The Beginning
As a missionary kid, Ivan heard the gospel from the beginning. When he was a child he accepted Jesus, mostly out of fear of hell and separation from his parents. As a teenager Ivan more fully recognized what Jesus had done for him and out of love he recommitted his life to Christ and began to grow spiritually.
A neighbor took Kim to church when she was a child, and she also attended an after school Bible club. But it wasn’t until her junior year of high school that Kim confronted the reality of Jesus and the gift of salvation that He offered. Kim had just turned 17 when she surrendered her life to Jesus and committed herself to doing whatever He wanted.
Church
Ivan is an associate pastor at Countryside Bible Church in Jonesville, Michigan. But in seventeen years of attending, the Lord has opened many doors of service. These include serving as the youth pastor, deacon, an AWANA leader, Sunday School teacher, small group leader, and worship leader. Other opportunities allowed Ivan to organize missions conferences, oversee the Helps Ministry program, lead short-term mission trips both here and overseas, and help with pulpit supply.
In 2001 the Hoyts spent one year in Africa, filling in for missionaries on furlough. Ivan served as the construction manager for New Hope Uganda, a ministry dedicated to bringing “the fatherhood of God to the fatherless”. He was also part of the management team that oversaw the ministry of over 50 staff, 180 orphans living on-site, and another 250 students who came from surrounding villages. It was a profound and intense year of learning ministry.
Kim has served as a Sunday School teacher, church secretary, and pastor’s wife. There have been opportunities for her to help with youth group activities, to be involved with the women’s ministries, participate in short-term mission projects and trips, work behind-the-scenes on missions conferences, and design and create various church publications. Kim serves as hostess for small group Bible studies and other activities in their home.
Educational Background
Ivan has a B.A. in Biblical Studies from Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana, while Kim’s B.A. is in Communication from Spring Arbor University. They also took some courses in a Theological Practorium while living in Florida.
Work History
For the past nineteen years Ivan has worked for The Manor Foundation, a residential treatment facility for mentally and emotionally impaired children. For nine years Ivan and Kim served as houseparents, and for the next ten years Ivan was their facilities maintenance supervisor. During this time he maintained his residential builder’s license and worked on a variety of remodeling and construction projects. Prior to this Ivan worked in sales, helping to set records in his department at the Kenworth dealership in Miami, Florida. During his early college years Ivan worked as a production welder, maintenance supervisor, and office manager.
Kim has been primarily a stay-at-home mom and homeschool teacher for Jon (25) and Tina (21). She took vocational training during high school and has held several secretarial jobs over the years and had her own desktop publishing business for a few years after finishing college. She worked alongside Ivan when they were houseparents. Kim worked part-time as a bank teller for several years, but resigned recently to have more time to study Spanish.
Family
Ivan and Kim have been married 28 years. God has blessed them with two children: Jon graduated from Hillsdale College in 2004 and was married to Natalie Burke in August 2007. After graduating from the one year program at Word of Life Bible Institute, Tina is living at home and taking classes at the community college. One of their greatest pleasures was serving together in Africa, when Jon decided to take a semester off of college and join them.