August Van Ryn
(1890-1982)
Mr. August Van Ryn was born on May 15, 1890, in Haarlem, Netherlands. He arrived in the United States at age 17 and was born again into the family of God on May 1, 1910. On May 8, 1910, he was baptized and then received into assembly fellowship on his 20th birthday.
On January 1, 1917, he arrived in the Bahamas where, on January 9, 1918, he was married to his life-partner, Persis Roberts, until her home-going on July 17, 1974.
Brother Van Ryn sailed with R. S. Stratton and others throughout the islands of the Bahamas on the motor/sailing vessel “Evangel” for over 13 years, preaching and teaching the gospel of Christ. In March 1930 he moved with his family to the United States, having spent three-and-a-half years in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He then went to Florida in the fall of 1933 with his family of four children.
In 1931 he began his “Letter of Encouragement,” which continued until his home-going. Mr. Van Ryn also authored numerous books, pamphlets, tracts and articles over many years. For over 66 years he was involved in preaching and teaching God’s Word in the United States, Canada and the Bahamas.
In July of 1980 he moved to Frostproof, Florida, to live with his daughter, Lorraine.
On February 24, 1982, our beloved brother was promoted to Glory.
One of the happiest memories I have of my years in the Lord’s work is having spent eight days with Brother Van Ryn ministering the Word of God together at a conference at Greenwood Hills, Pennsylvania, in the summer of 1967. My several memories of him from the first time we met in 1949 are indeed blessed.
—The Editor
(Editor’s note: When I received word of Brother Van Ryn’s home-going, the May-June materials of the magazine had just been sent to the printer. This, then, is the reason for the lateness of this notice representing one of the problems of editing a bi-monthly magazine.)