Red Mesa Foundation Leaders
Board and Committee Members
Stanley Jim, Board Treasurer
Rev. Stanley W. Jim, a Navajo is the Regional Team Leader for Native Americans, through the Christian Reformed Home Missions (CRHM). He’s been working in that capacity for over 7 years. Prior to his employment with CRHM he served as senior pastor to the congregation at the First Navajo Christian Reformed Church in Tohatchi, NM. He believes the Red Mesa Foundation serves as a vital part in being a viable financial resource to enhance and the empowerment of ministries of the churches and Christian schools in Classis Red Mesa for advancing God’s Kingdom. Rev. Jim is married to Sharon and have three “wonderful” adult children who are now pursuing their own careers. The Jim’s currently reside in Fort Wingate, New Mexico.
Emily J. Lee, Board Member
Emily J. Lee was a founding board member of the Red Mesa Foundation, serving for several years at the beginning,returning for another term in 2007. Emily is a member of the Chimoni family from Zuni New Mexico and a charter member of the Zuni Christian Reformed Church She attended Zuni Christian Mission School and graduated from Rehoboth Christian School. She has been teaching Sunday School at the church since she was an 8th grader and has also served as superintendent of Sunday School. Mrs. Lee has spent about 20 years working as a Nurses Aide in Nursing Homes and then served another 15 years as a Licensed Activities Director. She and her husband John Lee live on the Rehoboth Campus and have also served in a variety of roles at Rehoboth Christian School.
Mrs. Lee is encouraged when young people, like Randy Freeland who lived in the Rehoboth Dorm when she was a houseparent, grow up to be leaders in the Christian Church. About the Red Mesa Foundation, Emily says the “Lord truly has blessed this board with many gifted members. I am thankful to be part of this endeavor for the work of the missions for schools and local churches in New Mexico.”
Dennis Van Andel, Board Secretary
Denny Van Andel is secretary of the Red Mesa Foundation. As a former superintendent of Rehoboth Christian School, he was involved in the conception and formation of the Foundation in the 1990’s. He has served as a board member since 2005. Having lived in western New Mexico for 35 years, Denny has seen numerous lives changed and blessed by Classis Red Mesa ministries. He sees the RMF fulfilling a strategic position to support these ministries that positively impact lives for Christ.
Denny grew up in Lynden, Washington and is in his 40th year of a career in education. He has served as a teacher or administrator in schools in Michigan, Korea, Nigeria, and New Mexico, including a 25 year stint with Rehoboth Christian School. Presently he is a reading teacher at an all Navajo school in Church Rock, NM.
Vern Van Klompenberg, Board President
Lavern Van Klompenberg has been a member of the RMF Board for 4 years serving as Vice-President and a member of the Development Committee.
He lived in the Gallup area for 25 years and worked in the medical profession as a registered nurse. While living in Gallup he was a member of the Rehoboth CRC. 12 years ago he and his wife Linda moved to Albquerque, NM and became members of the Fellowship CRC. He has served on the council of both churches and represents Classis Red Mesa on the Foundation Board.
Vern serves on the Board because he is interested in helping raise funds for Christ ministries in Classis Red Mesa so that Christs Kingdom can continue to grow.
Ernest P. Benally, Honorary Board Member
Ernie has been involved with the formation of the Red Mesa Foundation since 1996. Back then as a regional director of Classis Red Mesa, one of the duties in his job description was to work with a task force of Classis to start the formation of the Foundation. Since the foundation idea was a rather foreign concept to the Navajo Christians, he talks about the difficult times they had in the formation process. The basic purpose of a foundation was appealing to him because of the necessity of seeing Red Mesa churches becoming self-supporting financially. He sees the primary purpose of the foundation then and now as the task of selling real estate (around 1000 acres), raising other funds, investing the money, and beginning distribution to the churches and Christian schools. He has been grateful to the Lord for bringing a well-qualified director who has brought the foundation to fruition. He is confident that beginning in 2009, the churches and Christian schools will be blessed with funding and will honor God with their ministry and growth. He thanks all of you, individuals and agencies, who have a share in this ministry in His Kingdom. He praises the Lord for you.
Ted Charles, Honorary Board Member
Ted Charles, Board President, has been with the Foundation for the last six years. He has seen the board grow from it’s infancy to a well defined organization that serves the various schools and churches of Classis Red Mesa. To be a part of an organization that supports the various ministries of the churches and schools of Classis Red Mesa is exciting and a blessing. Ted’s vision is that the the ministries will be come more dependent on God for their finances.
Ted is a Navajo, born in Ft. Defiance, Az. to Mr. and Mrs. John M. Charles. Ted graduated from Rehoboth in 1959 and after attending Dordt College he enlisted in the Marine Corps after which he finished College and recieved his degree from Biola College. After 29 years of teaching, Ted retired in 1999 and is now pastoring a Church in Ft. Wingate, New Mexico. His wife Evie is of Dutch descent amd grew up in Denver Colorado. They have four children and six grandchildren.
Mark Charles, Advisor
Mark Charles is a Dutchajo. His mother is of Dutch heritage (tsin bikee’ dine) and his father is Navajo (To’aheedliinii doo Todich’ii’nii). His entire life he has lived between these two worlds. Mark grew up on campus at Rehoboth Christian School and lived near to his Navajo grandparents who also worked for the mission. He describes his upbringing this way ‘I grew up in a Dutch ghetto just off the Navajo Reservation’. Mark sees the mission and work of the Red Mesa Foundation as a very practical step towards reconciliation and healing between the White and Navajo Churches. “Years ago, this land belonged to the Navajo people. We lived here, hunted here, herded our sheep here and planted our corn here. This was our home. It is great to see some of that ownership being recognized by the Christian Reformed Church as some of the control of the mission’s land is returned to the Navajo people.”
Mark was the pastor of the Christian Indian Center, a small church in Denver, CO for 2 years after which he and his family moved to the Navajo reservation where they have lived for the past three and a half years. He has a wife, Rachel, and two children, David (7) and Shandiin (7 mos).
Rhonda Berg, Executive Director
Rhonda Berg is the executive director of the Red Mesa Foundation. She’s been with the Foundation since 2001, close to its beginning. Rhonda sees ministry in Red Mesa flowing out of people who experience God’s love and healing in their own lives and follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in reaching out to others. She sees the Red Mesa Foundation as an instrument through which encouragement and resources can go out to Native American Christians and churches on the front lines in their respective communities.
Rhonda is an Anglo who has lived in West Michigan and Montana, and briefly in Colorado, New Jersey and Alberta Canada. She was the director of the Service-Learning Center at Calvin College for 16 years where she enjoyed working with community organizations and college students. Prior to coming to Calvin College she worked in a non-profit housing development corporation called Dwelling Place Inc.
Other Red Mesa Foundation Leaders Include:
Board Members:
Stuart Barton, Jr.
Ed T. Begay
Bobby Boyd
Marla Jasperse, Vice-President Pro-Term
Dan McLaughlin
Honorary Board Members
Flo Barton
Advisors:
Jim Bulthuis—Land Use and Financial
Keith Kuipers—Financial
Warren Burmeister—Financial
Violet Morgan—Land Use
Ex-Officio:
Rick Van Til, CRC Home Missions