather, which we do not need to describe through American eyes, other than to pass on the Van Ees’ delight at the mildness of our winter and at the sight of the lavish green and gold of our flowering wattles in midwinter.
“If the weather tested my patience and understanding, so much more so did perhaps one of its results; my unexpected bout with double pneumonia just after Easter Sunday. But it was then that I got immersed in the real Aussie world.
And that experience confirmed some of my initial impressions and observations about the Reformed Churches of Australia circles. Those circles are pretty tight [still], and it is apparent that the RCA is still struggling (much like our Christian Reformed Churches in America over the last 10-20 years) to really find a point of contact with the world, its culture, and their local churches ‘communities.
… My American accent opened the door to many opportunities to tell people why I was here. I wasn’t just on holidays: ‘I’m here as an exchange pastor’, and then I’d tell them about Tecoma Reformed Church. I was bewildered that I could not find any kind of church flyer, stationery, notes, or invitation cards to give to people I met out at the shops. I was also surprised to discover just how low the expectation was that any visitors would ever even come to our Reformed church. I sensed a bit of embarrassment or insecurity, which frankly I don’t think is warranted. The Reformed Church has a great faith and heritage to share.
I’ve endured over 15 years now of contemporary church growth talk on the American scene, and what have I seen? That it’s not so much church talk, strategising, and worship service styling that produces real church growth (the conversion and discipling of lost people), but rather it is people’s personal passions, perspectives, attitudes, and down to earth action of being in touch with real people who need Christ which brings renewal and growth to the church.
When it comes to fulfilling the great Commission (Matthew 28:19- 20) which Christ gave the church, it’s time to get beyond talking and start fishing. That means we need to be willing to make the time and extend the energy to get beyond our little circular ponds of inner church fellowship. Initial friendliness and hospitality must be willing to stretch itself to committed befriending and real inclusion and assimilation of others. Are we so busy with a cliquey cuppa here and a ‘gezellig’ (I know just enough Dutch to be dangerous) or comfortable cuppa there that we just don’t have the time and energy to be real salt and light in the world?”
Verlan Van Ee assures his Tecoma congregation that he is not putting down “Dutchness” in the RCA. He reminds them of his own Dutch roots and his appreciation of his heritage. In fact he believes ” .. .it is impossible for us to take the risk of really getting out of ourselves and our comfortable social circles if we haven’t come to grips with the reality of our roots.”
In conclusion of his second article, Rev. Van Ee makes some insightful comments on that special relationship between the pastor and his study – particularly where that room is located in the manse.
“To me this is a symbol of the very challenge of getting our ministry out of the church circle confines and into the community with real mission-like availability. I concede that this may just be personal bias on my part and may not endear me to many RCA pastors, but I find a study in the manse to be most confining and stifling.
It most readily puts you at the accessibility and mercy of your members and thus to the inaccessibility and exclusion of your neighbours …. It takes real effort, … real grace, and dangerous honesty to protect this time and space from the overwhelming socialisation of the congregation and the extended Reformed Church circle …
My encouragement to congregations is: Give your pastors time and space to: first, care for their family and home concerns, and second, be more involved with their neighbourhoods and thus be models in outreach. And to pastors and congregations alike I say: Get out there and make hay in your Aussie society while the sun is shining.”
Pastor Van Ee recognises that some may stumble over some of his observations.
“I apologise if I have been overly critical or unfair in some of these reflections. I humbly confess that I am just a naive outsider looking in, trying to understand. But I hope my candid honesty can be helpful … “
Your Gleaner has found these American notes of great interest and real help. It is always healthy to listen to the reflections of a trained and caring ‘outsider’ who is also something of an ‘insider’. In the next issue of T&S I would like to pass on some of Rev. Verlan Van Ee’s “encouragements and aspirations” to you.
Fred L Vanderbom
Note: Rev. Van Ee’s “Encouragements and Aspirations” will be the subject of next week’s post under the heading “Australian Gleanings – Part 2”. We urge you not to miss it because it is a brilliant piece of writing and gives us as much food for thought today as it did nearly forty years ago.
T&S Revisited 