Date - Dec/96

Contributor - Albert Moddejonge

Title - Church Leaders in the Canadian Synod - Rev. Ronald Lee Sikkema

Topic -Minister Profile

The first time I met Reverend Ron Sikkema was when Pastor Ron and his wife, Kathy, stayed at our home in the late fall of 1991. They were here in response to a call from First Reformed Church in Hamilton, Ontario. They spent the whole weekend here, during which time they had opportunities to socialize with different members of the congregation and meet with members of our consistory and their spouses. Pastor Ron led us in service that Sunday, of course.

What impressed me and my wife, Janice, the most about the Sikkemas, during that weekend, was their honesty, especially how they talked about their human struggles in relation to our call to them. Other impressions that came through very clear to us were their love of the Gospel, their family, and the RCA.

When we dropped them off at Toronto International Airport for their flight home, both Janice and I shared a strong feeling that we would see them again.

Pastor Ron and Kathy accepted our call, and in early March of 1992, Rev. Ron Sikkema was installed as our Pastor.

They left behind (in Minnesota) three good looking sons and seven beautiful grandchildren. Minnesota is a long 14 hours away from Hamilton, and they miss family very much. If you have time, ask them about their family; just be prepared to listen. Like all grandparents, there are many stories that Pastor Ron and Kathy are willing to share.

Ron Sikkema was born on August 12, 1938, in Fenton, Illinois. The Lord blessed him with Christian parents, Clayton and Freda Sikkema. He was baptized in the Evangelical United Brethren church, but he spent his formative years m Ebenezer Reformed Church in Morrison, Illinois. He is the youngest of four children, with one sister who is a retired teacher. His brother Laverne retired after 40 years in missions with the RCA in Africa. Veme went as an agricultural missionary and later became a pilot for Mission Aviation Fellowship. He recently went back to Zambia for a short stint to relieve a vacationing missionary family. His other brother, Dr. Wesley Sikkema, is a renowned, semi-retired surgeon in Seattle, Washington.

Kathy Sikkema was born in Holland, Michigan, to Christian parents, Henry and Verna Boeve. She is the oldest of nine children.

In 1956, Ron went to Hope College to prepare for a career in engineering. He dropped out of college during his second year to help out at home when his father had a severe heart attack. His next career move was to volunteer for service in the U. S. armed forces. It was during his active service duty in Korea that he felt the call to go into the Christian ministry.

Responding to the call, he returned to Hope College in 1960 to start his preparation for the ministry. This is where he met his wife to be, Kathleen Boeve. They were married on August 17, 1962. Kathy immediately went to work on her Doctorate in MHTS, supporting Ron through seminary.

Ron graduated from Western Theological Seminary in 1965, and the Sikke mas started their ministry in Ellsworth, Minnesota. Since then they have served the Lord in Crete, Illinois; Lakewood,

Colorado; Rochester, Minnesota; and (now) First Reformed Church in Hamilton, Ontario. Pastor Ron studied from 1989 to 1991 for Ms Doctorate of Ministry, which he hopes to eventually complete.

In the summer of 1993, Pastor Ron was elected as the founding president of the Regional Synod of Canada, RCA. He is currently serving as the president of Classis Ontario.

It is always a joy to see a congregation respond to the ministry of their pastor, and at First Reformed Church in Hamilton, that is happening. You can see it in so many ways, in terms of numbers and especially in the overall spiritual state of our congregation.

Certainly, Pastor Ron and Kathy, we have always been blessed by your influence in our lives, and our lives have become richer because of that influence.

Thank you, Lord, for the ministry of Pastor Ron and Kathy. And all the people here at First

Reformed say AMEN.