Eastern Avenue Christian Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Eastern Ave. CRC, Grand Rapids, MI, original 1887 building

History

Eastern Ave. CRC was begun by members of First CRC in 1876 and organized in 1879. Eastern Ave. was the second Christian Reformed congregation in Grand Rapids.

The 1880 U.S. Census counted 32,016 residents, nearly twice the population of a decade earlier - and the Dutch-born population had grown at an even faster rate. This census counted 7,110 Dutch-born, 2.4 times as many as in 1870. Not counting their American-born offspring, this represented 22% of the Grand Rapids population, the highest level in any census.

The great majority of the Eastern Ave. congregation left the CRC in 1924 when Rev. Herman Hoeksema was deposed, eventually assuming the name First Protestant Reformed Church.

As with many churches near the old Calvin College campus, membership declined during the 1966-73 period as the college slowly relocated.

Visit the Eastern Ave. CRC website

Historical Details

Names

1. Second
2. East Street
3. Eastern Avenue

Location

• 506 Eastern Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 (built 1887, remodeled 1916, addition circa 1980, later addition 2002)

Pastors

1. J. Post, 1881-87
2. S. B. Sevensma, 1887-1900
3. Johannes Groen, 1900-19
4. Herman Hoeksema, 1920-24, deposed, founded Protestant Reformed Churches
5. William P. Van Wyk, 1925-41
6. C. Huissen, 1941-52
7. W. Haverkamp, 1955-60
8. Melvin D. Hugen, 1967-67
9. James R. Kok, 1967-72
10. Peter J. Niewiek , 1972-75
11. Nelson Vanderzee, 1972-76
12. Gordon D. Negen, 1976-86
13. Vernon F. Geurkink, 1977-82
14. Leonard J. Vander Zee, 1983-90
15. R. A. Berkenbosch,1992-95
16. Rolf T. Bouma, 1987-96
17. Mary S. Hulst (nee Antonides), 1996-2003
18. Thea N. Leunk, 2006-

Daughter Churches

1. Oakdale Park CRC, 1890
2. Dennis Ave. (later Mayfair) CRC, 1893
3. Sherman Street CRC, 1907
4. Baxter Street Mission, 1935-37

Membership Overview

By any definition, Eastern Ave. could be considered the first Christian Reformed megachurch, peaking with 1,600 professing members and 2,400 total members - then losing the vast majority of them in 1924 when Rev. Hoeksema was deposed by the CRC and began his own church.

From that point, membership increased until the late 1950s, declined through the 1960s and early 1970s while trying to become relevant to a changing neighborhood, and then went into a precipitous decline in the mid 1970s. By 1980, membership was on the uptick.

Membership data, Eastern Ave. CRC, Grand Rapids, MI

Overall Membership Data

Green (lower) line shows membership in families; blue (middle), professing members; red (top), total members; and magenta (thin), non-professing members. Note discontinuity in 1924 following departure of majority of congregation to form First Protestant Refomred Church after Rev. Hoeksema was deposed.

Youth ratio, Eastern Ave. CRC, Grand Rapids, MI

Youth Ratio

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

Five year growth rate, Eastern Ave. 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.

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.