Harry Van Dyken (1917-1985) was born in Bozeman, Montana, the eighth child of Peter and Margaret Van Dyken.  The Van Dyken family soon moved to Ripon, California.  It was here, as a member of Immanuel Christian Reformed Church, that Harry was reared in the faith, educated, and married Wilhelmina Van Andel.  After having worked as an electrician for many years, and heeding the call to the ministry of the Word, he went back to school, graduating from Calvin Seminary in 1954.  Rev. Van Dyken served in Christian Reformed churches in Redlands, California (1954-1957), Neerlandia, Alberta (1957-1962), Winnipeg, Manitoba (1962-1967), Woodbridge, Ontario (1967-1973), Mt. Vernon, Washington (1973-1978), and Listowel, Ontario (1978-1980).  He served in the newly-founded Orthodox Christian Reformed Church of Toronto, Ontario, from 1982-1985.  Rev. Van Dyken was also instrumental in assisting other OCR churches to form. He offered much wisdom, support, work and encouragement during our founding year.

Gentle, firm, patient, and dogged  in his love and efforts for the sheep, Harry was known for his deep knowledge of God's Word and his love for the church of Christ.  Adept in wielding the Sword of the Spirit, he was frequently involved in upholding the inerrancy and authority of the Bible, from seminary years onward.  He had an unwavering loyalty to the Word of God, and a high regard for the church order.  Strongly covenantal, in his preaching he used an expository, historical-redemptive method with much application.  He had a deep love for the Heidelberg Catechism, and its regular use in preaching, and had an impassioned zeal for the covenant youth and their instruction.  Teaching as many as ten or more classes, he wrote his own catechism books for instruction in the Bible, the first book written for age six (the series To You Is The Promise, now continued in revised form by his son, Rev. Donald Van Dyken).  

Harry Van Dyken passed away in 1985, in the love of Christ and in the hope of his resurrection.