Emeritus Pastor
Rev. Bartel Elshout is an emeritus pastor of the Heritage Reformed Congregations. He served as pastor of the Heritage Reformed Congregations of Jordan, Ontario (1998-2005), Chilliwack, British Columbia (2005-2012), Hull, Iowa (2015-2023), as well as the Kalamazoo Reformed Church of Kalamazoo, Michigan (2023-2026). Previous to that he was the founding principal of the Netherlands Reformed Christian School in Pompton Plains, NJ (1975-1984), and served as an evangelist in Denver, Colorado (1984-1989). He is also the translator of Wilhelmus à Brakel’s The Christian’s Reasonable Service [4 vols.], Theodore VanderGroe’s exposition of the Heidelberg Catechism The Christian’s Only Comfort in Life and Death [2 vols.], and Alexander Comrie’s Distinctive Marks of Saving Grace. Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary awarded him an honorary doctorate (DD) in 2026. He was previously married to Joan (1949-2013), has two children, David & Sarah, and seven grandchildren. He is presently married to Clarice (Sept. 19, 2015), and they reside in Inwood, Iowa.