When God Shows Up
Henry Wildeboer
[978-1-4600-0177-6]

This book chronicles Wildeboer's immigration from Holland, settlement in Alberta, and subsequent career as a Christian Reformed minister in Washington State, Calgary, Oshawa, and Oakville. He wrote it originally for his descendants, but published the book for all those hoping to lead the church towards life-giving renewal and mission. I would add that for those interested in CRC history, in conflicts over charismatic gifts in the church, and in the details of Reformed church order, it is a page-turner. It is well-written, and the action is always moving quickly to the next event in Wildeboer's life.

There are five chapters and almost 100 pages dedicated to his time in First CRC Calgary, which was only 14 years of his life as a minister (Oshawa, for example is 16 years but is covered in only one chapter). While Wildeboer includes notes on the transformed lives, healings, and Christian outreach of the Calgary congregation, the chapter titles (coloured by the terms "Storm" "Hurricane" and "Battle") indicate the focus on the squabbles that shook the church and exhausted its time and energy. A dissenting group in the Calgary church fought long and hard to oppose the changes that Wildeboer and his fellow leaders brought to the congregation, and the area classis, (even some denominational leaders) get involved in the melee. Any good story requires conflict, and these pages especially turn quickly with the details of an intense congregational battle.

Wildeboer makes it clear that while he is writing for personal catharsis (11) the detailed accounting is not about self-vindication. He is writing for revival in God's church (237). I believe he is right in saying that young church leaders who read about his journey can be encouraged to take Spirit-led risks that shift a congregation's focus from maintenance to mission. Leadership, insists Wildeboer, is about prophetically mobilizing Christians to move beyond business-as-usual to risk connection with those who need to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.

His hope: that other leaders who try to do the same will find the mentors, colleagues, and prayer support they need to cope with the personal price they will pay for pursuing ministry innovation rather than the status quo. Looking back, Wildeboer says this is what he missed; he felt he walked alone through these storms. Yet Wildeboer's journey indirectly says much about the wisdom of shared or collaborative leadership models; he describes the constant and significant support he had from many elders, co-pastors, and denominational staff.

Wildeboer reflects on conflicts in the church. Why quarrel in church when the world bleeds in hurt and sadness? In his memoir he cites the power of fear, selfishness, and people's desire for comfort in the pew. At first I thought that the book might be better entitled "When Christian Fight" than "When God Shows Up" but from the small chapter on Wildeboer's therapeutic reflection on his life (ch. 10), it is apparent that God shows up not just when congregations turn outward or when help and healing happen, but also in the very conflicts that whittle away the pride and self-sufficiency that obscures the spiritual renovation the Spirit is doing in our lives and communities. The courage that Wildeboer has shown in his own life—in venturing mission rather than maintenance but also in facing his own personal ego struggles and confessing his weakness—can be an "in-couraging" gift to all those passionate about the ministry of the local church today. In other words, the priestly role of healing and reconciliation is just as vital as the prophetic role of disturbing the faithful for renewed mission when it comes to the Spirit's work.

The book also rings with the question of the meaning of our Christian identity as churches in the midst of missional and charismatic movements. I personally value all these influences (or "traditions"), and their intersection provides much creative possibility for the church. The book portrays a good example of a church who explored new possibilities seriously.
—Peter Schuurman, PhD student