Steadfastly committed to his lifelong calling of preaching, prayer, and pastoral care, Ken Koeman will be remembered as a man uniquely gifted in communicating the Word of God from the pulpit and with the pen. An active listener, he knew how to say the right words with wisdom and gentleness. Koeman died peacefully on August 8 after a brief illness. He was 75.
After graduating from Calvin Seminary in 1967, Koeman ministered in inner city New York and then served the following congregations: Chelwood CRC, Albuquerque, N.M,; Parkland CRC, Portland, Ore.; Sonlight Community CRC, Lynden, Wash.; and Bellevue (Wash.) CRC. Following his retirement in 2010, he was interim pastor to churches in Washington, Montana, and British Columbia. In addition to his pastoral ministry, Koeman could be counted on for thoughtful contributions as a member of the Back to God Hour (now Back to God Ministries International), Calvin Seminary Board and Candidacy Committee; delegate to synod; and longtime synodical deputy. His writings were featured in The Banner, Reformed Worship, and Today. In addition, just weeks before his passing, he completed his book Redemption Comes Hard, an insightful look into the life of Joseph.
Koeman will be remembered for never having lost the wonder of God’s goodness and grace so marvelously displayed through creation. He saw Christ’s glory in a tree-ripened peach from his orchard, the beauty of an autumn leaf, or a simple bowl of ice cream—and was delighted to point it out to others.
Left to cherish his memory are Kay, his wife of 52 years; their two children and spouses; and five grandchildren.
About the Author
A former nurse and chaplain, Janet Greidanus is a freelance news correspondent and long-time writer of the In Memoriam column for The Banner.
