Protestant Reformed Churches

The Protestant Reformed Churches separated from the Christian Reformed Church in the mid-1920s.

History

There was considerable discussion on the issue of common grace in the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) during the 1920s. Rev. Herman Hoeksema of the Eastern Avenue CRC was a leading opponent of this teaching. Synod 1924 voted to make the doctrine of common grace binding on the church and its office bearers.

Hoeksema refused to agree with this teaching, as did Revs. H. Danhof and George M. Ophoff, of Hope CRC. All three men and their consistories were deposed by their classes. Coming together in January and March 1925, they decided to call themselves the Protesting Christian Reformed Churches and petition the Christian Reformed synod of 1926 to reverse its decision. Instead of reconsidering common grace, the 1926 synod declared these churches and their pastors outside of the Christian Reformed denomination.

Three congregations came together in November 1926 to form a classis and choose a name for their denomination, the Protestant Reformed Churches. Although Rev. Danhof and his church soon left the federation - later to return to the CRC - Protestant Reformed churches sprang up in many Christian Reformed communities.

See A Brief History of the Protestant Reformed Churches for more details.

Churches by Classis and City

Classis East

• Byron Center, Michigan, 1983
• Chatham, Ontario, 1950 (separated 1951)
• Grand Haven, Michigan, 1936-62
• Grand Rapids, Michigan, Creston, 1932-62
• Grand Rapids, Michigan, First, organized 1879 as Eastern Ave. CRC
• Grand Rapids, Michigan, Southeast (originally Fourth), 1944
• Grand Rapids, Michigan, Southwest (originally Second), 1926
• Grandville, Michigan, 1984
• Hamilton, Ontario, 1949 (separated 1950)
• Holland, Michigan, First, 1929
• Hudsonville, Michigan, 1926
• Hudsonville (Bauer), Michigan, Georgetown, 1994
• Jenison, Michigan, Faith, 1973
• Kalamazoo, Michigan, 1927
• Norristown, Pennsylvania, 1989 (separated 1993)
• Tallmadge Township, Michigan, Grace, 1995
• Walker, Michigan, Hope, 1925
• Wyckoff (Prospect Park), New Jersey, Covenant, 1973

Classis West

• Doon, Iowa, 1926
• Edgerton, Minnesota, 1938
• Edmonton, Alberta, First, 1975
• Forbes, North Dakota, 1960
• Houston, Texas, Trinity, 1977
• Hull, Iowa, 1925
• Isabel, South Dakota, Hope, 1960 (organized 1915)
• Lacombe, Alberta, Immanuel, 1986
• Loveland, Colorado, 1958
• Lynden, Washington, 1951
• Lansing (Lynwood), Illinois, Peace, 1988
• Manhattan, Montana, 1940 (separated 1954)
• Oak Lawn, Illinois, 1927-69
• Orange City, Iowa, 1934 (separated 1954)
• Oskaloosa, Iowa, 1928 (separated 1954)
• Pella, Iowa, 1928
• Rock Valley, Iowa, 1928 (separated 1954)
• Roselle, Illinois, Bethel, 1989
• Sioux Center, Iowa, 1926 (separated 1954)
• Randolph, Wisconsin, 1943
• Redlands, California, Hope, 1932
• South Holland, Illinois, 1926

Churches by Year of Organization or Joining the Protestant Reformed Churches

1925	First, Grand Rapids, Michigan (organized 1879 as Eastern Ave. CRC) Hope, Walker, Michigan Hull, Iowa
1926	Doon, Iowa Hudsonville, Michigan Sioux Center, Iowa (separated 1954) South Holland, Illinois Second (now Southwest), Grand Rapids, Michigan
1927	Kalamazoo, Michigan Oak Lawn, Illinois (discontinued 1969)
1928	Oskaloosa, Iowa (separated 1954) Pella, Iowa Rock Valley, Iowa (separated 1954)
1929	First, Holland, Michigan
1932	Creston, Grand Rapids, Michigan (discontinued 1962) Hope, Redlands, California
1934	Orange City, Iowa (separated 1954)
1936	Grand Haven, Michigan (discontinued 1962)
1938	Edgerton, Minnesota
1940	Manhattan, Montana (separated 1954)
1943	Randolph, Wisconsin
1944	Fourth (now Southeast), Grand Rapids, Michigan
1949	Hamilton, Ontario (separated 1950, joined CARC)
1950	Chatham, Ontario (separated 1951, joined CARC)
1951	Lynden, Washington
1958	Loveland, Colorado
1960	Forbes, North Dakota Isabel, South Dakota (organized 1915)
1973	Covenant, Wyckoff (Prospect Park), New Jersey Faith, Jenison, Michigan
1975	First, Edmonton, Alberta
1977	Trinity, Houston, Texas
1983	Byron Center, Michigan
1984	Grandville, Michigan
1986	Immanuel, Lacombe, Alberta
1988	Peace, Lansing (Lynwood), Illinois
1989	Bethel, Itasca, Illinois Norristown, Pennsylvania (separated 1993)
1994	Georgetown, Hudsonville, Michigan
1995	Grace, Tallmadge Township, Michigan

Resources

• Directory of Protestant Reformed Churches
  

• Overview of "De Wolf Group" Orthodox Protestant Reformed Churches

• A Brief History of the Protestant Reformed Churches

• Protestant Reformed Church and the Free Offer, Orthodox Presbyterian Church. "...the PRC differs from almost every other Reformed church on this point, many of whom would consider the PRC to have hyper-Calvinistic symptoms in this area."

• The 1953 Protestant Reformed Church Split Revisited, Ted De Wolf.