Restrictions: None
Brief Description: Oral history interview
in which Terpstra discusses briefly his years as a student at Wheaton College
(1939-1943), his friendship with Billy Graham, and his later ministry in Micronesia
and Hawaii.
Full name |
Chester Terpstra |
|
Birth |
September 4, 1917 in Allegan County, Michigan, USA |
|
| Death | April 12, 2007 in Sequim, Washington, USA | |
Family |
||
|
Parents |
George and Lizzie (Lugtiheid) Terpstra |
|
Siblings |
Aleta, Hilda, Janet, Gerald |
|
Marital Status |
Margery Shirley Williams, August 10, 1945 |
|
Children |
Michael, Merrill, Marshall |
Ordination |
In the Congregational Church (later was a minister in the United Church of Christ) |
|
Education |
||
|
1943 |
BA, Wheaton College |
|
1945 |
MA, Wheaton College |
|
1959 |
DD, University of Edinburgh |
Career |
||
|
1945-1948? |
Assigned by the Hawaiian Board of Missions to Kawaiahao Church, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA |
|
1948-1949 |
Served as pastor to English-speaking congregation of Makiki Congregational Church, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA |
|
1948-1959? |
The Terpstras were missionaries under the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions to the island of Pohnpei, Micronesia |
|
1954 |
Established a Pastors and Teachers Training School in Pohnpei to train Christian workers for Micronesia |
|
1963-1969 |
Served as pastor to English-speaking congregation of Makiki Congregational Church, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. He was instrumental in the formation of the Central Honolulu Community Association, encompassing the Makiki, Sheridan Tract and Kakaako districts. |
|
1969-1976 |
Conference minister of the Hawaii Conference - United Church of Christ |
|
1989-1990 |
Served as Interim Senior Pastor of Makiki Congregational Church, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA |
|
1993 |
Served as Interim Senior Pastor of Makiki Congregational Church, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA |
Other significant information |
||
|
2004 |
Moved to the state of Washington to be near their children |
Rev. Terpstra was interviewed by Larry Thompson on May 7, 1993, on the campus of Wheaton College. The events described in the interview cover the time period 1939-1993.
T1 (53 minutes). Preparing for helping to lead the Wheaton in the Holy Lands program in 1982 with Drs. Alfred Hoerth and Morris Inch; reasons for coming to Wheaton in 1939; studies (undergraduate and graduate at Wheaton, and doctorate at Edinborough, 1953-1954, 1958-1959); missionary in Micronesia; impressions of Dr. Henry C. Thiessen; rivalry between the class of 1943 and the class of 1942; disrupting the senior sneak of 1942; Wheaton literary societies; memories of Dr. V. Raymond Edman; James Oliver Buswell III (son of president); decision to pursue missions under the influence of Evan Welsh; religious situation in Hawaii during World War II; ministry role in Hawaii; Honolulu Christian College (later Hawaii Pacific College); ministry role in Micronesia; work as a church leader in Hawaii; participating with Billy Graham in evangelistic services while they were college students; Graham’s courtship of Ruth Bell; pre-millenialism at Wheaton College and in missions; cosmopolitan atmosphere of Hawaii and solidarity of Christians as a minority of the population; Enock C. Dyrness; more on solidarity among Christians; influence of Rev. Takie Okumura [he is described but not mentioned by name in interview], founder of the Makiki Christian Church in Hawaii; effects of World War II on Wheaton; isolation of life at Wheaton; the 1943 revival at Wheaton College; Grady Wilson; work as a butcher during his college days; contacts with Wheaton alumni in Hawaii; letters from Dr. Edman and others about Wheaton that Terpstra planned to give to the College archives; disrupting the senior sneak with Billy Graham; importance of being true to Evangelical convictions; importance of not being judgmental of Christians of other beliefs; Charles Colson at the Honolulu mayor’s prayer breakfast; Jimmy Carter; early mission comity agreements which gave Alaska to the Presbyterians and Hawaii to the Congregationalists
Provenance
The materials in this collection were given to the Wheaton College Special Collections and Archives by Chester Terpstra in May 1993. The WC Archives gave a copy of the interview to the Billy Graham Center Archives, since the BGC Archives staff had set up the interview.
Accession: 93-67
May 18, 2007
Bob Shuster
B. Brollier
LOCATION RECORD
Accession: 93-67
Type of Material: Audio Tapes
The following items are located in the AUDIO TAPE file.
# |
R/C |
Speed |
Length |
Sides |
Contents |
Dates |
T1 |
R |
3 3/4 |
53 |
1 |
Oral history interview of Chester Terpstra by Lawrence Thompson. |
5/7/1993 |