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Book Review - "A Stunning Account of the Life of a Protestant Reformed Minister"
The following review was written by Kaleb J. on the book Less Than the Least by Cornelius Hanko (Jenison, MI: Reformed Free Publishing, 2017). The review was originally published in the Grandville Gleaner. The version below has been lightly edited for grammar and clarity.
This book is an edited collection of memoirs forming a biography of Rev. Cornelius Hanko. In these memoirs, Rev. Hanko narrates a stunning account of his life as a Protestant Reformed minister. His life demonstrated a tremendous display of diligence and faith.
Rev. Hanko was born to Herman and Jantje Hanko on Pentecost Sunday, in 1907. He spent his youth in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where his family attended Eastern Avenue Christian Reformed Church (CRC). For many years, a man named Rev. Groen was their pastor. Rev. Groen was a follower of Abraham Kuyper, agreed with Prof. Ralph Janssen's higher criticism of the scriptures, and was among the most liberal of the ministers in the Christian Reformed Church at the time. After Rev. Groen retired, Rev. Herman Hoeksema served Eastern Avenue CRC and, in stark contrast to Rev. Groen, became known for his strong convictions of the truth [of Scripture. Hoeksema’s preaching] led Rev Hanko, a teenage boy at the time, to see the errors into which the church had fallen.
In this book, Rev. Hanko recalls sitting under the preaching of Rev. Hoeksema during the time when he was actively preaching and defending against the higher criticism teachings of Prof. Janssen and also the developing doctrine of common grace at the time. When Rev. Hoeksema and the consistory were deposed from the CRC, Rev. Hanko, with some of his family, joined the group that eventually became the Protesting Christian Reformed Churches.
Shortly after this separation, Rev. Hanko (and nine other men) attended seminary under the instruction of the ministers Rev. Danhof, Rev. Ophoff, and Rev. Hoeksema. Soon after completing seminary, Rev. Hanko married Jennie Griffioen. A short while later he accepted a call to the congregation in Hull, Iowa. Rev. Hanko and his wife had four children: Herman, Frederick, Elaine, and Alice.
Another interesting portion of the book surrounds the Schism of 1953. Rev. Hanko recalled his personal interactions and conversations with Rev. De Wolf concerning [the latter’s] false teaching of conditional election. Rev. Hanko found this time to be very difficult and trying while dealing with a divided consistory and congregation..,
Throughout his life, Rev. Hanko served as a pastor in six churches and was also instrumental in the forming of the [PRC] congregation in Randolph, Wisconsin. His wife died tragically from the efforts of a stroke in March of 1973 at the age of 60, while Rev. Hanko was serving at Hudsonville PRC. Although he retired in 1977, he continued to preach in the Protestant Reformed Churches.
At the end of the book, Rev. Hanko’s granddaughter, Karen VanBaren, picks up the narration where Rev. Hanko's ends. She describes his death in 2005 and his ongoing legacy. Throughout his life Rev. Hanko showed an amazing demonstration of what it means to be a child of God. He showed total devotion to his Lord and Savior. Rev. Hanko’s passion, trust, and love should set an example for all of God’s children.
Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I may preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. (Ephesians 3:8)
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The content of the article above is the sole responsibility of the article author. This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of the Reformed Free Publishing staff or Association, and the article author does not speak for the RFPA.
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