
Larry DeBruyn (1944-2017) was a graduate of Taylor University (B.S., 1968) and Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M., 1974) where he received the Charles A. Nash Award in Church History. He spent some time as a public-school teacher before becoming a pastor.
In the course of forty-three years, he ministered to three churches in Michigan, Missouri, and Indiana. He also taught on the adjunct faculties of Taylor University, Upland, Indiana (1979); Crossroads Bible College, Indianapolis, Indiana (1990-1999); and Word of Life Bible Institute, Tóalmás, Hungary (2006).

Since 1990, he ministered in Eastern Europe teaching numerous times at the Kiev Theological Seminary, assisting to plant churches and ministries in Lithuania and Ukraine, and preaching, teaching, and evangelizing in Latvia (2011), Australia (2010, 2011, 2013), New Zealand (2011, 2013), Turkey (2013), Russia (2013) the Republic of Georgia (2015), South Africa (2016), and Zimbabwe (2016).
For many years up until his passing, Larry wrote cutting-edge articles and books exposing the New Spirituality that has entered modern-day Christianity. He was a brilliant articulate writer and was never afraid to speak the truth in both love and strength. He was also an astute researcher and worked together with several discernment ministries, providing insights and documentation that were often overlooked by others.
After retiring from formal pastoring, he devoted his time solely to writing and speaking. In 2016, he spoke at The Berean Call Conference in Bend, Oregon; he also did two radio interviews with Berean Call’s T.A. McMahon.
Books Larry wrote include Church on the Rise (Why I Am Not a “Purpose Driven” Pastor)’ Drumming Up Deception: Whether in Celebration or Contemplation – “Feeling” the Beat; and Unshackled, Breaking Away from Seductive Spirituality. His articles as well as his books give a biblical perspective that is so needed in the church today.
Some of his articles and reports were “The Music and the Mystical,” “Who Goes There? Encountering Voices in the Silence of Contemplative Prayer,” his series reports on Steve Berger’s Have Heart book that promotes necromancy, and on Bill Johnson’s (of Bethel Church) co-authored book on quantum spirituality, The Physics of Heaven. Larry’s writing on these topics left no stone unturned, and his documentation was irrefutable.
In addition to Larry’s own work, he offered great support and encouragement to many who were fighting the battle to bring discernment to the church.
Larry has left behind his wife (to whom he was married for almost 50 years) and two grown sons. One of Larry’s favorite poems to quote was “A Mind at Perfect Peace With God” by Catesby Paget (1868-1930):
A mind at “perfect peace” with God,
Oh, what a word is this!
A sinner reconciled through blood;
This, this, indeed is peace!
By nature and by practice far,
How very far from God!
Yet now by grace, brought nigh to Him,
Through faith in Jesus’ blood.
So nigh, so very nigh to God,
I cannot nearer be;
For in the person of His Son,
I am as near as He.
So dear, so very dear to God,
More dear I cannot be;
The love wherewith He loves the Son,
Such is His love to me.
Why should I ever careful be,
Since such a God is mine?
He watches o’er me night and day,
And tells me “Mine is thine.”
Larry DeBruyn lived what he believed. He knew there was an eternal home waiting for Him while he was passing through this present temporal world. He saw no price too great to give to His Savior who had purchased him with His own blood on Calvary. Larry was a great example to so many of a life uncompromised for Christ.