Meet one of CC’s longest subscribers
John Hofstee has subscribed for 65 years.
In his 90 years, John Hofstee has been many things: a teacher, a banker, a factory worker, a book translator, the son of a truck driver, a father, grandfather, great-grandfather and also a Christian Courier writer. His first article, published in Dutch in 1960, was an explanation of the Canadian banking system. He was paid two cents per line.
Over the next four decades, John kept writing for CC, occasionally reporting on elections, immigration and legacy planning. His interests remain wide-ranging today.
“I read CC to get the news as to what is going on in the churches and ministries, editorials, viewpoints, alerts [. . .] because of my personal interest [in politics], I make sure I read Kathy Vandergrift,” says Hofstee. He also names Katie Munnik, Rudy Eikelboom, Heidi VanderSlikke and David Koyzis as favourite columnists.
John acknowledges that CC has changed in his 65 years as a subscriber and writer. When he started, writers were told to aim for a grade five reading level. The readership at the time was mostly made up of recent immigrants from the Netherlands who may have had to work on the family farm or in town instead of finishing high school. CC writers these days are more likely to be university-educated and write at that level. “It’s just not for the ordinary person [anymore],” says Hofstee.
When asked why he continues to read, despite the changes, Hofstee laughed and had a ready response, “It’s good to see different things, how people think, that does not necessarily mean that I accept them. But it broadens your perspective when you know what other people are thinking.”
In June 2023, during a gathering of board and staff members, Hofstee was awarded the title “Longest CC subscriber.” Ever the astute researcher, Hofstee has since found evidence of two other readers who have surpassed his record. He wanted to be sure to set the record straight: “I gladly surrender my title as the longest subscriber to Didy [Prinzen].”
