Ryp from Charlevoix

Ryp’s parents were unchurched and unsaved. His mom was addicted to prescription drugs and his dad was an alcoholic, many times coming home from a drinking binge in a blind rage.

For an unknown reason, Ryp’s mom felt he and his sister should go to Sunday School. So she sent them to the Baptist church down the road. Ryp was 4 at the time, his sister was 6. Ryp vividly remembers to this day when his teacher explained to him and his classmates the plan of salvation. And even though it made an impression on him, he didn’t act on it. He felt both conviction and his need for Jesus, but resisted.

At age 6, Ryp had stopped going to Sunday School but remembers his Sunday School teacher coming over to their home to invite him back. But he said no, again turning his back on God. Other experiences were put in his path - God knocking on his door, but he resisted.

Then, at age 11, Ryp was playing with his favorite ball, throwing it over the house from one side to the other. He threw it over and went to the other side but couldn’t find it. So he decided to test God by praying to Him that he would find it. He never found it. This became a pivotal time in his life to support his reason for turning his back on God for good.

When Ryp entered Jr. High, he got with the wrong crowd and the drugs that followed, always running from God. Even when he dated a Christian girl, he wasn’t swayed. Even when a friend was injured in a car accident and turned his life over to God, he wasn’t swayed – but it made an impression on him.

Ryp then met another girl whom he had known from childhood and they married. She was also not a Christian. They were the adventuring sort, so decided to go to Arizona from Petoskey, Michigan. On the way, they went through Memphis, Tennessee. Ryp remembers sitting in a hotel room watching an HBO program named the Late Great Planet Earth. Thinking it was a science fiction program, he got interested. But at the end of the program, he realized it was directing him to his need for Christ. He immediately went to the Gideon bible in his room to read the Book of Revelation. Then he began to be more open to the Gospel.

Ryp and wife continued to Arizona. The marriage began to suffer in the new environment. It was about this time Ryp began to cry out to God even though he wasn’t sure what that would do. He said “God, I think I want to serve you, please put my marriage back together”

On a whim, Ryp decided to return to Michigan by bus without his wife. About two weeks later, she returned as well.

Soon, Ryp got a job working with a group of guys as an apprentice electrician. As it turned out, all of his workmates were true believing Christians. He noticed there was no foul language. One was a Charismatic (Pentecostal), very much on fire for God. His wife Vicky got a job as well. And one of her co-workers was a Born Again Christian.

There in Petosky, there was an Assembly of God church having a revival. Paul Wilde was the evangelist. On a Friday night, Ryp decided to go out with the guys, the cable TV guys he was used to getting drunk with. He remembers they were in a heated garage, playing a ping pong tournament, 3 teams all working hard at winning.

Around 2:00am, as they were winding down, Ryp remembers the Lord saying to him: “Are you having fun? Enjoy it. This is the last time.”

Then, on Saturday, Vicky said they needed to go to that A/G church where the revival was being held. Ryp agreed. So on a Sunday morning, they went into the church sanctuary and the place was filled to capacity. But the usher found them a place – right up front on row 2 next to the pastor’s wife.

The evangelist’s message was straight to him. All arguments against God were refuted. Then, fear began to grip him from the content and tone of the message. He soon began to realize the only choice was submission. First Vicky went forward, then he followed. The person who invited them went forward as well and went over the entire plan of salvation with them.

Ryp wasn’t prepared for the change that happened to him – instant joy, power and the glory of God’s presence with him. That was at Ryp’s age 23 on April 5, 1981.

Then Ryp felt a call of God on his life to the ministry. He first became a youth minister and now pastors First Assembly of God in Charlevoix, Mi.

Learnings from this interview

Ryp was impacted by the message of the Gospel at the age of 4. One should never discount the power of the Gospel to change lives, starting at very early ages. When I remarked about that, he stated that in his church, crying babies are not a problem for him at all. He views it as them praising the Lord -- and he possibility that the Lord is ministering to them even as infants.