About Ben

It’s a little weird to write about myself [as myself] but here goes. Let’s see.. I spend lots of time with the love of my life – Kae. We’re Christians, so that identity shapes the rest of life. We pray, worship, read, write, think, bike, cook, travel, sip coffee, and do our best to enjoy the journey of life and invest ourselves in the lives of others in our congregation and community.

Kae and I welcomed into the family our first child, Silas Everett, in January of 2015. Words fail to communicate our joy, yet we have also experienced our fair share of new difficulties. Adjusting to parenthood is no easy task! We prayed throughout the pregnancy and in our preparations for parenthood that God would teach us more about how he parents us. Over Silas’s first year, we have grown as a family and learned what entirely unfettered joy looks like in a person. Silas embodies a deep and enduring zest for existence. Except when he’s grumpy or hungry or tired.

A 2015 trip to Pittsburgh

Our second child joined us in San Francisco in the September of 2016. Maelin brims with energy and life. Currently, he loves blended vegetables and looking out the window-oh, and Matchbox cars and his older brother’s toy food collection. [Scroll down for more kid pictures!]

Junia joined us just before the pandemic in late February 2020. And yes, that was strange timing since a global pandemic soon ensued. Thankfully we were able to be gathered closely as a family as the pandemic continued, and even had the energy to move back to Michigan from Silicon Valley in the summer of 2020.

To get here, I initially thought I’d use a U-Haul. It was over $4000, so I thought I’d see what I could buy for that much. This is the little Isuzu turbo diesel I ended up buying to get our stuff home. I made about $50 when all was said and done and sold!

Regarding my life in pastoral ministry, I have done a lot within the realm of ministry – a little bit of everything. Ever since I was baptized at age 13 I have felt a pull to serve in vocational ministry, and it has been a central aspect of my identity and life for about 2/3 of it [I’m 37 as I update this portion of my blog].

During my early years I worked closely with high school students and in pastoral care at Grace Episcopal Church in East Grand Rapids for several years, and there I learned about the church year, liturgy, and being someone who is seen as a ministry leader. Next came a God-directed transition to serve in a different local church called RiverTree Community Church which was part of the Reformed tradition, another new experience in the world of church. I led worship together alongside a committed team of talented volunteers. I also did preaching/teaching.

In May of 2015 I completed the Master of Divinity program at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary with way more credits than I needed – something I am grateful for, looking back. Toward the end of those six years of seminary I began a two-year ordination process in the Reformed Church in America, and finished with ordination at City Church of San Francisco in December of 2016 where I also worked as a youth pastor.

Kae carried our middle child, Maelin, to San Francisco all the way from Grand Rapids. He joined us on Sutter Street at SF Birth Center about six months after we made the move.

I worked as Pastor of Youth and Missions at Palo Alto Vineyard Church for three years before moving back to Grand Rapids, MI, to be closer to family, and for Kae to begin a private practice therapy business which has since flourished.

Since February of 2021 I have served as Minister of Congregational Life at Church of the Servant, a lovely and quirky justice-seeking congregation on the southeast side of Grand Rapids. My job, put simply, is to help this particular congregation love one another. It’s a lot of [mostly] joyful efforts building connections, groups, and pathways to help meaningful relationships form. I also do pastoral care, lead worship, and preach sometimes. Can you tell I love my congregation?

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Thanks for checking out my blog. Get a hold of me on social media if you’d like to continue a conversation begun here.

Now, a few pictures!

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Friends wedding day – August 3rd, 2013