DEBRUYN, Jon Otto 1949-2013

DEBRUYN, DEYOUNG

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 7/15/2013 at 13:15:49

PASTOR JON OTTO DEBRUYN, 64, PASSED
FROM THIS WORLD ON SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013.

He was in his home surrounded by his loving family.

Jon was born on February 21, 1949 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to Joanne and Cornelius DeBruyn. He grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Rock Rapids, Iowa with his parents, two brothers and two sisters. He graduated from Central Lyon High School in 1967 and Calvin College in Grand Rapids in 1971. While at Calvin College he met the enduring love of his life, Maellen DeYoung, whom he married on August 28, 1970 in Redlands, CA.

Upon graduation from college, he worked as a home-bound student educator for the Kent Intermediate School District in Grand Rapids. While still working as a teacher, he began seminary the year his first son, Michael, was born (1975) and graduated with his Masters of Divinity in an incredibly short 3 years in 1978, the year his second son, Kevin was born.

In 1978 he received his first church assignment to the Christian Reformed Church in Rudyard, Michigan, where he built some life-long relationships and where his daughter, Sara, was born in 1980. While leading the congregation in Rudyard, he accepted God’s call to plant New Hope Church in Kincheloe, Michigan, with seminarian Norm Thomasma who went on to lead the Kincheloe church for many years.

In November 1982, he accepted God’s call to plant a church and moved to Traverse City MI. Three months later Fellowship Church had its first worship service, and he grew, prospered, and shepherded the church for 26 years. In 2002 he received a significant grant from the Eli Lilly Foundation and went on a 6-month world-wide sabbatical in which he visited and prayed in many countries and built a deep knowledge of praying churches around the country and world.

After retiring from Fellowship Church, he committed full-time to the gift and passion the Holy Spirit fostered in him through his sabbatical and participation in PRMI’s Dunamis, the Deeper Journey retreats, and global mission work. He founded Prayer Missions International and led many mission trips throughout the world. He served and loved the Lord throughout his life, finished his race strong and well, and will be deeply missed by his wife, children, 12 Grandchildren, brothers and sisters, and many nieces and nephews.

Visitation for Pastor DeBruyn will take place Wednesday, June 26 from 5 until 8 p.m. at The Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home. The Memorial Service celebrating his life will begin at 1 p.m. Thursday, June 27 at Faith Reformed Church.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to Fellowship Church and marked for either PRMI Haiti Dunamis; Prayer Missions Award at Calvin Seminary; or DeBruyn Memorial Outreach Fund at Fellowship Church.

Please share your memories and thoughts with Pastor Jon’s family by way of his online guest book at www.reynolds-jonkhoff.com.

The family is being served by Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home and Cremation Services.

Source: http://www.lyoncountyreporter.com/