Mr Dick Vermeulen
Dirk Peter Vermeulen was born on 18 November 1928 in Maarssen, a town in the middle of the Netherlands. He grew up in a Christian home, and later studied to be a journalist. However, he was drafted into the army in the late 1940s during the Indonesian War of Independence, and in this land far away from home Dirk drove a military truck and experienced serious combat. At this time of his life, sadly, he had no true religion, and worse, to use his own words, in his outward conduct he “lived like the heathen”. At the end of the war, he wrote to his parents that he was coming back to Holland, but afterwards they were surprised – and disappointed – to receive another letter saying that he was going to New Zealand first, for two years, to see if the place suited him. But, as it turned out in God’s providence, Dirk was not coming back to Holland.
In New Zealand Dirk was known as Dick, and he worked on a dairy farm in Matamata. At this time, in 1953, his brothers Chris and John emigrated to New Zealand, and in 1954 Dick married Miss Joan Anderson. Economic conditions remained poor in Holland, and his parents and other family members arrived in Wellington, on 24 February 1956, where Dick welcomed them. Together they took a train to Napier, and the next day they continued to Gisborne. There the Vermeulens were able to stay with the van Dorps (including the late Rev Johannes van Dorp), who were cousins of Dick.
That Sabbath his cousin Jan van Dorp read a sermon by Robert Murray M’Cheyne. During these days, Rev William MacLean was not yet minister in Gisborne, and sermons were being read to the congregation. Jan’s father, Cees van Dorp, also spoke to Dick about the needs of his soul. Known fondly as “old Mr van Dorp”, Cees van Dorp was eager to speak about spiritual things, often reminding people he met that they must prepare for eternity, even directly asking whether they knew the Lord. This Sabbath proved an
occasion of awakening for Dick, bringing him to consider his sinful condition and need of salvation. After going home to Matamata, he was under so much concern about his soul that he decided to go and visit “old Mr van Dorp” again, travelling about 320 km to Gisborne. It was then, after his conversations with “old Mr van Dorp”, on the Sabbath, that Dick Vermeulen was converted.
When he came home to Matamata, he was a different man. The radio was thrown out as well as his worldly books. Others noticed and were struck with the change – he had so suddenly turned from his worldliness. He was now keeping the Sabbath, and he began holding services in his home, reading sermons by C H Spurgeon translated into Dutch, to his parents and family. He was very fond of Psalm 25:7: “Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to Thy mercy remember Thou me for Thy goodness’ sake, O Lord”. Though he had been a rebellious youth, the Lord had mercy upon him, and Dick Vermeulen experienced the goodness of the Lord, revealed so wondrously in the gospel.
Dick eventually bought his own farm in Reporoa, around 1960, with the help of the Government. Because he was milking cows, he found himself unable to go to Gisborne or Auckland for communions. But one year there was a significant drought, and then he was free to go to the communion in Gisborne. Dick’s younger brother Peter had already become a communicant member in the Gisborne Congregation. It was on this occasion, 28 March 1964, that Dick was led to seek communicant membership, and as he was known to have been changed for a number of years, he was admitted into full membership and his name was added to the communion roll.
Times were not always easy for Dick, who had to work in the forestry industry for extra income. But he continued to keep the Sabbath, by this time listening to sermons by Rev William MacLean on reel-to-reel tapes. These he obtained from his cousin Cor van Dorp. He also diligently taught his children from the Scriptures and The Shorter Catechism.
Dick Vermeulen took an interest in the Wellington Congregation, where some of his family members lived. He searched the Wellington region for a church building and ultimately was instrumental in purchasing a building in Tawa in the early 1980s. There he was ordained and inducted as an elder in the Wellington Congregation on 27 July 1980. Once a month he travelled from his home in Reporoa to Wellington to conduct the worship services. He continued to serve there as an elder until 2002, and later he was an assessor elder, from 2009 to 2019. Dick was also among the first to suggest that the Wellington congregation should move to Carterton, where all the members of the congregation lived latterly. The Tawa building was sold in 2014 and a suitable building was purchased in Carterton, of which he became a trustee.
Dick had a special affinity for small congregations; he was convinced that “a little one shall become a thousand” (Is 60:22) in the Lord’s good time. Accordingly, he encouraged younger office-bearers and was often in prayer for the Carterton congregation, as well as the other congregations within the bounds of the Presbytery.
In the beginning of 1988 Dick Vermeulen read every month a notice in The Free Presbyterian Magazine requesting help for mission work in Kenya and Malawi. Then a special plea went out to New Zealand and eventually it reached Mr Vermeulen. It was about this time that he sold his farm and had “no concrete ideas about his future occupation”, to use his own words. He then offered his services to the Jewish and Foreign Missions Committee and arrangements were made for him to meet Rev D B Macleod in Kenya. Together they conducted services and eventually a Free Presbyterian mission was established in both countries.
