The First NRC of Grand Rapids, Michigan (1)

In 1826, the Frenchman Louis Campati founded a trading post some 150 miles northwest of Detroit, Michigan and twenty-five miles east of Lake Michigan where several Ottawa Indian trails (which are now diagonal streets) converged at the scenic rapids of the Grand River. Waterpower generated by the eighteen-foot fall of the river and accessibility to valuable lumber from local pine and hardwood forests led to the establishment of numerous sawmills and woodworking industries.

The name Grand Rapidswas a natural. Incorporated in 1838 as a village and in 1850 as a city, Grand Rapids now numbers some 200,000 persons. The surrounding metropolitan area embraces an additional 500,000 people—second in size in Michigan only to the Detroit area.

Early on “Grand Rapids” became a byword “for inexpensive furniture of reliable quality.” 1 After a display of Grand Rapids furniture at the Philadelphia Centennial in 1876, the city became renowned as the furniture capital of America. Not until after World War I did Grand Rapids’s metal-based manufacturing industries exceed furniture in value and output. Fruit farming and truck gardening are also predominant in the Grand Rapids metropolitan area.

Grand Rapids is also well-known as the boyhood home of former President Gerald Ford. The Gerald Ford Museum is located near the heart of the city.

Most importantly, however, to those of Protestant persuasion, Grand Rapids has been known as a bastion of the Reformed faith. Numerous Dutch folk emigrated to Grand Rapids from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s, and established a variety of churches of Reformed persuasions. Until today, Grand Rapids is often called in Reformed circles, “the Jerusalem of America.” This name largely evolved from the fact that many of the city’s original settlers were Dutch immigrants of Reformed persuasion; indeed, Grand Rapids is still one of the only areas in America where Protestants of Reformed churches readily outnumber Presbyterians. Presently, the Grand Rapids area is home to one hundred Christian Reformed Churches, sixty Reformed Churches in America, eight Protestant Reformed Churches, one Free Reformed Church, two Netherlands Reformed Congregations, and two churches of Reformed Baptist persuasion. It is interesting to note that most of these Reformed denominations, as well as several Presbyterian groups, regularly convene their Synods in Grand Rapids.

Sadly, however, Grand Rapids is no longer worthy of the title, “Jerusalem of America.” Though the majority of the population still attend church and it is much more common to witness people asking God’s blessing for their meals in public restaurants than in the typical American city, most of the churches which retain the title of “Reformed” have watered down the Reformed faith beyond recognition.

We live in a dark and needy time. Oh, that we might wrestle for true revival also in this city where the Reformed faith once flourished in a much more pure, biblically Calvinistic form— both doctrinally and experientially!

Origins of the First NRC

In the 1850-1860s, several dozen immigrants from the Netherlands became increasingly unhappy with the local Dutch Reformed and True Reformed congregations to which they had joined themselves. Ultimately, a variety of providential events led to the organization of a new church which was called “The Christian Reformed Congregation at Grand Rapids” (and would later become our present-day, First NRC). Happily, one of the forty charter members described these early efforts which led to church organization on October 30, 1870. The following is a translated excerpt from his testimony written in December of 1870:

The undersigned first members of the above named congregation, all born in the Netherlands, and having immigrated at various times from there, found no church here with which we could affiliate. Some of us attempted to do so and handed in our membership papers, one to the consistory of the Dutch Reformed and the other to the True Reformed, and thus were for some time members there. But soon we were sorry we had done so, for we did not find what we had hoped. We soon discovered that we were not at home there.

The dissatisfaction increased steadily. Each of us remembered how it had been in our native land under the leadership of our old ministers under which we had grown up. We noticed how very different it was here and often sighed, “Oh, if we had but stayed there,” or “Oh, if only our ministers were here!” Since we were in touch with each other from time to time, this was always the subject of our conversation. Inasmuch as our needs and desires were the same, we decided, while looking to the Lord, to attempt to form a congregation, and then to call one of our old ministers out of the Netherlands.

