Remkes Kooistra Collection, 1933-1995 | Heritage Hall, Hekman Library

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Collection Overview

Title: Remkes Kooistra Collection, 1933-1995

ID: COLL/148

Primary Creator: Remkes Kooistra (1917-2005)

Extent: 35.0 Boxes

Arrangement: Folder level description

Abstract

Minister of the Christian Reformed Church and editor of Church and Nation. The collection includes papers, reports, correspondence, sermons, editorials, articles, class notes, press clippings, and subject files on churches in the Netherlands during World War II; Klaas Schilder case; Canadian churches; Council of Christian Reformed Churches in Canada; Christian Labour Association of Canada; Church and Nation; Christian education; Synodical Committee on Race Relations; Synodical Committee on Infallibility and Inspiration; and campus ministry at the University of Waterloo and at Wilfrid Laurier University.

Biographical Note

Remkes Kooistra was born in the village of Wijk aan Zee, the Netherlands on May 22, 1917. Kooistra attended the seminary in Kampen and went on to earn this doctorate in theology and sociology from the Free University of Amsterdam. In 1943, Kooistra married Jantje (Jannette) Feddema and together they had four children. Kooistra served the following congregations in the Netherlands Siegerswoude (1943-1947); Hengelo (1947-1951); and The Hague (1951-1955).

In 1955, Kooistra and his family immigrated to North America and settled in Alberta, Canada to serve the congregation of Red Deer. Kooistra served at Red Deer until 1960; where he went on to serve the churches of Trenton, Ontario (1960-1964) and First, Toronto, Ontario (1964-1974). In 1974, Kooistra decided to serve university campuses. He became campus chaplain at Wilfred Laurier University, University of Waterloo, and University of Guelph. He taught Greek and Dutch courses at St. Paul’s college and University of Waterloo. He also occasionally taught classes or gave lectures at the Institute for Christian Studies, Calvin College, and Redeemer University College. In 1982 Kooistra retired from active ministry and teaching.

Kooistra also served as a hospital chaplain in Waterloo, comforting and tending to the sick and their families. Kooistra found time to serve on several boards and committees including First Committee on Women in Office, member on the Board of Home Missions, and Christian Reformed World Relief Committee to name a few. In his free time, Kooistra liked to write. He wrote several catechism booklets such as By Grace Through Faith. He published a collection of stories from Holocaust survivors called Where Was God?

Kooistra passed away unexpectedly on May 30, 2005 in Brampton Ontario.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Biographical Notes, Ministry in the Netherlands, 1943-1969],
[Series 2: Activities in the Netherlands, 1944-1955],
[Series 3: Correspondence: University and First Congregation, 1933-1946],
[Series 4: Correspondence, 1946-1948],
[Series 5: Correspondence, Hengelo 's-Gravenhage, Red Deer, 1949-1955],
[Series 6: Correspondence, Red Deer and Ebenezer, Toronto, 1956-1963],
[Series 7: Correspondence, Trenton and First Toronto, 1964-1967],
[Series 8: Correspondence, First Toronto, 1968-1972],
[Series 9: Correspondence, Campus Ministry and Retirement Period, 1973-1974],
[Series 10: Ebenezer, Trenton and First Toronto, 1960-1974],
[Series 11: First Toronto and Waterloo, 1964-1981],
[Series 12: Christian Education Material, 1955-1979],
[Series 13: Christian Labor Association of Canada (CLAC) and Council of Christian Reformed Churches in Canada (CCRCC), 1956-1963 and 1968-1973],
[Series 14: Church and Nation Material, 1958-1972],
[Series 15: Council of Christian Reformed Churches in Canada (CCRCC), 1973-1980],
[Series 16: Council of Christian Reformed Churches in Canada (CCRCC); Lord's Day Alliance of Canada, 1965-1979],
[Series 17: Committee on Confessional Revision on Gravamen of Dr. Harry Boer, 1977-1979],
[Series 18: Interchurch Project on Population, 1973-1975],
[Series 19: Interchurch Project on Population and Race Commission, 1977-1980 and 1965-1970],
[Series 20: Race Commission [Synodical Committee on Race Relations (SCORR)]; Eastern Canada Interclassical Conference, 1970-1975],
[Series 21: Varia, 1947-1987],
[Series 22: Articles Published, Book Reviews, 1960-1987],
[Series 23: Book Reviews, Committee Activities, 1965-1984],
[Series 24: Committee Activities, Huron Campus Ministry, 1967-1984],
[Series 25: Huron Campus Ministry, 1976-1981],
[Series 26: Huron Campus Ministry; Issues of Interest, 1960-1984],
[Series 27: Reports; Issues of Interest, 1963-1986],
[Series 28: Diaries, 1946-1984],
[Series 29: Varia],
[Series 30: Canadian Congress on Evangelism, 1967-1971],
[Series 31: Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, 1960-1962],
[All]

