1926-2010
Rev. Willard Van Antwerpen, cheerful and devout pastor and preacher, a man given to much prayer, and a diligent student, died on September 28.
Van Antwerpen entered the ministry of the Christian Reformed Church in 1951 after graduating from Calvin College and Seminary.
He served congregations in New York, Minnesota, Michigan, and Illinois, retiring in 1991.
Though the pastoral ministry was the love of his heart, he remained a student of theology. In 1984, Calvin Theological Seminary awarded him a master’s degree.
He had a most winsome way with people. A man of joyful godliness, his parishioners remember his prayers.
Van Antwerpen was deeply interested in the challenge of missions. In 1956 he accepted an appointment to serve under Christian Reformed World Missions in Argentina but was unable to go because of family illness.
Van Antwerpen is survived by his wife, Berdela, five children and their spouses, 14 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by a son and a son-in-law.
Further information on recently deceased ministers is available each year in the front pages of the Christian Reformed Church’s annual Yearbook.
About the Author
The late Louis Tamminga (d. Nov. 11, 2024), a long-time pastor, leader, and administrator in the Christian Reformed Church, wrote the pastors' In Memoriam column for The Banner until 2015.
