Full Text of SR0031 97th General Assembly
SR0031 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
| | SR0031 | | LRB097 08373 GRL 48500 r |
|
| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | 3 | | learn of the death of
Arthur H. DeKruyter; and
| 4 | | WHEREAS, Arthur DeKruyter grew up in Grand Rapids, | 5 | | Michigan, where he attended Calvin College and Calvin | 6 | | Theological Seminary; and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, After completing his graduate work at Princeton | 8 | | University, Arthur DeKruyter accepted the call of a church in | 9 | | Western Springs, where he served as pastor for over 13 years; | 10 | | in 1965, he was called to the burgeoning community of Oak Brook | 11 | | to found a new church with only 5 families; in just a few | 12 | | years, the church grew to fill the Butler School gymnasium; | 13 | | subsequently, the new church building at York and 31st Street, | 14 | | seating 1,200 people, was dedicated and filled to capacity on | 15 | | Easter Sunday in 1970; and
| 16 | | WHEREAS, In 1951, Arthur DeKruyter began broadcasting | 17 | | weekly to the Chicago area through radio - a pioneering | 18 | | ministry that, in 1980, led to the Pulpit of Christ Church | 19 | | program on area television; and
| 20 | | WHEREAS, Arthur DeKruyter was the author of several books, | 21 | | including 1985's "Journey into Joy", and co-authored "The |
| | | SR0031 | - 2 - | LRB097 08373 GRL 48500 r |
|
| 1 | | Suburban Church: Practical Advice for Authentic Ministry" with | 2 | | Quentin J. Schultze; his popular sermon series, titled "Basic | 3 | | Christianity", was translated into Mandarin, published, and | 4 | | has been distributed to over 150,000 people throughout China | 5 | | over the past several years; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, Arthur DeKruyter has been a member of numerous | 7 | | theological organizations, including the Board of Trustees of | 8 | | Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California; he was the | 9 | | Founding Board Chair of Trinity Christian College in Palos | 10 | | Heights; he was the Founder of the St. Petersburg Theological | 11 | | Seminary in St. Petersburg, Russia; he was the Co-Founder and | 12 | | Chaplain Emeritus of the Executives Breakfast Club of Oak | 13 | | Brook; he has also served on the Board of Trustees of the | 14 | | O'Hare International Airport Interfaith Chapel, the Council of | 15 | | Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago, and the Advisory | 16 | | Council of the Chicago Sunday Evening Club; and | 17 | | WHEREAS, Arthur DeKruyter was the recipient of numerous | 18 | | professional honors, including the 1996 Gutenberg Award; the | 19 | | establishment of the Arthur DeKruyter/Christ Church of Oak | 20 | | Brook Chair of Preaching at Fuller Theological Seminary; | 21 | | recognition as the first recipient of the annual Paul Butler | 22 | | Achievement Award for leadership; selection as one of the Ten | 23 | | Outstanding Preachers in the Chicago area by the Chicago | 24 | | Tribune in 1981; and, most recently, the founding of the Arthur |
| | | SR0031 | - 3 - | LRB097 08373 GRL 48500 r |
|
| 1 | | H. DeKruyter Chair in Faith and Communication at Calvin College | 2 | | in Grand Rapids; and
| 3 | | WHEREAS, Arthur DeKruyter was a loving husband to his late | 4 | | wife, Gladys, for 57 years; he was also the wonderful father to | 5 | | his daughter, Lucette, and her husband, Thomas Bamford; the | 6 | | beloved grandfather of Arthur and Tab and his wife, Kristin; | 7 | | and the great-grandfather of Matt and Bobby; therefore, be it
| 8 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL | 9 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with | 10 | | his family and friends, the passing of Arthur H. DeKruyter; and | 11 | | be it further
| 12 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 13 | | presented to the family of Arthur DeKruyter as an expression of | 14 | | our sympathy.
|
|