Series 21: Varia --- 1947-1987

Box 21

Folder 1: Address: "Calling of Youth," Youth Rally --- 1947
Folder 2: Address: "Diakonie en Evangelisatie," Amelo --- 1948
Folder 3: Address: "The Hidden Invaders," notes --- c. 1970
Folder 4: Address: "Society for Higher Education," Arnheim --- July 4, 1963
Folder 5: Article: "Bible and Popino," Torch and Trumpet; correspondence with
Folder 6: Article: "The Christian and Politics," Timely Topic series
Folder 7: Article: "The Netherlands after Eight Years"
Folder 8: Article: "Solidariteit"
Folder 9: Article: "Het vraagstuk van scheping en evolutie," reactions --- 1963
Folder 10: Bible teaching notes, papers --- 1965
Folder 11: Book reviews --- 1967
Folder 12: Calvinist Cadet Corps reports --- 1961
Folder 13: Centennial booklet, project of 1967, aborted; proposals, contributions, reports
Folder 14: Christian School Action Labor, reports of 1965-1967
Folder 15: Church conditions, reports --- 1960s
Folder 16: Comments on poetry, reactions --- 1958
Folder 17: Dutch Association for Protection of Animals, material and correspondence --- 1951-1954
Folder 18: Editorial and articles (in Dutch) on various subjects, Calvinist Contact
Folder 19: Editorials on church issues

Box 22

Folder 1: Editorials on education issues
Folder 2: Editorials on labor issues
Folder 3: Editorials on political issues
Folder 4: Editorials, letters to the editor
Folder 5: Infallibility: articles by M. Hoogland, M. Woudstra, and R. Kooistra --- 1958-1960
Folder 6: Meditations
Folder 7: Missions to Canadian Indians, reports --- 1967-1969
Folder 8: The new theology issue, editorials, correspondence, responses to
Folder 9: Notes on instruction at State Teachers' College, Hengelo --- 1947
Folder 10: Report of activities as chaplain on board SS Grote Beer and SS Maasdam --- 1953
Folder 11: Sermons on Psalm 27:14, Mark 10:31-34, Philippians 1:5-11
Folder 12: Sermon outlines (Dutch)
Folder 13: Synodical Examiner, exams, correspondence, sermons --- 1962-1973

Box 23

Folder 1: Sunday movies issue, reaction --- 1960
Folder 2: Press clippings and reports on Apartheid --- 1967
Folder 3: Press clippings on education, separate schools --- 1962
Folder 4: Press clippings and reports on Gereformeerde Kerken in the Netherlands --- 1966
Folder 5: Press clippings on international issues --- 1962
Folder 6: Press clippings on labor issues
Folder 7: Press clippings on political issues --- 1960-1963
Folder 8: Press clippings on religious issues --- 1962
Folder 9: Press clippings on social issues --- 1962
Folder 10: Vanastra CRC situation, reports of Classis and Board of Home Mission Commission --- 1975-1977
Folder 11: Versifications
Folder 12: Abortion: resource material --- 1966-1970
Folder 13: "After Thirty Years" --- 1986-1987
Folder 14: Bible lessons for The Banner --- 1986
Folder 15: "The Binding Character of the Form of Subscription" --- April 1979
Folder 16: Articles in The Banner and Calvinist Contact --- 1965-1967