Carl Boonstra, “A Good Steward” and Missionary Leader

Below you will find two articles from the archives of the Baptist Bible Tribune and a link to the video of Carl Boonstra’s memorial service held in the Boonstra Chapel of the BBFI Mission Office building on Tuesday, June 13, 2023.

The following is a reprint from the Baptist Bible Tribune on March 28, 1986, announcing Carl Boonstra’s retirement as BBF Missions Director.

Carl Boonstra, “A Good Steward” and Missionary Leader

Carl Boonstra, a native of Colorado, was reared in a Christian home and saved at the age of 15 under the ministry of Harvey Springer at the First Baptist Church of Englewood. He served in the Army from 1943 to January 1946 and was stationed in Europe during World War II. Upon his discharge, he married his wife, Elsie, also a member of the First Baptist Church.

Boonstra attended the Bible Baptist Seminary of Fort Worth, Texas, graduating in 1950. Returning to his hometown, he worked as associate pastor to Springer at First Baptist for five years. Then, in 1955, he established the Eastside Baptist Church of Denver, pastoring it until 1972, when he was appointed missions director of the Baptist Bible Fellowship and moved to Springfield, Missouri.

The Boonstras have three children and six grandchildren. Their son, John Boonstra, lives in Lakewood, Colorado, and of their two daughters, Carla Davis lives in Englewood, Colorado, and Sharon Smith, with her husband Jim, is a BBF missionary in Ecuador.

During his fourteen years at the helm of the Missions Office, Boonstra has led the staff in eradicating a large deficit and in, establishing a number of programs, and realizing several accomplishments to enhance the BBF missionary enterprise, such as:

Missionary car loan revolving fund
BBF missions curriculum in seven colleges
Annual furlough retreat for missionary families in the States
GOLD STAR missionary retirement plan
Missionary supplement retirement plan
Chaplain ministry (the missions director is the endorsing agent)
A.M.O.S. (American Ministry Over Seas) program (military)
Advance loan account
Self-funding medical programs for missionaries
New missionary disability program
Veteran’s Administration hospital chaplain ministry
Two-year option for first-term missionaries
Concentrated summer missions course
Property fund (for future facilities for Fellowship Missions and TRIBUNE offices
Underwriting the TRIBUNE computer services and utilities and temporarily supporting its operating costs on a loan basis
Paying off of $550,000 original loan on the Missions Office building in 8 years instead of 15, saving $500,000 by the double payments
Debt-free Missions Office equipment, including a new Systems 36 computer
Microfilming of all records
Irrevocable trust fund income for BBF missions

During his term of service at the Missions Office, Boonstra has seen the BBF family of missionaries grow from 410 adults working in 40 countries in 1973 to 682 working in 70 countries in 1986. Approximately 2,000 national congregations have been established in these 70 countries, pastored by nationals who identify with the Baptist Bible Fellowship.

Since 1973, annual receipts have increased from $4,014,471.00 to $15,778,728.86 in 1985, coming from 3,334 different churches and 1,103 individuals. During 1985, a single year in which more missions money was received than in the first 18 years of the Fellowship together, the Missions Office was able to run without any project offering funds, enabling all monies received in the September offering to go directly toward missionary homes and national church buildings and properties.

In the last year or so, Boonstra has been praying about and discussing the need for an increase in the Missions Office executive staff in order to adequately coordinate the BBF’s expanding worldwide outreaches.

At the February national BBF meeting in Abilene, Boonstra submitted his resignation as missions director, planning, as his health permits, to continue as a Missions Office consultant for the next several years. Succeeded in his director’s duties by Bob Baird, lately pastor of the Hallmark Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Boonstra will help him and continue his own missions travels. Freed from the daily operations at the office, he hopes to amend his already full travel schedule of missions conferences in the States and helping and counseling missionaries on the fields to include more foreign trips, thus expanding the consulting aspect of his ministry.

Boonstra is already booked for several appointments abroad during 1986, being slated to visit Alaska and then Indonesia and Singapore in June. Korea is on his schedule for August, and Hong Kong and Mainland China, for October. (In the China visit, he will participate in a group of pastors led by Ron Adrian and Bill Logan to survey the land that was the starting ground for BBF missions. Those interested may contact coordinator Ron Adrian.)

Up to this time, Boonstra has already traveled to 50 countries of the world, preaching to nationals and often conducting workshops and inspirational meetings for missionaries. He has traveled at least 100,000 miles each year during his tenure of service. In America, he has spoken in more than 35 churches annually, having spoken in nearly 1,000 congregations in the United States and worldwide through his nearly 40 years of ministry. Usually, he has spent from one to four months in other lands yearly.

Despite the Fellowship’s strident missions progress in its 36-year history, Boonstra has even higher hopes for the future. “I see a potential of 75 to 100 new families being approved each year,” he said. His motto for the 14 years he has spent as missions director expresses his philosophy, “Think what we can do together!”

Missionary statistics

Following is a partial list indicating the Baptist Bible Fellowship’s progress in evangelizing the world through missions during its 36 years.

The following is a reprint from the Baptist Bible Tribune on June 28, 1989, announcing Carl Boonstra’s retirement as missions consultant with the BBF missions office.

Saying Goodbye: Carl and Elsie Boonstra say goodbye to the BBF Missions Office after 17 years of faithful service.

Retiring BBF Missions Consultant Carl Boonstra and his wife Elsie were recently honored with a special banquet in recognition of their many years of service. Boonstra, who served as missions director for 14 years before becoming missions consultant three years ago, will continue in the ministry as a speaker at missions conferences and other meetings.

A native of Colorado, Boonstra was saved as a 15-year old under the ministry of Harvey Springer at First Baptist Church in Englewood. After serving in the Army during World War II, Boonstra returned to Colorado in 1946 and married Elsie, who was also a member of First Baptist. The Boonstras surrendered to the ministry and attended Bible Baptist Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas.

Following graduation in 1950, the Boonstras returned to Englewood and served on the staff at First Baptist. In 1955, they established Eastside Baptist Church in Denver, where they served for 17 years. Boonstra was named BBF missions director in 1972 and remained at the post until March 1986, when Bob Baird was picked as his successor. Boonstra continued on as missions consultant, aiding in the transition of leadership and traveling around the world to help and encourage Fellowship missionaries.

During the banquet, which was held at the BBF Missions Building, the Boonstras were surprised with a “This Is Your Life” presentation as family and friends secretly arrived for the celebration. The group featured several family members from Colorado, including Boonstra’s mother and sister. In addition, the Boonstras’ son, John, and daughter, Carla, attended along with their spouses and children.

Special tributes were made by Pastors Bob Perryman and Bill Brewer, Missionaries Ed Clark and Jerry Daniels, and by Bob Baird, F.C. Lasater, and Don Brown of the Missions Office. In addition, several letters of tribute from pastors, evangelists, and missionaries from around the world were read. Special songs were featured by Jeanette Goosman, Boonstra’s sister, and by Ann Baird, wife of the missions director.

Presentations to the Boonstras included $500 gift certificates from the Missions Office, matching diamond watches from Fellowship missionaries, and an international clock from Missions Office employees. There were also other personal gifts presented, including an artistic homemade quilt by Sharon Evans of the Missions Office.

Although “officially’ retired, Boonstra plans to keep a busy evangelistic ministry, focusing on missions conferences. In addition, he plans to devote more time to one of his favorite pastimes – tending to his farm near Springfield. For scheduling information, contact Boonstra through the Missions Office.

Memorial service for Carl Boonstra held in the Boonstra Chapel of the BBFI Mission Office building on Tuesday, June 13, 2023.