NASHVILLE, Tenn. (May 7, 2014) – A counselor and former pastor in the Grand Rapids area was killed Tuesday night in a hit-and-run crash in Nashville
Authorities say 71-year-old the Rev. Allen Hoogewind of Grand Rapids had just gotten off an MTA bus with a co-worker and was crossing Gallatin Pike at Walton Lane in Walton when he was hit by a car.
Hoogewind was attempting to cross the street on a crosswalk when he was hit around 9:35 p.m.
A witness reported the car, described as a dark-colored four-door sedan, had the green light and continued south on Gallatin Pike after the collision. Authorities say the car may have front end damage.
Hoogewind, a therapist with Centennial Park Counseling in Grand Rapids, was attending a conference in Nashville and was crossing the street to get to his car with another Centennial Park Counseling co-worker when the collision happened. The co-worker wasn’t injured, according to authorities in Tennessee.
Hoogewind is a retired pastor from area Christian Reformed churches.
“It’s been a rough day,” Centennial Park Counseling founder and president Janice Bentley told FOX 17 NEWS. “We definitely have suffered a great loss by Al being taken.
“Al was 71 years old and he still had that teachable spirit. I’ve known him for 13 years. Al was a retired pastor, he spent very long hours in the counseling office working with people. He had a real passion for his Lord and he had a real passion for his clients. He put in long hours trying to help them find healing for their life. He was a very dedicated pastor and counselor, and a very dedicated husband.
“His specialty was people with addictions. He was doing a fantastic job. It was amazing to see how many people were being reached because of that passion he had. He did not have a judgmental attitude. He just wanted to help them find healing for their life.
“He definitely was a valued team player,” said Bentley.
Following are Hoogewind’s credentials listed on the Counseling Center website.
Rev. Hoogewind brings a unique blend of skills and perspectives to his work with clients. Experience with pastoral care, addiction and codependency counseling, marital and individual counseling, and public speaking and preaching shape his ministry with his clients.
His speaking topics included:
- Alcohol and Drugs
- An Anatomy of a Relationship
- Barrier Free friendships ( Building friendships with people who have disabilities)
- The Big “O” in Sex is not “Orgasm”
- The Cross and the Cubical
- The Co-Dependency Trap and Healthy Ways to Love Others
- Coloring Outside the lines of Ministry with Persons with Disabilities
- Communication-Do We really know How?
- Coping with Anxiety
- Drug Proofing our Kids
- The Five Languages of Love
- I’m Not Crazy; I’m Mentally Ill and I belong to Your Church Too
- Impacting Our Corner of the World
- Learning to Manipulate so that You will Do Less of it
- Let’s Not Be Paralyzed by Fear and Anger
- Parenting a Child with a Disability
- Sexual Addiction
- Sexual Addiction/Counterfeit love
- Stress Management
- The Twelve Steps of AA for Everyone’s Life
- Thinking Outside the Box
- Unfinished Business-The Challenge of Moving On with Life
FOX17 will have more on how Rev. Hoogewind is being remembered tonight on FOX17 News at Ten.
