2018 Bast Preaching Festival
Featuring Rev. Dr. Timothy Brown, President of WTS and Henry Bast Professor of Preaching
The Bible and Preaching: Exercises in Losing Yourself in the Word
Timothy L. Brown is President and Henry Bast Professor of Preaching at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan. He has pastored several congregations in the Reformed Church in America and has served as Dean of the Chapel at Hope College. He has been a member of the WTS faculty for over 20 years, serving as president since 2008. He is a frequent speaker at pastor’s conferences, college and seminary campuses, church renewal events, and he is a frequent contributor to a range of periodicals in preaching and pastoral theology.
Co-leaders
Denise Kingdom Grier
Lead Pastor, Maple Avenue Ministries
Rev. Dr. Denise Kingdom Grier is the lead pastor at Maple Avenue Ministries, a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-generational congregation in Holland, Michigan. Maple Avenue is the first union church of the Reformed Church in America and the Christian Reformed Church. Rev. Grier graduated from Shaw University in Raleigh, NC, where she received a BA in psychology. After functioning as a social worker for many years, she went on to become the first African-American female to graduate from Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan with both the Master of Divinity and Doctorate of Ministry degrees.
She is a longtime student of the Word who brings dynamic and prophetic insights to her preaching, teaching and pastoral life. Dr. Grier has committed her life to proclaiming the gospel of peace and justice. She is the wife of CJ Kingdom Grier and the mother of two biological children as well as a host of other foster and surrogate children who have shared her life and home.
Jonathon Brown
Lead Pastor, Pillar Church
Jon joined the Pillar Church team in 2013 after 10 years as the Sr. Pastor of First Reformed Church in Oak Harbor, WA. Located in the “none-zone,” where more people indicate no religious affiliation on the national census than nearly any other state in the USA, Jon found it an incredible joy preaching in that context.
Pillar Church was the first church established in the city of Holland in 1847. In the recent past, Pillar experienced significant decline and considered closing its doors. Today, by a wonderful work of God’s spirit, Pillar Church is a thriving, dual-affiliation congregation of both the CRC and RCA denominations. Jon’s heart for reconciliation beats with Pillar’s heart in this way.
Urging the church forward to participate in the mission of Christ in the world is where Jon finds the deepest joy and greatest sense of purpose.
Jon and his wife Kristyn are the proud parents of four daughters, Lydia, Tabitha, Miriah and Ava.
Jessica Shults
Lead Pastor, Standale Reformed Church
Pastor Jess Shults has served in a pastoral role at SRC for over 13 years and as the lead pastor for the last six. She is originally from the Grandville, MI area, but spent her high school years in Waupun, WI. Pastor Jess is a graduate of Northwestern College in Orange City, IA with a degree in Christian Education and Religion. She earned her M.Div. at Western Theological Seminary, in Holland, MI.
She feels deeply privileged to have the opportunity to walk beside individuals and families during great times of celebration as well as moments of deep sadness. The richest experiences in ministry have been seeing individuals discover Christ for the first time and then watching them discover the ways Christ literally transforms their lives in every way.
Jess been an active member of the Ridder Church Renewal Leadership Development faculty and a contributor to the Leader’s Journey book.
Pastor Jess and Matt Shults (Director of Student Ministries & Outreach) have two boys, 13 and 10.
Trygve Johnson
Hinga-Boersma Dean of the Chapel, Hope College
The Rev. Dr. Trygve Johnson has served as the Hinga-Boersma Dean of the Chapel since 2005. He leads and oversees the Hope Campus Ministries office, whose team of chaplains facilitates programs related to Christian formation. These include a voluntary chapel program as well as discipleship and mission opportunities.
Trygve preaches regularly in chapel services and a Sunday evening service called The Gathering. He also preaches nationally in churches, at Christian conferences and at other college campuses.
Dr. Johnson earned his B.A. at Northwestern College, his M.Div. at Western Theological Seminary, and his Ph.D. at the University of St. Andrews. He is ordained in the Reformed Church of America, is an adjunct professor of Preaching at Western Theological Seminary, and is the author of "The Preacher as Liturgical Artist" (Cascade Press, 2014).
