Martin D. Geleynse
It is a blessed thing to walk in the ways of the Lord and to trust Him. God, who has called you, is faithful!
Martin's name (in Dutch) means "De strydbare des Heren” ("The Valiant one of the Lord”).
A name chosen after his grandfather and after Christian reformation leader Martin Luther, referencing a prayer over his life from its beginning: "Hy zy een maarten Luther" (“May he be a Martin Luther").
He was born in Barneveld, The Netherlands in 1925, the son of Bartel and Maria Geleijnse and brother to 10 siblings.
At the age of 35, he immigrated to Canada where he continued to build a full and wonderful life in service to God and the church with his beloved wife, Ada, and their nine children. He is Opa to 37 Grandchildren, and Great-Grandfather to 46.
Martin was a man of words and ideas, drawn to theology, prose, and critical thinking, who was motivated by the pursuit of continual learning.
He valued virtue and excellence, loved music, politics, science, and theology, was a voracious reader, and had an insatiable sweet tooth (a true “lekkerbek").
Children and Grandchildren reference his bone-breaking hugs, his mischievous winks in the direction of those he was fond of, his dry sense of humour, his persistent prayer for each of them by name, and his legacy of faith.
His presence in a room or in one's life was noticeable - he was one for whom leadership was a natural extension of his own being.
For him, relationships — whether family, friends, or members of his congregation or community — meant intentional prayer and investment. He was a man of deep reflection, known for his intentionality and intensity in conversation and particularly for his interest more in how a person was doing compared to what they were up to.
To Martin belonged a mutuality of admiration: he was in awe of the family and life the Lord gave to him and Ada, but many who knew him describe him with deep admiration for the ways he taught them to think, to learn, to worship, and to grow.
He devoted his career to the work of pastoring and preaching.
To him, this career was not simply a job, but his calling, and he pursued it with an almost single-minded vigour and boldly embraced the uprooting adventure of the life that would follow. Throughout his tenure as a pastor, he served in churches in the Netherlands, in Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec, attended seminary in the United States, and was Dean and co-coordinator at the founding of Institute Farel.
Along the way adding English and French to his native Dutch as needed to read, write, converse, and preach in the appropriate local language. His skill in and love of preaching was evident to anyone who would hear him, as was his authentic and enduring passion for the Lord.
So too was the earnestness of his affection for his beloved wife, Ada.
Over 62 years of marriage they are remembered for their devotion, admiration, and deep respect for one another.
Martin never ceased to be quite smitten with Ada, with a persistent adoration for who she was and the gift of her presence — and distinctly different personality than his own — in his life. His eyes would sparkle when he would speak of her: his true partner and love of this life.
