"My" Churches

I was ordained to the ministry of the Word and the Sacraments on October 11th, 1987 as the minister of the Canadian Reformed Church in Ottawa (this church would later assume the name "Jubilee" on its 50th Anniversary). I served here for five years. The congregation was, at that time, renting Merivale United Church, an historical building whose history goes back to 1876. (Click here for the history of the building). Among other interesting facts: Sir John A. MacDonald, Canada's first prime minister, laid the cornerstone of MUC. 

Surrounded by graves

A lovely building . . .

. . . with notoriously uncomfortable pews

I was ordained by the late Rev. Johannes Mulder, "father," mentor, and friend. Here we are standing in front of Merivale Church.

In 1992 I was called by the Canadian Reformed Church in Taber, Alberta. When I came, this recently instituted church was worshiping in Parkside Manor, a seniors recreation centre. 

After a year or two we moved our services to a building owned by the "Benevolent Protective Order of the Elks" where I preached under the serene gaze of three elk heads. (I wonder how protected these three elks felt. . . .)

For several years I preached in the ugliest building in the federation of churches. But we had some beautiful Sundays there. Once I baptized four children in the same service. We were wall to wall people!

Then we built a lovely church building. I preached and taught here with great pleasure. Taber still worships here.

In 1997 I was called by Ancaster Canadian Reformed Church, which I served for eleven years.

A beautiful building.

In 2008 my first congregation, Jubilee-Ottawa, called me back. I served there until 2016, when poor health led me to request the status of Minister-Emeritus. Though we moved to Hamilton I happily remain a minister of Jubilee Church.

I preached my farewell sermon on a steaming hot summer Sunday in a building with no air conditioning.

Final exhortation.

Jubilee Church, forever in my heart.

My trucks

George's Trucks

During my secondary (1974-1976), university (1979-1983), and seminary (1983-1987) years, I drove many different trucks of various weights and configurations. I drove full time for three years between high school and university (1976-1979). 

Here are only, and most of, the tractor-trailers I drove. 

I delivered eggs to stores, bakeries, and restaurant in the Lower Mainland of B.C. for Vanderpol's Eggs. To make some extra cash (necessary for a full-time student with a growing family), on Saturdays I would often transport eggs, egg products, and other related things, between the Surrey and/or Abbotsford plants, and the one in Kelowna. This was before the Coquihalla Highway and its various connectors were built. I had the fun of always taking the Hope-Princeton Highway through Manning Park, about a 900 km round trip, with time added if I had to chain up the two drive axles because of snow.

At the Kelowna plant. The truck is a Ford 9000 ("Louisville") powered by an 8 cylinder 71 series Detroit Diesel with a 13 speed transmission. This two stroke engine was not gentle on the ears.  

The Kelowna plant.

Kenworth, powered by a 350 Cummins engine and a 15 speed transmission. Here I am at a rest area on the Hope-Princeton.

On the Hope-Princeton.

Here I am sometime in the 1980s on the Hope-Princeton Highway chaining up the drive axles, getting ready for some serious hills, up and down.

Yeah, I was a rather skinny guy forty+ years ago. 

During Spring time of my university years, I hauled bedding plants from a nursery in Aldergrove, BC, throughout British Columbia, Alberta, and to Saskatchewan.

This cabover Freightliner (350 Cummins, 15 speed) had a bunk I regularly used as my trips were often two or three days long). 

Here is my son Matthew ready to drive.

Ford "Louisville" powered by a small 6-71 engine and a 13 speed transmission.

In 1983 we moved to Hamilton, Ontario for me to begin my formal seminary training. I transported my VW in the back of the truck I drove from Langley, BC, to Hamilton (about 4,500 km). The greenhouse/nursery I was working for in spring time generously loaned me one of their trucks for the trip. It was a Kenworth cabover (unfortunately, no picture of it). It had a 26 ft box on the back of it, and pulled a 28 foot trailer (set up like an 'A' train). The 26 ft box was filled with plants, which I delivered in Regina and Winnipeg, and all of our earthly belongings (VW included) were in the 28 ft trailer. My eldest son (not yet four years old) came with me as Dora could only take two babes on the plane. Thankfully a brother-in-law, also a driver, accompanied me. A fun trip! Someone asked me how I was planning to get the car off. I answered that I had no idea at the time, but that I'd figure it out once I got to Hamilton. And I did. A friendly trucking firm with a loading dock let me use their forklift ramp. Here you see my two brothers and a brother-in-law helping me load.

During the summers of my first three years of seminary I drove for Bartels' Farms hauling biosolids. I drove the following trucks.

Freightliner powered by a 350 Cummins, 15 speed transmission. 

Dodge with an 8-71 Detroit Diesel, 13 speed transmission.

Freightliner powered by an 8-92 series Detroit Diesel ("Silver 92"), 15 speed transmission.

Freightliner and my VW.

