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Collection Overview
Abstract
Chaplain in the United States Navy, missionary to Nigeria, faculty at Calvin Theological Seminary. The collection includes letters to his family; correspondence with families of marines killed in action; materials that reflect his chaplaincy and missionary work; and articles, correspondence, and documents regarding religious issues in the church.
Biographical Note
Harry Rainier Boer graduated from Calvin in 1938; he served as chair of missions at Calvin Theological Seminary in 1951. Harry co-founded the Reformed Journal and advocated for the new theology in the Christian Reformed Church. His parents were Anna Vijfhuizen and Jacob Boer. Harry's father was born in Nieuwerbrug, worked as a bookkeeper for the bulb-growing nursery businesses and served as a deacon. His mother was a domestic maid and participated in the Ladies' Aid Society. The family arrived in the United States in April 1922. Harry Rainier did his confession of faith in 1934 in Holland, Michigan. Harry's grandparents were Hendrick Vijfhuizen, Willem Boer, and Elizabeth Mulder. Harry had a sister, Elisabeth Datema, and a brother, William, and several nieces and nephews.
Harry attended the Holland Christian High School, Hope College, and then to Calvin Theological Seminary in 1942. Harry served as a chaplain in the United States Navy (he was the first CRC pastor to be a Navy chaplain), a missionary to Nigeria, and was part of the faculty for the Calvin Theological Seminary. Harry founded and worked as the first principal of the theological college of Northern Nigeria. He also led weekly Bible studies for the inmates of the Muskegon, Michigan, Correctional Facility.
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: [General Materials]],
[
Series 2: Photographs],
[All]
- Series 1: [General Materials]
- Box 1
- Folder 1: Letters to his parents --- April to December, 1942
- Folder 2: Letters to his parents --- November to December, 1942
- Folder 3: Letters to his parents --- January to May, 1943
- Folder 4: Letters to his parents --- June to December, 1943
- Folder 5: Letters from Brother William --- 1942-1943
- Folder 6: Letters from his parents and sister --- 1944
- Folder 7-8: Letters to his parents --- 1944
- Folder 9: Letters received from parents whose sons were killed in action --- 1944
- Box 2
- Folder 1: Letters received from parents whose sons were killed in action and other family related matters --- 1944
- Folder 2
- Item 1: Letters sent to families of marines killed in action --- 1944
- Item 2: paper written on the Tarawa Battle
- Folder 3: Letters to his parents --- January to November, 1945
- Folder 4: Letters sent to Boer --- 1945
- Folder 5: Official papers relating to his military service --- 1942-1946
- Folder 6: Navy chaplain newsletters --- 1944
- Folder 7: Military orders, memos, and separation papers --- 1944
- Folder 8: Correspondence with J. T. Hoogstra --- 1942-1950
- Folder 9
- Item 1: Letters from D. H. Kromminga.
- Item 2: Paper on "The Pre-millennial Eschatology of D. H. Kromminga" --- 1943
- Folder 10: Correspondence between Boer and First CRC Roseland re: Reprobation Issue --- 1965-1971
- Folder 11: Reformed Journal Article on reprobation by Boer --- 1965
- Folder 12: Documents related to Boer's writing on reprobation --- 1965
- Folder 13: Correspondence re: establishment of a Reformed Seminary in Benue (Monsma/Personaire Matter) --- 1968-1973
- Folder 14: Appeal to the Synod of the Christian Reformed Church re: deposition from position as professor of missions at Calvin Theological Seminary in 1952; written to R. J. Danhof, stated clerk --- 1953
- Box 3
- Folder 1: Correspondence from M. S. Bates (Union Theological Seminary) on Mission Efforts by Roman Catholic and Protestant Organizations in China --- 1951
- Folder 2: Documents Relating to First Jenison CRC Overture re: Boer's Objection to Qualifications for CRC Membership in Nigeria --- 1956
- Folder 3: Correspondence re: Boer's Reformed Journal articles on Biblical Criticism --- 1959
- Folder 4: Correspondence with Ministers' Pension Fund --- 1970
- Folder 5: Nigerian correspondence --- 1970-1975
- Folder 6: Documents/Correspondence re: Boer's writings on denominational boards --- 1973-1976
- Folder 7: Correspondence with Lynwood CRC re: Infallibility of the Bible --- 1976-1978
- Folder 8: Documents relating to Boer's request to have his ministerial credentials transferred from Lynwood, Illinois, CRC to First Grand Rapids, Michigan, CRC --- 1979
- Folder 9: Correspondence with the "Contemporary Testimony Committee" --- 1983
- Folder 10
- Item 1: Dedication program of the Theological College of Northern Nigeria --- 1963
- Item 2: Boer's graduation address, Class of 1991, TCNN
- Folder 11: Documents relating to the Ronald Ray situation --- 1992
- Folder 12: Letter to Delegates to Synod re: Women in Office --- 1992
- Folder 13: General correspondence --- 1958-1984
- Folder 14: Paper: "The Christian Church and Polygamy"
- Folder 15
- Item 1: TCNN research bulletin and calendar
- Item 2: History of the Theological College of Northern Nigeria --- 1950-1971
- Folder 16: Papers by Boer
- Item 1: "The Unacknowledged Crisis"
- Item 2: "On the Integrity of Synods"
- Item 3: "An Ember Still Glowing"
- Folder 17: Paper: "The Church in the World"
- Folder 18: Last will and testament and related documents
- Folder 19: List of articles in Reformed Journal
- Folder 20: Our Mission Budget and the Indian Field [HERH BV2527.B6] --- 1949
- Folder 21: Mighty Acts of God --- 1956
- Folder 22: Principles of Missions
- Folder 23: Lecture, The World Missionary Situation Today --- 1958
- Box 4
- Folder 3: Map of Nigeria
- Series 2: Photographs
- Box 4
- Folder 1: Postcard/photo scrapbook of Nigerian scenes
- Folder 2: Unidentified photo negatives
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: [General Materials]],
[
Series 2: Photographs],
[All]
