James Van Dellen said he knew he wanted to be a pastor when he was only five years old.
Now a grown man with a family of his own, Van Dellen is living that dream, as he celebrated 25 years as pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Lake Orion on June 8.
Van Dellen, who grew up in Grand Rapids, the oldest of a family of six boys and one girl, first started thinking of going into the ministry as a small boy, and was encouraged by his parents.
‘My dad painted cars and my mom was a housewife,? Van Dellen said. ‘They were both dedicated Christians.?
As a senior in high school, Van Dellen remembers talking to the pastor of his church. He said the pastor asked him ‘the trick question,? which led to his life in the ministry.
‘He asked me if there was any good reason for me not to be a pastor,? said Van Dellen. ‘I couldn’t find one.?
Van Dellen attended the seminary at Concordia in Springfield, Illinois, after graduating with his BA from Western Michigan University.
‘While at seminary, I did a one-year internship in Los Angeles,? he said. ‘After, my first call was to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Cass City.?
Van Dellen stayed there for 10 years, before he was called to Good Shepherd Lutheran in Lake Orion.
‘We had gradual growth for a long time, then around 1996, we started experiencing more rapid growth,? Van Dellen said of the church on Baldwin Road. ‘In 1997 we brought in a second pastor, Eric Tritten.?
When he first started, the church had about 200 people regularly attending worship service.
Today the church averages 400 people and has three services, one on Saturday and two on Sunday.
Good Shepherd Lutheran, which has had a preschool for about 12 years, is just completing the fourth year of having its own school, which Van Dellen said was always a long-term goal for him.
‘We talked about having a school when I first came here,? he said. ‘We always had that in mind.?
Van Dellen said the area surrounding the church has grown a lot too, since he first moved to Lake Orion.
‘I’ve lived in the same house in Keatington Subdivision for 25 years,? he added. ‘My wife Judy and I will celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary this year.?
Van Dellen and his wife have six children, five boys and one girl. One of their sons died in a car accident in 1996.
‘Four of our kids are married, and we have 10 grandchildren,? said Van Dellen. ‘Three of our kids live in the area, and two are living in the Milwaukee area.?
Van Dellen has seen the church building at Good Shepherd Lutheran go through a lot of changes since his time there, and says that in the near future the sanctuary will probably have to be added on to.
‘When I first came here, the church had a sanctuary and a small lobby, and a room that was off of that we called the Fellowship Room,? he said.
‘Now that room is our nursery. In the early 1990s, we expanded the lobby and added an office wing.?
Van Dellen grew up going to church with his parents, who in the beginning attended different congregations.
‘My father was Christian Reformist, and my mother was Lutheran,? Van Dellen said. ‘So I would go one Sunday with my dad and the other with my mom.
‘When I was 8, my father joined the Lutheran church,? he added.
Van Dellen recently went to visit an uncle in a retirement home, and found out his second grade teacher was also living there.
‘She remembered when it was time to do a play, I would be the pastor,? he said. ‘I set up chairs like a church.?
According to Van Dellen, his family has always been supportive.
‘It was a little hard on my kids as they were going through high school,? he said. ‘For 10 years my wife worked with me here full-time.?
Van Dellen hopes to stay on at Good Shepherd until he turns 66.
‘If the Lord grants me good health,? he said. ‘And the congregation can put up with me for another five years.?
Van Dellen is excited about a new project Good Shepherd has coming up in August: It will join with Habitat for Humanity through Trivent (a Lutheran insurance and financial planning company) to construct two houses in Pontiac.
‘We begin in August and hope to finish in November,? he said.
Van Dellen credits the strong leadership in the church for keeping Good Shepherd on track with its focus, ‘Making disciples by reaching out to families in the community, particularly young families.?
‘I think the strength of this congregation is its lay leadership,? he said. ‘We have strong leaders, and in times of growth that has been when they’ve stepped forward.?
When he has free time, Van Dellen is most likely to be found playing with his grandchildren or playing basketball in the gym at Good Shepherd.
‘I played baseball and basketball in high school, and basketball in college and seminary,? he said.