Of course, this action would have to proceed from those among us who were not as yet connected with a church. This having been discussed and approved, we decided to take action. But now the question was which minister was wanted. The answer of everyone was the Rev. Cornelius Kloppenburg of Oud-Vosmeer, Netherlands. It was decided that Brother Klaas Smit would write the minister a letter, giving a brief report of our condition here, and of our desire, with the reasons and causes which necessitated our taking this action. With this letter we would enclose a call to him.

We received an answer some time later from Rev. Kloppenburg, but not as we had hoped. At the time he received our letters a combination of circumstances had placed him in a most difficult and sad position which made it impossible for him to explain himself as he would wish. The result was that we considered the matter ended.

Six months later we learned that Rev. Kloppenburg had come with his family had come to Rochester, New York. Immediately our old desires were renewed, and we hoped that we now would be able to induce him to come to us. We wrote and kindly invited him, but received a negative answer. However, we attempted again and again, and strongly urged that, even if he had no desire to serve us as a minister, he would nevertheless honor us with a visit as a friend.

This he agreed to do, and came to us on the last Tuesday of August 1870. We were especially happy that we could meet each other here, told the minister all that has been related above, and asked his advice. He answered that being a stranger here and unacquainted, he was incompetent to judge. But he counselled us that because nothing here is perfect, we should join the church to which we had the least objection. We urgently requested him to preach for us, but he refused, and after being with us for three days, left again on Friday evening. But we, holding to our intention of forming a congregation, appointed a temporary committee to make the necessary preparations, and invited the Rev. Kloppenburg to organize us as a congregation.

First he refused, but after much correspondence and persistence, he came again on September 30, 1870, and upon the request and prayer of many, he preached three times for us on Sunday, the 2nd of October. In the following week the committee we had appointed called a meeting. Brother Smit, as a member of the committee, asked whether we held to our intention of becoming a congregation. The unanimous answer was “yes.” Then he asked whether we wanted Rev. Kloppenburg to organize the congregation. Again the answer was “yes.”

The committee decided to present the request to the minister. The committee approved asking two of their members, Krijn Goudzwaard and Jacob Bierens, to present our request to the minister. He answered that if there were no other way, he would not refuse, but advised us to wait until we knew each other better. He also informed us he had written to the consistory of Oud-Vosmeer to tell them that circumstances made it impossible for him to return at the appointed time. He also told the consistory and the congregation that if they did not approve they could call another minister. If that minister accepted the call, it would be with his approval. If he did not accept it, he would return to them early the following spring.

Thus we learned that he was planning to stay in America that winter, and we decided to ask him to stay with us. The minister answered that he would have no objection to do so, on condition that his family and belongings could also come, and that we would pay expenses. We gladly accepted. For that Sunday we had used the church of the Swedenbor-gians, and proposed to continue using it a few more Sundays. The minister preached the following Sunday, the 9th of October, the 16th, and the 23 rd, and on the 30th he organized the congregation, consisting of forty members.

The congregation met on November 3, and chose a consistory of two elders and two deacons. On the 28th the consistory met with the members, and asked them whether it was their desire to call a minister now, or to wait awhile. They all answered, “now,” and desired the Rev. Kloppenburg.

The consistory wrote the letter of call and brought it to the minister. He answered that he could make no decision because an answer to his letter had not yet been received from the congregation of Oud-Vosmeer. Soon afterward he received it, and was informed that the congregation had called Rev. Boon, who had accepted the call. They therefore thanked Rev. Kloppenburg for his zeal and faithfulness with which he had served the congregation so many years. The consistory wished God’s precious blessing upon him in whatever way or position God might want to use him.

Now the minister had liberty and with peace in his heart, accepted our call. The next Sunday he announced it to the congregation. On the following Sunday he preached on Acts 16:9.

Thus the Lord formally fulfilled for us His promise, “Thine eyes shall see thy teachers” (Isaiah 30:20).2

Such were the humble, providential beginnings of what would later become known as the First NRC, as we hope to consider in forthcoming articles, the Lord willing.

The New Encyclopedia Britannica,vol. 21, p. 505.

2100th Anniversary of the First NRC, 1870-1970, pp. 5-7.

Dr. J.R. Beeke and Rev. J. den Hoed are continuing a series of articles on the histories of individual Netherlands Reformed congregations.

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