God’s story of love and grace was at the center of Paul Bremer’s life story. His younger brother described the pastor and professor as a caring, compassionate, disciplined, diligent, dependable, and humble man who loved people and learning. He is remembered for his love of storytelling which was reflected in his family interactions, his teaching, his preaching, and his hobbies. “He had a way of anchoring heady concepts of translation, interpretation, and philosophy to everyday life through his stories and anecdotes,” said a former student who became a colleague. Bremer died Aug. 2 in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Bremer taught Greek, first at Calvin University while he was attending Calvin Theological Seminary and then at Princeton Theological Seminary while completing his Ph.D. He joined the faculty at Kuyper College (formerly Reformed Bible College) in 1975 and was ordained in the Christian Reformed Church in 1976. He remained at Kuyper until his retirement in 2006.
The Bremers opened their home to many, including international students and Navajo families. A number of pastors, particularly some women, people of color, and those who left a career to pursue ministry later in life, credit Bremer’s support and encouragement as a factor in their presence in ministry today.
He explored his love of history and learning by traveling to national parks, Civil War sites, and his favorite city, Washington, D.C. He enjoyed researching Abraham Lincoln, the Navajo Code Talkers, and working in the archives of Rehoboth Christian School and Calvin University.
Bremer is survived by his wife Jacquellyn, three children and their spouses, 11 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
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.
