Dutch Reformed Wiki

History[]

Alger Park Christian Reformed Church was organized in 1952, when the Alger Heights neighborhood was just beginning to take shape and a small group of dedicated people decided to start a church here with a ministry focused on this neighborhood.

Some of those who started the church are still members of Alger Park. Through the last 60 years the church has had its ups and downs, but it has always remained vital and even vibrant.

Alger Park remains as committed as ever to focusing its ministry in the Alger Heights neighborhood.

Visit the Alger Park website.

Historical Details[]

Location[]

2655 Eastern Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49507 (built 1952)

Pastors[]

  1. A. A. Hoeksema, 1954-56
  2. L. J. Dykstra, 1957-62
  3. P. Y. De Jong, 1963-64
  4. G. Gritter, 1965-73
  5. A. J. Vander Griend, 1974-82
  6. R. De Young, 1977-81
  7. G. R. Erffmeyer, 1982-88
  8. Larry M. Fryling, 1989-92
  9. Ecko De Vries, 1987-present
  10. David J. Deters, 1994-2013
  11. Stephen De Wit 2009-2023
  12. Sam Gutierrez 2018-2021
  13. Norm Thomasma 2023-Present

Membership Overview[]

Alger-park-crc-members

Membership data, Alger Park CRC, Grand Rapids, MI

Membership Data[]

Green (lower) line shows membership in families; blue (middle), professing members; red (top), total members; and magenta (thin), non-professing members.

Alger-park-crc-youth

Youth ratio, Alger Park CRC, Grand Rapids, MI

Youth Ratio[]

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

Alger-park-crc-growth

Five year growth rate, Alger Park CRC, Grand Rapids, MI

Five Year Growth Rate[]

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.

Data 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.