Get a peek into the lives of Redeemer鈥檚 chaplains through the following interview as they share about their goals, joys and hopes for the future.
Rev. Dr. Bill DeJong 鈥93,
faculty chaplain
Rev. Samuel Kim,
student life chaplain
Born in Hamilton, DeJong lives in the city with his wife Kim, where they raised four children. DeJong holds a PhD from McMaster Divinity College.
Born in Korea, Kim lives in Mississauga with his wife
Kyungsun and three children. He is currently pursuing a doctor of ministry at Tyndale University.
Q: What were you up to before becoming a chaplain at Redeemer?
BD: I was the lead pastor at Blessings Christian Church, which I helped found in 2015. I preached every Sunday, chaired meetings, was part of the growth and vision team and did outreach events. I also spent time in international student ministry with McMaster University and Mohawk College students and taught about one course per term at Redeemer.
SK: I have been a youth and senior pastor in local churches for the last 24 years. Pastoring has been my calling since the age of seven, and it has never changed. I have lived in six different states in the United States, the most recent being Hawaii. After a two-year sabbatical, God had opened my heart to what ministry can be. God opened the door at Redeemer, and I entered.
Q: What are you most excited about in your new role?
BD: Redeemer, in part, by posting this position, is saying, 鈥淲e value the people who work here. We want to see that they鈥檙e being spiritually formed and supported.鈥 It鈥檚 not only, 鈥淗ow can we deliver Christian education?” but also, 鈥淗ow can we be a uniquely Christian workplace?鈥 In my mind, there鈥檚 never been a greater need for Christian higher learning than today.
SK: I love hearing the stories of students. They send me emails, or sometimes they just walk in, asking questions and sharing their struggles. As an older Christian, I鈥檓 able to try to understand their situations and share wisdom that I have acquired throughout my life. I just enjoy being with them and learning from their lives. It keeps me going as a mature Christian and mentor.
Q: How are you navigating a career in ministry within an academic setting?
BD: A core belief that Redeemer has is that scholarly endeavour and academic inquiry are a kind of worship. We engage in scholarship as Christians, and we offer our scholarship as a sacrifice of praise to the Lord. I鈥檇 like to assist faculty in understanding how their scholarship is worship and seeing the importance of engaging inquiry as followers of Jesus.
SK: I was formerly in leadership positions, with a lot of responsibilities and decision-making. Here, I can focus on students. They鈥檙e my ministry. I consider myself a pastor on campus, here to help and mentor the students, building close relationships with them.
Q: What values guide your work at the university?
BD: My strategy is to love faculty and staff, as well as to communicate the love of Christ. I think Redeemer is small enough for me to be attentive to the lives of people. We are all a little bit more fragile than we realize, and we could all use some encouragement. Though they鈥檙e brilliant, faculty members have struggles, challenges and weaknesses, too. Also, I want the staff to understand that they鈥檙e just as indispensable as the faculty.
SK: I believe that imitating the life of Jesus is the key. We ought to be different in the world, but we don鈥檛 have to always fight with, or give into, its ways. Through approaching relationships in love, you can draw people to the Lord. It鈥檚 about having the character of Jesus Christ, bearing the fruit of the Spirit in daily life. I鈥檝e learned to listen more than speak, as young people like to see older people be curious about their lives.
Q: What is your part in fulfilling Redeemer鈥檚 mission? And why is it important?
BD: I am very convicted about what Redeemer is doing, and I鈥檓 eager to support its mission. I鈥檓 in a supportive role now, and this is a big difference from pastoring. Now, my work is behind the scenes. I feel a bit like a coach, cheering on the team. You might also say I鈥檓 a public spiritual health officer, using all of my senses to pick up on what is happening.
SK: I believe my part is helping students find true identity in Christ Jesus. If they have the mindset that 鈥淚 am a child of God, I am loved by God and Jesus died for me,鈥 the things people say or do to them won鈥檛 really matter. Wherever they go with their careers and whoever they meet, they will be confident in the Lord and themselves.
Q: Other than Jesus, who in the Bible would you like to meet face-to-face?
BD: I would like to meet Peter. He denied Jesus three times and then encountered Jesus, offering him forgiveness and grace. Jesus did not write him off but still wanted to work with, use for his purposes, be a friend to, and die for the sins of Peter. It would be amazing to say to him, 鈥淲hat was that like to meet up with Jesus and be forgiven by him?鈥
SK: I would say David: the greatest king ever in the history of Israel, a true man of God and a man after God鈥檚 own heart. I liked him so much as a kid. He was a sinner like ourselves, but he was loved by the Lord. I鈥檇 love to ask him, 鈥淲hen you experienced betrayal, how were you able to worship God?鈥
