First Protestant Reformed Church is

Reformed Reform is beneficial change. Reform, reformed or reforming may also refer to: Media * ''Reform'' (album), a 2011 album by Jane Zhang * Reform (band), a Swedish jazz fusion group * ''Reform'' (magazine), a Christian magazine Places * Reform, Al ...

congregation in

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 200,117 in 2024, Grand Rapids is the List of municipalities ...

. This was the first and founding congregation of the Protestant Reformed Churches in America.

History

It was organised in 1879 as East Street Christian Reformed Church. The congregation followed

Herman Hoeksema Herman Hoeksema (13 March 1886 in Hoogezand – 2 September 1965 in Grand Rapids) was a Dutch Reformed theologian. Hoeksema served as a long time pastor of the First Protestant Reformed Church in Grand Rapids. In 1924 he refused to accept the thr ...

to pull out of the

CRCNA The Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA or CRC) is a Protestant Calvinist Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. Having roots in the Dutch Reformed Church of the Netherlands, the Christian Reformed Church was founde ...

and form the

Protestant Reformed Churches in America The Protestant Reformed Churches in America (PRC or PRCA) is a Protestant denomination of 33 churches and over 8,000 members. History Beginning and formation The PRC was founded in 1924 as a result of a controversy regarding common grace in t ...

. The congregation adopted the name First Protestant Reformed Church, Grand Rapids in January 1926. A minority remained as East Avenue Christian Reformed Church. Under Rev. Hoeksemas leadership, the congregation thrived in the 1940s. In 1944, Rev. Hubert DeWolf became the second pastor of First Protestant Reformed. Rev J. Hanko joined the staff in 1948. In early 1950s, DeWolf begun to preach covenant theology, to appeal to congregants that had come from the

Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated) The Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated) () was an orthodox Calvinist federation of churches. This church body arose in 1944 out of the so-called Liberation (') from the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, when many pastors and me ...

. Rev. Hoeksema opposed this, and believed that the offer of salvation is for only the elected. After a further schism in 1953, the congregation divided again, one group led by Hoeksema and Hanko, the other by Rev. Hubert De Wolf. This resulted in two denominations called Protestant Reformed Church until the group led by De Wolf reunited with the CRCNA in 1961.

Theology

The church adheres to the

Apostles Creed The Apostles' Creed (Latin: ''Symbolum Apostolorum'' or ''Symbolum Apostolicum''), sometimes titled the Apostolic Creed or the Symbol of the Apostles, is a Christian creed or "symbol of faith". "Its title is first found c.390 (Ep. 42.5 of Ambro ...

Heidelberg Catechism The Heidelberg Catechism (1563), one of the Three Forms of Unity, is a Reformed catechism taking the form of a series of questions and answers, for use in teaching Reformed Christian doctrine. It was published in 1563 in Heidelberg, Germany. Its ...

Canons of Dort The Canons of Dort, or Canons of Dordrecht, formally titled ''The Decision of the Synod of Dort on the Five Main Points of Doctrine in Dispute in the Netherlands'', is an exposition of orthodox Reformed soteriology against Arminianism, by the Nat ...

, and

Belgic Confession The ''Confession of Faith'', popularly known as the Belgic Confession, is a confession to which many Reformed churches subscribe as a doctrinal standard. The Confession forms part of the Three Forms of Unity, which are the official subordinate st ...

.http://firstprchurch.org//index.php/about-us/What we believe

Location

The church building is located in southeastern Grand Rapids at the corner of Fuller Avenue and Franklin Street. In 1985, the church relocated to Michigan Street in Grand Rapids.

Pastors

*J. Post, 1881–87 *S. B. Sevensma, 1887-1900 *Johannes Groen, 1900–19 *Herman Hoeksema, 1920–53, 1955–64 *R. Veldman, 1939–44 *Hubert De Wolf, 1944–53, deposed, formed

Orthodox Protestant Reformed Churches The Orthodox Protestant Reformed Churches (OPRC) constituted a short-lived Protestant denomination in the United States. It formed in 1953 following a split in the Protestant Reformed Churches in America and lasted until 1961, when most congregation ...

*Cornelius Hanko, 1948–63 *George M. Ophoff, 1953–55 *Gise J. Van Baren, 1965–77 *Meindert W. Joostens, 1987–95 *James Slopsema, 1995–2014 *Cory Griess, 2018–present

External links

First Protestant Reformed Church

References

{{coord, 42, 58, 07.5, N, 85, 35, 59.4, W, type:landmark_region:US-MI, display=title Reformed churches in Michigan Religious organizations established in 1879 Churches in Kent County, Michigan Protestant Reformed Churches in America