Derek Elmi-Buursma is a recent graduate of McCormick Theological Seminary and has been serving as the Interim Pastor of Loop Church since January 2019. Derek is currently working towards ordination in the Christian Reformed Church and expects to be a ministerial candidate in the fall of 2020. In the meantime, he is serving the church as a Commissioned Pastor.
For Derek, preaching has been a holy and life-giving experience. Each week, the way to the pulpit is paved with lament over the futility of words and rejoicing over the faithfulness of God’s promise to show up. Each sermon is born from God’s promise in Isaiah 51:11,
“my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
Derek writes his sermons in conversation with the good theologians he was introduced to in seminary: James Cone, Rosmary Radford-Ruether, Gustavo Gutiérrez, Delores Williams, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Teresa of Ávila, Mitri Raheb and many others. While writing each week, the Holy Spirit seems to show up while he consults a whole host of commentaries, calls his Dad, prays with congregants, and listens to the news. On Sunday morning the prayer is always that the Living Lord Jesus Christ show up, speak, and share resurrection life.
Derek and his wife Deqa have been living-in and loving-on Chicago since 2015 when they moved to the city from Accra, Ghana to attend seminary. They are loyal Hyde Parkers and prefer summer days picnicking at promontory point to any other spot in the city.
Word in the Loop 