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First CRC

Grand Rapids, Michigan

First CRC was organized on March 19, 1857 by members seceding from Second Reformed Church.

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)

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-present

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.

Red line shows nonprofessing members as a percentage of total membership.

Red line shows five year growth rate. A five year growth rate between 10% and -10% is considered stable; greater than 10% indicates a growing congregation; one below -10% indicates a church in decline. This makes no allowance for daughter churches.

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.

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