Distinguished Alumni Awards 2006

Rev.Jason Chen

Rev. Jason Chen

Jason Chen was born in Xiamen, China, in 1938 and immigrated to the Philippines with his family at the age of nine. Following graduation from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, he began his theological training at Calvin Theological Seminary where he earned a Bachelor of Divinity in 1967 and a Master of Divinity in 1980. He was ordained into the ministry of the Word during the fall of 1970 when the Second Christian Reformed Church of Pella, Iowa, called him to the Geneva Campus Ministry (Geneva Forum) at the University of Iowa. Jason served as its director from the fall of 1971 until his retirement in February 2005.

Jason's passion at the University was the integration of faith and learning. Through his much-copied Genevan Lecture Series; his ministry to Asians on campus; his spiritual and intellectual counsel to students, staff, and faculty; and his stalwart witness to the Christian's life of the mind, Rev. Jason Chen has influenced people for Jesus Christ across the world and in every sphere of society.


 
Rev. Norman L. Meyer

Rev. Norman L. Meyer

Norm Meyer was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Norm's high school speech teacher planted the seed of ministry in his mind and encouraged him to let it grow, which he faithfully did. After graduating from Calvin Seminary in 1962, Norm began his ministry in Willmar, Minnesota, where he pastored a congregation of persons from German and Dutch descent that had migrated from nearby farming communities into the "city." In 1966 Norm accepted a call to Calvin CRC in Muskegon, Michigan, a "blended" congregation of three distinctly different groups of people. Norm worked tirelessly in Muskegon until 1990, and then served as Interim Ministry Pastor for CRC Home Missions. In 1994 Norm began ministry at Brookside CRC in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he served until he retired in 2002, forty years after his ordination. During this last period, he was also President of the Board of CTS for five years.

As a pastor, Norm Meyer was beloved for his faithful preaching and teaching, his compassionate pastoral care, his friendship to all. He embodied the role of intelligent, humane servant. Norman Meyer died of cancer in October, 2004. His parting words to his congregation on the Sunday he revealed his grim diagnosis came from a depth of centuries: "God is good, all the time! All the time, God is good!"

Norm brought glory to God through a life of regular, persistent church ministry.