www.jean-jacquessuurmond.nl

life and career

Born in 1950 and raised in a secular family, Jean-Jacques Suurmond became in 1970 involved in diaconal work (care for the homeless and destitute) in a local Pentecostal church in the Netherlands.

In 1978 he married Marianne Vonkeman, with whom he has two daughters.

In 1979 he became a licensed minister of the Assemblies of God and worked as an associate pastor at North Hollywood Assembly of God. He became involved in the interdenominational charismatic movement in California and, afterwards, in the Netherlands.

After supplementary studies at Utrecht University, he was ordained a Reformed minister in Gendt and, since 1993, in de Ichthuskerk in Vlaardingen (a co-appointment with his wife Marianne).

In 2000 he reached the finals of the national preaching contest ‘The Sermon of the Year.’ Since 2005 he writes columns for the daily newspaper Trouw.

In 1999 he graduated as a Gestalt therapist at Multidimens institute. Since then he is a therapist in private practice, as well as supervisor. He holds the European Certificate for Psychotherapy (awarded by the EAP, Vienna).

ACADEMIC WORK

He received his B.A. degree from Continental Bible College in Brussels and graduated at the School of Theology of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena (M.A. and Ph.D., 1983). He did doctoral research with Prof. W.H. Brownlee at Claremont Graduate School and with Prof. J.B. Torrance of the University of Aberdeen. Prof. H. Berkhof of Leiden University served as his external examiner.

He taught at Fuller Seminary and the Centrale Pinkster Bijbelschool and presented papers at Fuller Seminary, the University of Birmingham, Free University (Amsterdam) and Utrecht University. He published many articles in theological journals at home and abroad. His main study deals with the spirituality of world-wide Pentecostalism (Het spel van Woord en Geest, translated as Word and Spirit at Play).

MEMBERSHIPS

Suurmond is a past board member of the Nederlands Bijbelgenootschap and the  Charismatische Werkgemeenschap Nederland. He was part of the curatorium for the chair of the theology of the charismatic renewal (VU Amsterdam) as well of  the section spirituality of the National Council of Churches. He was also a member of the  Society of Biblical Literature.

Memberships today include: the American Academy of Religion; the Paul Tillich Genootschap; the Bond van Nederlandse Predikanten; the Nederlands-Vlaamse Associatie voor Gestalttherapie (chamber of supervisors); the  Nederlandse Associatie voor Psychotherapie; the European Association for Psychotherapy and Katholiek Studiecentrum voor de Geestelijke Volksgezondheid.