RECENT UPDATES
HISTORY
Tony Zekveld was raised in a Christian home, on a farm near Woodstock, Ontario, the oldest of eight brothers and sisters. His home life was most influential in raising him and leading him to profess his faith in Christ.
Since elementary school years, Tony had an interest in missions and missionaries, and very much enjoyed hearing their stories, their labor of love and sacrifice. During his high school years, he had a desire to go in this direction but said very little about it, keeping it to himself. Eventually he felt pushed into the direction of entering into the ministry, realizing his own inadequacies and over time, realizing that Christ’s church must confirm externally to the inner call.
During Tony’s years at Reformed Bible College, he got to know Arley-Ann Noorloos, who was also a student there and they married after he completed his last year of college and her year in the Dominican Republic as a volunteer with the Hegemans (1987). Three years later, Tony attended Mid-America Reformed Seminary (1990 – 1993). During this time, Tony and Arley had three children (1989, 1990 and 1993). Their last two were born in 1994 and 1997. After completing seminary, the Covenant Christian Church (URC) of Wyoming, called and sent Rev. Zekveld (with my family) as missionary to Brooklyn NYC with Urban Nations, under the oversight of Messiah’s Congregation (1993-1995). Since 1995 he and his family have lived in Toronto, Ontario ministering to the vast population of South Asians, who are mainly Sikh, Hindu and Muslim.
HOPE CENTER
The history of Hope Center begins in 1995 with a call letter issued by the Covenant Christian church (URC) of Wyoming, Ontario, to bring the gospel to those, in the city of Toronto, who have never heard. A door opened up for the Zekvelds in a marvelous way in God’s providence, to minister primarily among the Sikh peoples, a people from the state of Punjab, NW India. While street preaching on an August day, 1996, three Sikh men came out of a building where they were meeting frequently with 40 other Sikhs. Most of them were retired. One Sikh gentleman, Nidhan Singh, well-known throughout the province of Ontario, asked if the Zekvelds would come to them, speak to them and if the youth group who was with them that day might also sing for them. Afterwards, Singh had two requests: “Can you give us 15 Bibles in our language (Punjabi) and would you be willing to develop a relationship with us?” Since that day, the Zekveld family has been fully involved in this ministry to these Sikh people, via teaching, preaching, hospitality, visiting and children’s Bible classes.
In brief: Over the next 8 years, the Lord used Nidhan Singh to open many doors for the Zekvelds to present the gospel. After his sudden death in July 2004 (he never confessed Christ), the Lord led Peter Nathaniel to the Zekvelds. “Pastor Peter” is a former pastor from New Delhi, India who had immigrated to Canada 6 weeks before Nidhan died. Peter met Nidhan Singh one time. He met Nidhan on the street and Nidhan introduced Peter to the Zekvelds. Looking back, Rev. Zekveld says, “The Lord fulfilled His purpose through Nidhan and now continues His purpose through Peter Nathaniel, who is a colleague of mine.” He was interviewed by the council of the Covenant Christian Church in 2005, sustained his interview in order to be hired full time as assistant on the field. Presently Hope Center is emerging congregation, with 16 members and a number of visitors who visit regularly on Sundays.
HOW TO CONTACT THE ZEKVELDS:
Address:
Hope Centre
1620 Albion Road, Unit #312
Etobicoke, Ontario M9V 4B4.
Phone:
416-740-0543
Fax:
416-740-0707
Email:
FINANCIAL DONATIONS
Please send financial contributions to:
Covenant Christian Church
P.O. Box 774
Wyoming, Ontario, N0N IT0
PRAYER REQUESTS
1. We are thankful for the support the churches are providing in sending youth to help out in these timely projects.
2. At the Hope Centre, we continue to meet weekly for worship. Some have been attending for a longtime but have not yet committed themselves to Christ and Christian baptism.
3. Plans are underway to organize a open-air campaign among the Sikhs and Hindus, planned for the evenings of June 7 and 8, 2008. Rev. Kuldip Gangar (a minister with the Free Reformed Churches of North America plans to preach). We pray that a venue such as a park may open up to us so that the cause of Christ may be served through the preaching of the gospel among the unconverted masses.
4. We are thankful for a new volunteer. Our volunteers, Brian and Karen Zegers, have left us to go to Hamilton where Brian plans to study at Redeemer University. Now Mr. Jason Keuning (his wife and three children) plan to help us part time. Jason is a graduate from Puritan Reformed Serminary and a member of the Free Reformed Church in St. George.
