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Second Reformed Church

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Second Reformed was organized in 1849 by Dutch immigrants. With the rest of the Dutch-speaking Holland Classis, it joined the Dutch Reformed Church (now Reformed Church in America) in 1850. The 1850 U.S. Census showed a population of 2,686 in Grand Rapids, of whom 189 were Dutch-born.

Grand Rapids incorporated as a city in 1850, with city limits of Leonard Street on the north, East Street (now Eastern Avenue) on the east, Wealthy Street on the south, and Straight Street on the west.

Gijsbert Haan led an exodus from Second in 1857 over perceived laxity in the Dutch Reformed Church. This group formed First CRC and gave birth to the Christian Reformed denomination.

Second merged with First in 1918 to form Central Reformed.

Locations

Shared facilities at Michigan and Ottawa with First Reformed, 1849-70
154 Bostwick Ave. NE near Lyon, 1870-1918 - seating for 1,000, building burned in 1895, new sanctuary built on site

Interactive Google map showing both locations.

Pastors

H. G. Klyn, 1854-57, withdrew with many members to form First CRC
W. A. Houbolt, 1859-60
Cornelius Vander Meulen, 1860-73
N. H. Dosker, 1873-83
Egbert Winter, 1883-95
D. J. De Bey, 1896-1900
M. Kolyn, 1901-10
Henry Hospers, 1910-18

Third, 1874
Fourth, 1875
Fifth, 1886
Ninth, 1892

Membership

Due to incomplete reporting, nonprofessing and total membership figures 1860-78, 1885-86, 1901-02, and 1909 are estimated.

Green (lower) line shows membership in families; blue (middle), professing members; red (top), total members; and magenta (thin), non-professing members. Note: 1st and 2nd Reformed charts cover 1860-1980, not 1880-2000 as in other charts.

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

To view more membership data, click here. View maps showing First Reformed, first and second Bostwick Avenue locations, or all three locations on one page.

Go to RCA geographic index or RCA chronological index.

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