Rev. Barry Beukema was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan (U.S.A.) into a Christian Reformed home. From 1975-80 he attended Calvin College and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology. He went on to attend Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he received his Master of Divinity degree in 1983. After completing his "ecclesiastical" year at Calvin Theological Seminary in 1984 he was declared a candidate for the ministry of the Word and Sacraments within the Christian Reformed Church (CRC). That same year he accepted the call from the Burdett CRC in Alberta (Canada). Four years later he accepted the call from the Smithers CRC in British Columbia. In 1992 he and two elders called the congregation to leave the Christian Reformed denomination and then left with approximately 20 families to found the Bethel Reformed Church of Smithers. In 1996 their congregation became a charter member of the federation called the United Reformed Churches in North America. In 2002 he accepted the call to become the Pastor of the newly founded United Reformed Church of Thunder Bay, Ontario. In 1978 Rev. Beukema married wife Valerie, who was born and raised in Alberta, Canada. They have been blessed with 7 sons and 2 daughters, in that order.