Home / CRC Index / Mich. Index / Grand Rapids / First

Historical Profile: First CRC

Grand Rapids, Michigan

First CRC was organized on March 19, 1857 by members seceding from Second Reformed Church due to the work of Gijsbert Haan.

Representatives of the Grand Rapids, Graafschap, Polkton, Vriesland, and Noordeloos congregations organized as the Classis of Michigan on April 29, 1857. This is the birthdate of the Christian Reformed Church.

The city of Grand Rapids expanded its borders in 1857. On the north, it was bounded by Richmond and Sweet, on the east by Fuller, on the south by Hall, and on the west by the Grand River and Garfield. The 1860 U.S. Census showed Grand Rapids with a population of 8,085, of whom 867 were Dutch-born. While the urban population had tripled in a decade, there were 4.5 times as many Dutch-born. (This takes no account of the American-born children of these immigrants.)

As with many churches near the old Calvin College campus, membership declined during the 1966-73 period as the college slowly relocated.

For more on 1st CRC's early history, see Memoirs of Mrs. Spoelstra, nee Benjamin, as translated by her son A.J. Spoelstra.

Names

Spring Street, 1857-67

Commerce Street, 1867-1912

Bates Street, informally, 1912-present

First, 1912-present

Locations

Spring Street SW, Grand Rapids, MI (1857-67, NW corner of Ionia Ave. & Weston St.)
58 Commerce Ave. SW, Grand Rapids, MI (1867-1912, seating for 1,300)
650 Bates Street SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 (built 1912)

Interactive Google map showing all 3 locations.

Pastors

H. G. Klyn, 1857-58
W. H. Van Leeuwen, 1863-67
R. Duiker, 1867-72
Gerrit E. Boer, 1873-76
J. Kremer, 1877-79
J. Vos, 1881-1900
T. Vander Ark, 1900-05
G. J. Haan, 1906-08
Peter Ekster, 1908-18
E. Tanis, 1919-27
D. D. Bonnema, 1927-41
E. F. Visser, 1942-51
W. Van Rees, 1951-60
M. Beelen, 1961-71
C. Terpstra, 1970-82
D. J. Klop, 1973-80
R. E. Alexander, 1982-84
D. G. Bos, 1983-84
Morris N. Greidanus, 1985-??
William DeVries

East Street (now Eastern Avenue), begun 1876, organized 1879
Alpine Avenue, 1881-1992
Fourth (now LaGrave Avenue), 1887 - first English speaking congregation
Fifth Ave. (later Franklin Street), 1887-1967
Grace, 1962, cosponsored with Neland Ave.

Membership

Green (lower) line shows membership in families; blue (middle), professing members; red (top), total members; and magenta (thin), non-professing members. Note effect of forming daughter congregations in 1881 and 1887.

Source: Yearbooks of the Christian Reformed Church. Dates are year prior to publication date since data is gathered at the end of one year and published in the next.

For more membership data, click here. View maps of Spring Street, Commerce Street, or Bates Street locations, or page showing all three maps.

Visit the First CRC website.

Send email to Rev. Greidanus.

Go to Grand Rapids geographic index or chronological index.

Any comments? Please email .