A pastor with a kind and gentle spirit who affirmed God's faithfulness and grace into the final days of his 99 years, Jack Matheis died Sept. 6.

A pastor with a great sense of humor who thought deeply about theology and loved communicating the gospel message, George Mossel died Aug. 21. He was 78.

A pastor who put God first and was unabashed about sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, Ron Sprik died July 21. He was 84.

A quiet man who loved the Lord and his family, Berny Dykstra died May 17. He was 80 years old.

A humble, passionate, streetwise pastor dedicated to his community congregation, local school, and the Belknap neighborhood in Grand Rapids, Mich., Jerome Burton died July 6. He was 66.

A hard-working and faithful minister of the gospel, Bob Tigchelaar loved each congregation and community to which he was called. He died June 25 at age 81.

As one who faced challenges with resoluteness, humor, and a reliance on Jesus, John Rop was described as a “heart” preacher who understood brokenness. He died July 2 at age 72.

A pastor and professor with a gentle demeanor and respect for others as God’s image bearers, Phil Holtrop was a trusted confidant and mentor to many. He died June 12, aged 89.

A pastor “passionate about welcoming everyone and their stories into the family of God,” Harvey Brink died May 26. He was 78.

An active pastor of the Indonesian Christian Reformed Fellowship in Dover, N.H., Michael Lapian died June 25. He was 61.

A kind-hearted pastor who lived by a motto “to be Christlike with a servant heart,” Henry Numan died April 6. He was 81.

“Pastor Pete,” who served as a workplace chaplain for nearly 20 years after 28 years of congregational ministry, died April 13. He was 76.

Julius Vigh, a faithful pastor and devoted family man, died Nov. 30, 2022, four days after joining family for a final Thanksgiving gathering.

After 50 years of ordained ministry in Sri Lanka and U.S. churches, Neville Koch lived two-and-a-half years with Lewy Body Dementia and died Feb. 15, 2023. He was 78.

Cor Pool, known as a kind and compassionate person who loved sharing the love of Jesus, died Jan. 22. He was 71.

A humble but confident preacher who loved to sing hymns and continued to preach into his mid-80s, Les Van Essen died Jan. 15 at age 87.

A joyful and tenderhearted pastor who served in ministry for more than 40 years, Bert VanAntwerpen died Jan. 10. He was 85.

Friends described retired pastor and professor Sidney DeWaal with words like ‘inspirational leader,’ ‘wise counselor,’ and ‘loving man.’ After living for several years with Alzheimer’s Disease, he died Jan. 1 at age 87.

A heavy equipment operator who retrained as a pastor and returned to truck driving in retirement, Ray Steigenga was sincere and hard-working. He died Jan. 7 at age 77.

A ‘kind and humble pastor with a servant heart and a deep love for Jesus and for people,’ John Rickers died Dec. 1, at age 96.

Lloyd Wolters’s heart for sharing the gospel was infused into his every interaction. “Spreading the gospel was his life,” said one of his daughters. He died Oct.7 at age 92.

Whether serving as pastor, missionary, church planter, or ministering in his retirement years, Ramon Borrego lived humbly and practiced hospitality. He died Aug. 31 at age 92.

Serving for 30 years as a chaplain in the U.S. Army, John Hoogland earned the rank of colonel and in retirement served as an associate pastor. He died Sept. 4 at age 88.