New Life Church Pastor Moves from Planting Churches to Growing Pastors

One of Jesus’ tag lines when he talked to people about the kingdom of God was, “May all who have ears, hear.” Some listeners probably glanced at their neighbors and shrugged their shoulders, not taking the time to hear between the lines, so to speak.

The same could be said about Pastor Jul Medenblik’s tag line that he wove into both weekend messages and casual conversations during his time as senior pastor of . While he didn’t preface the statement with that line, Medenblik did want the congregation to understand the truth of this statement: “I am not the perfect pastor, and we are not the perfect church.”

Not a hollow marketing ploy, these words were spoken from the heart with humility and honesty, fully acknowledging that because we are human, we (yes, even pastors) fall so far short of the mark that Jesus set. Yet we are so loved by God that we are forgiven for our sins (repeatedly) and always encouraged to grow in our faith, working daily to become more like Jesus, whether individually or in a community of faith.

ROOM FOR ONE MORE

Having such a humble spirit leads to genuine hospitality and the warm welcome that New Life Church is known for in the community, all values that Medenblik hopes have been imprinted on New Life's people and will continue after he leaves on June 5 to become the seventh president of Calvin Seminary in Grand Rapids, Mich.

“I firmly believe that everyone who comes to New Life Church needs to know that God has a plan for them,” Medenblik said. It doesn’t matter if you were at church every Sunday for the last 50 years or never set foot in a church in your life.

“I also think it’s necessary for New Life to see that her best days are still ahead,” he shared, even though he won’t be shepherding the church he planted 15 years ago with his wife Jackie.

DEEP MIDWESTERN ROOTS

A former lawyer who grew up on a pig farm in Fulton, Illinois, Medenblik realized after six years of practicing law in Palm Beach County, Florida, that God was calling him to the ministry. He and his wife, Jackie, moved to Michigan in 1991, where he enrolled at Calvin Seminary, graduating in 1995.

“I grew up in the church and always thought I was going to return to a local, established church,” said Medenblik. However, the Christian Reformed Church Home Missions office identified key leadership opportunities for him in other areas, namely church planting (starting a new church from the ground up) and positively assessed him for such an ambitious undertaking.

Reflecting on his own Illinois roots (including an undergraduate degree from Trinity College in Palos Heights) and his wife’s family connections in Lansing, Medenblik added, “God opened doors very clearly for us to come do this work back in northern Illinois.”

Just as God has been opening doors very clearly for him to move into the presidency at Calvin Seminary in Grand Rapids, where the Christian Reformed Church is also headquartered.

“All that I’ve done is preparation for what I will do,” Medenblik said.

PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

Four years ago, while still serving as senior pastor at New Life Church, he accepted a national position for the Christian Reformed Church as sort of a church planting master consultant.

Then in 2010, he became the president elect of Calvin Seminary where, beginning in July 2011, his work will be divided between development (fundraising), promoting external relationships with churches and communities (both in the U.S. and internationally) and serving as the head of staff for Calvin Seminary with the newly created title of Professor of Church Planting and Leadership.

“The seminary should serve the needs of the church as the church serves the mission of God. By us helping the local church, it keeps (the Christian faith) moving forward,” he affirmed.

While Medenblik said he relies on the truth of Jeremiah 29:11-13 to guide his personal and spiritual life, he no doubt will begin to say to those he meets in his new position, “I am not the perfect president.” Surely those words will continue to reveal his servant’s heart as he steps out in faith, following God’s plans for his life.

Rachel Gilmore is a member of New Life Church.