The Van Dyken family moved from Montana to Ripon, California in 1919. Harry was two years of age. By the time he entered Calvin College he had served in the army, married Wilhelmina Van Andel, engaged in farming, served as a deacon, become an electrician and was associated in business with other members of his family.
As time went by, he became more and more convinced that he should enter the ministry. He completed high school by passing equivalency tests. To move to Grand Rapids with his family and enter Calvin as a freshman required conviction, tenacity and mental acumen. And let’s not forget the loyal support of his wife.
He graduated from Calvin Seminary in 1954. He served Christian Reformed churches in California, Washington, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario. His preaching was solidly Reformed. He avoided the novel and the superficial. He strongly believed in the authority of the local consistory. He was not concerned about personal popularity. People knew where he stood. He was an outstanding teacher. And contrary to what one may think, young people were attracted to him.
Harry was not afraid to express his disagreement with certain decisions of Synod and the stand of a number of leaders in the church. Such things as the revision of the Church Order and liturgy, adoption of certain study committee reports and the acceptance by Synod of candidates with questionable views of Scripture troubled him. Finally, these developments got to the point where he could not in good conscience remain in the denomination.
We ask the question: Would it not have been better for him to remain in the denomination and continue his efforts to reverse the downward trend? This question was put to him at a meeting at the time of his last visit to Ripon. This was his answer: “A building is on fire. You are trying to put out the fire with a water hose. Suddenly, someone turns off the water. Then it’s a lost cause. When Synod adopted Report 44, the water was turned off. I had no alternative.”
He was also asked whether it might not have been wiser for him and his followers to affiliate with another existing Reformed denomination. He answered by saying that he loved the Christian Reformed Church. Its creeds, history and traditions were dear to him. The Orthodox Christian Reformed Church, to him was to be a continuation of the Christian Reformed. Church as it used to be. Without being facetious, he felt the church had forsaken him and not the other way around.
As mentioned above, Harry said that when Synod adopted Report 44, they shut off the water and there was no alternative. There is evidence today that the water has not been entirely shut off. As a matter of fact, the valve is opening up, even though it be slightly. And it is, perhaps more than we realize, because Harry had the courage of his convictions. He was not one who defended the Reformed faith on the pulpit but equivocated at classes and synod. His influence is being felt today and, we hope may be felt more in the future. What form this influence will take remains to be seen. At the moment, we don’t know whether it will be in the growth of the Orthodox Christian Reformed Church, in our return to a more Reformed stance, a consolidation with other Reformed churches, or in a move toward independentism.
The time may come when we will have to admit that Harry was right and we were wrong. One thing is certain: Christ is the head of His church. We must submit to His rule as He has set it forth in His Word.
H. Van Dyken was for a long while president of our Reformed Fellowship in Canada.
Simon Viss is a retired Christian Reformed minister living at Ripon, California.