Hello! Thanks for visiting this website. This is where you find out about me.
PERSONAL:
Below are the bare bones of my personal story and my family, the non-career part of the story. The full story can be found in our memoirs Every Square Inch. See the first item on the Boeriana page of this website.
John/Jan – born in Lutjegast, The Netherlands in 1938
Immigrated to Pitt Meadows, BC, Canada in 1951
Frances (Fran) Ann (wife) – born in Hantumhuizen, The Netherlands in 1942
Immigrated to Grand Rapids, MI, USA in 1948
Married – 1962
Graduated from Calvin College, Grand Rapids – John: 1962; Fran: 1963
Frances – elementary school teacher at Godwin Christian, Wyoming, MI: 1963-1965
John graduated from Calvin Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids: 1965
John and Frances –
– African Studies at Mich. State University: 1965-1966
– Missionaries to Nigeria, 1966-1996
– Three natural children: Kevin Richard (1969); Cynthia Jenelle (1973); Wiebe Karl (1974)
– One adopted Nigerian daughter: Lydia, now mother of three adult sons.
– Seven natural grandchildren (2014); three via Lydia.
– Grand Rapids, MI (1996-2001); Vancouver, BC (2001-present)
ACADEMICS:
Places where I’ve done academic work, schools attended, courses taken or given, lectures delivered and places/times of academic research and writing:
- 2014-Present – Developing / Expanding this website into an online Reformational Library, offering literature from the tradition of Abraham Kuyper through Herman Dooyeweerd and beyond.
- 2013-2014 – Translating book of meditations written by Abraham Kuyper (Vancouver, Canada)
- 2011 – Adeolu Adegbola Memorial Lecture, Institute of Church & Society (Ibadan, Nigeria) Retooling Our Approach to Sharia: A Wholistic and Pluralistic Perspective. Go to Islamica page of this website.
- 2011 – 20-hour international lecture series on Christian-Muslim Relations, Overseas Ministries Study Center (New Haven, CT, USA)
- 1996-2009 – Researcher and writer on Christian-Muslim issues (Jos, Nigeria, Grand Rapids, MI and Vancouver, BC)
- 1993-1996 – Lecturer in Missiology and Church & Society, Theological College of Northern Nigeria (Jos, Nigeria)
- 1981 – Guest Lecturer in Graduate course in Missiology, Calvin Theological Seminary (Grand Rapids, MI, USA)
- 1979 – Awarded doctorate Vrije Universiteit (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
- 1978-1979 – Lecturer in Christian Ethics, University of Jos (Jos, Nigeria)
- 1976-1977 – Doctoral research and writing of dissertation (Grand Rapids, MI, USA)
- 1973 – Doctoral Research in London and at Cecil Rhodes Library (Oxford, UK)
- 1972-1974 – Graduate studies in Missiology, Vrije Universiteit (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
- 1973-1974 – Research Fellow at Vrije Universiteit
- 1967 – 3-months Islamics course, Pierre Benignus Study Centre, (Ibadan, Nigeria)
- 1965-1966 – African Studies, Michigan State University (Lansing, MI, USA)
- 1962-1965 – Calvin Theological Seminary – BD (Grand Rapids, MI, USA)
- 1958-1962 – Calvin College – BA (Grand Rapids, MI, USA)
- 1954-1958 – British Columbia Govt. High School Correspondence School (Alberni, BC, Canada)
