Meet Our Pastors

Henry Lengkeek - Senior Pastor

Welcome to Bethany Christian Reformed Church, a community of passionate Christ-followers who seek to be living stories of the love of Christ. We're not a perfect people.  We are broken people who, through grace, are experiencing the transforming restoration of our Triune Lord.

I'm Henry Lengkeek and I, along with my wife, Grace, and my daughters, Erin and Jenaye, have been ministering here in this community for 5 years after previous ministries in Central California and West Michigan. It is a great joy to serve the Lord in response to all that He has done in my life. I am thankful that He has given me life, abundant life, and everlasting life. I enjoy ministry whether it be in a hospital waiting room, in a sanctuary, running the trails, or on the back of a Harley.

As a pastor, it has been my observation that everyone is seeking to be loved and to love. Also, I have noticed that people are longing to make their lives count. However, I also observe that people tend to be carrying burdens.  Some of these burdens are from the past, which has left a bitter taste.  Others are from the present as they face the challenges of living in this age.  

Still others carry the heavy baggage of fear and loneliness.  Here at Bethany, we recognize these felt needs and seek to walk alongside, as well as point to the Lord who promises to set us free on our journey.

At Bethany, we emphasize being followers of Jesus Christ and becoming like Him in how we think, what we say, and what we do.  This is for the purpose of being the very presence of Christ in a lost and broken world so loved by God. We long to be a Holy Spirit filled people called by Christ to be salt and light in the world. We recognize that we cannot do this on our own, so we place our trust in the Holy Spirit and center our life in prayer. We are also committed to being and sharing the good news with others both locally and globally as well as being an advocate of justice for the poor and powerless. We would love to have you join us in our journey in following the Christ.

Shalom, Pastor Henry

Lon Wagner - Minister of Discipleship

Hello!

My name is Lon Wagner and I serve Bethany Church as the Minister of Discipleship.  My wife, Liz, and I have been at Bethany for a little over 10 years.  We love this church!  Not just because it is a place that our family has found community, but also because we see that it is a place that God is using to further His Kingdom.  I feel blessed to have found myself in the middle of this ministry to which I have been called.

My role at Bethany takes on many different faces. 

I have the awesome privilege of shepherding new believers and new members as they begin their journey in this church body.

I also get to coordinate Bethany's adult ministries—everything from adult Sunday School classes to Men's and Women's Ministries.  One key component to adult ministries is small groups.  At Bethany we believe that participation in a small group is key to a vibrant, growing walk with Christ.  So, you will find small groups of many different shapes and sizes here.  As you become involved in Bethany you will be encouraged to find a small group community to become involved in.

It is also my pleasure to help lead the charge into our community as Bethany seeks to be the church in action.  We do this through all-church service days called “Servant Saturday”, through our Wednesday night meals for the homeless of our community, through blood drives, and other ministry opportunities that God presents to us.  We don't want to just “do church", we want to “BE the church”.  This fall we anticipate turning our attention to the neighborhoods that we live in.  This includes finding ways to connect with our neighbors.  It also means entering into their lives as we allow them to enter into ours.  Finally, it involves finding ways to share Christ's love and the life-changing message of the gospel.

One exciting new aspect to my ministry is a focus on families.  Through various activities, classes, and events we seek to encourage, support, and help build healthy families.  We offer marriage seminars, parenting classes, and family camping trips.  Next summer we hope to have a mission trip for the whole family.  We desire to connect families to play together, learn together, and serve together.

Whether you are a lifelong Christian looking for somewhere to serve and belong, or you are someone who has not yet begun the adventure of following Christ, we encourage you to join us at Bethany.  There is a place for you here!

Be His!