Zealous for the cause of Christ in Africa, and very generous to the locals with his money, he contributed to the spiritual and temporal wellbeing of the African community, building small churches and houses. He diligently taught in Sabbath schools and would often teach the children about human depravity, asking them, for example, whether their parents had taught them how to lie. Mr Vermeulen instructed them well, for they would shake their heads to indicate, No; and when he asked, “What made you do it?” they would all put their hand over their heart and say, “Because it is in here!” The work went on and he laboured in that continent until the mid-1990s. The local people remained fond of him and called him, “Mr Dick”. He was known for his enthusiasm, hard work, and perseverance amid many difficulties.
During his time in Africa, Dick frequently sent newsletters home to New Zealand, informing loved ones of events there. About 90 typed pages in all, the newsletters make interesting reading. Readers at home would no doubt have been intrigued by Dick’s numerous travels, building repairs, taxiing people for medical help, and interactions with different characters. Sometimes disappointed by setbacks, and at other times admiring the providence of God, Dick pointed out the poverty and suffering of many Africans, and their great need for both spiritual and temporal mercies. As he witnessed the stark ignorance of some of the natives, he appreciated even more the privilege of growing up in a sound church and being “brought up in the truth from our youth”. This is a great reminder for young people to value their privileges in the means of grace, as well as showing that they are inexcusable for their neglect.
When he returned from the mission work in Africa, Dick Vermeulen and his wife Joan moved to Tauranga. There he began holding worship services,
and the first Kirk Session meeting of the new preaching station was held in 1997. Later, in 2003, he was inducted as an elder in the congregation and, when several people were newly added to their number, he instructed them in the Reformed doctrine, worship and practice of the Church. He emphasised seeking first the kingdom of God and often quoted, “Them that honour Me I will honour, and they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed” (1 Sam 2:30).
He reminded the congregation of their dependence on divine power for all things and told them, “We can’t move our little finger without God. It is in Him that we live and move and have our being.” In speaking of God’s sovereignty in the election of sinners to salvation he would say, “Are we not sovereign [so to speak] when we choose which charity we will support? How much [more] sovereign is God then?” He warned about God’s chastisements, that we reap what we sow, and we only trouble ourselves [by our discontent and departure from God] and recalled that his own father used to say, “If you won’t listen, you will feel”. But he also encouraged the little group in Tauranga by referring to Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose”. He often expressed his amazement at the goodness and mercy of God by saying, “What a wonder!”
Mr Vermeulen was also actively involved in work for the Trinitarian Bible Society, and in 1996 he became the chairman for the New Zealand branch of TBS. In the late 1990s an effort was underway to reprint the 1868 version of the Maori Bible. Dick Vermeulen took the initiative in obtaining the use of an old copy of the Maori Bible, having microfilms made, and helping with digitisation and proofreading. Completing a three-year course in the Maori language, he was respected among the Maori themselves and given the title of elder, kaumatua.
Mr Vermeulen looked forward to attending communions and always enjoyed hearing the preaching of the gospel. He was edifying in spiritual conversation and encouraged younger elders and ministers in their work. He was an assessor elder for the Singapore Congregation, where he assisted in the formation and development of the congregation, giving special encouragement to the new office-bearers. Three times Mr Vermeulen represented the Asia Pacific Presbytery (then known as the Australia and New Zealand Presbytery) at the Synod: in 1992, 1995 and 2001. Serving as Presbytery Treasurer for a time, Dick also supported the youth conferences within the Presbytery, and was helpful in presenting papers. He was known for his hopeful prayers and often spoke of the bright prospects of the Church. He knew that there is no uncertainty in the promise of God. In quoting or read-
ing from the metrical version of Psalm 22, he gave special emphasis to the word “shall”, as in: “The meek shall eat, and shall be filled . . . they shall come, and they shall declare His truth and righteousness / Unto a people yet unborn, and that He hath done this.” God’s purposes for the Church will certainly come to pass.
On 29 August 2019 Dick Vermeulen died quietly in Wellington. He was always conscious of the brevity of life and the reality of eternity. In his July 1991 newsletter he wrote: “Well, another month has flown by – days that have gone past which we will not be able to live again in the flesh, days nearer to a never-ending eternity. How much need there is to consider the prayer of the Psalmist when he asks the Lord to teach him to number his days, that he may know how frail he is (Ps 39:4), so that we follow not our natural inclinations and be like the man in Luke 12 and be called ‘a fool’ on our last day upon this earth for neglecting the everlasting wellbeing of our never-dying souls.”
Dick Vermeulen did not neglect the welfare of his soul. Instead, we believe he laid up treasure in heaven and is now enjoying that blessedness with Christ. To his numerous family we extend our sympathy, desiring that all who knew him might follow his example of faith and service. (Rev) J D Smith