Then I gave up trucking and became a full-time preacher.

It is finished

When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit (John 19:30).

1. It is finished! Do not forget
this word, my heart, that he once said.
My soul, recall it was for you he died.
For you he suffered, he was crucified.
Remember him who one time perished,
who cried aloud: It is finished!

2. It is finished! It was foretold
by faithful prophets from of old.
Find solace in the wounds of Jesus Christ
who, for the sin of man, was sacrificed.
What God in ages past established,
our Lord fulfilled. It is finished!

3. It is finished! All satisfied:
the Father lays his wrath aside.
Our peace is won and God's demands were met.
Our Saviour, Christ, has paid our ev'ry debt.
We should not fear for he on Calv'ry bled
to make us whole. It is finished!

4. It is finished! What must I do
to add to what was done by you?
No work, no deed, for what you did for me
has earned me life with you, eternally.
Henceforth, I'll follow Jesus Christ, my head.
I am reborn. It is finished!

5. It is finished! I am set free.
I praise my Lord so joyfully.
All sin and death are by your pow'r removed
and I am by the Holy Ghost renewed.
Although I falter and feel vanquished
yet this I know: It is finished!

6. It is finished! Do not forget
this word, my heart, that he once said
and let it serve you now and all your life.
Hold on to Christ throughout the bitter strife.
Do stay with him and you'll be comforted,
for he once said: It is finished!

George van Popta, 2022

(In SATB) 

 George's Cars

Chevrolet Caprice (1967). This was my first car, which I bought in 1974 (49 years ago 😦), and is still my all time favourite. It was powered by a 327 c.i. (5.4 litre) engine and a quadrajet 4 barrel carburetor.
Sadly, I totaled it in 1976. 

My second car, a Pontiac Laurentian (1968), also powered by a 327 c.i. (5.4 litre) engine. I rescued the intake manifold and carb from my Caprice, so this car also had a quadrajet 4 barrel. I did not love this car, but just look at that Pontiac nose!

This was a beauty! A 1972 Chev Impala, 2-door hardtop powered by a 350 (5.7 litre. Sadly, someone rear-ended me, and the car was a total loss.

1972 Ford Cortina. I did not like this car very much, but it served for a while. Ironically, although it was my least loved car, I thought to take a photo of it after I'd washed it.

This was a nice one! A 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass, powered by a Rocket 350 (5.7) litre engine, two-door hardtop. I bought it as a gift for my girlfriend (now my wife 😁).  

Then we went sedate (eight years of university and seminary has that effect): a 1968 VW, powered by a 1500 cc engine. For a while, it was our family sedan, and the back seat had three car seats installed. (I should have washed it before I clicked the photo.)

In 1983 we moved to Hamilton, Ontario for me to begin my formal seminary training. I transported my VW in the back of the truck I drove from Langley, BC, to Hamilton (about 4,500 km). The greenhouse/nursery I was working for in spring time generously loaned me one of their trucks for the. It was a Kenworth cabover (unfortunately, no picture of it). It had a 26 ft box on the back of it, and pulled a 28 foot trailer (set up like an 'A' train). The 26 ft box was filled with plants, which I delivered in Regina and Winnipeg, and all of our earthly belongings (VW included) were in the 28 ft trailer. My eldest son (not yet four years old) came with me as Dora could only take two babes on the plane. Thankfully a brother-in-law, also a driver, accompanied me. A fun trip! Someone asked me how I was planning to get the car off. I answered that I had no idea at the time, but that I'd figure it out once I got to Hamilton. And I did. A friendly trucking firm with a loading dock equipped let me use their forklift ramp. Here you see my two brothers and a brother-in-law helping me load.

A 1976 Dodge Station Wagon. A very poor picture taken once when we were camping, and the only photo I have of it.  

A 1984 Ford Crown Victoria. I quickly snapped this picture as we were leaving Hamilton for our move to Ottawa in 1988.

A Dodge Grand Caravan (1990). The boy is Garnet.

A 1990 Chev Astro. It was a great people mover. We towed our travel trailer with it for many years.

1988 Mercury Topaz. A great little second car, eventually taken over by a son. It is looking a bit rough here and is nearing the end of its life.

A 1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass, when I again needed a second car. A daughter eventually took it over.

2002 Saturn. A 5-speed, it was fun to drive. Sadly it was totaled by someone who did not see that it was stopped at a red light.

2002 Chevy Malibu. It was a good car.

2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo.
My second all time favourite vehicle, which we drove for about 15 years. It had a big V 8, so it was a bit of a fuel hog. We also used it to tow our travel trailer. It had four-wheel drive and a low range gear, but I never did do any off road driving with it. Too bad!

2012 Chevy Malibu.

And presently we're driving a 2016 Dodge Journey, AWD.

Left over from my first car.

(Here is a post of the tractor-trailers I have driven.)