Our History

Chronology

Pre-1914
Christian Reformed people moving to Detroit worshipped with First Dutch Reformed Church on Catherine St. (now Madison St.) just east of Grand Trunk Railroad (approximately St. Aubin between E. Lafayette and E. Larned).

1914
January 11: First service with Rev. J. R. Brink in the chapel of a Baptist church at Clinton St. and Joseph Campau (approximately one block north of the east end of Macomb St., southwest of Elmwood Cemetery).
January 12: Decision to designate the new group as a mission station of the Christian Reformed Church.
February 23: The group decides to petition Classis (the regional body of the Christian Reformed Church) to organize a new congregation here.
April 13: The consistory discusses the advisability of starting a Christian School, followed by efforts to organize a Christian School Society.
June 11: First Christian Reformed Church of Detroit is organized.
June 15: Ladies Aid Society is organized.

1915
November: The evening service is changed from Dutch to English. Soon after there were two Dutch and two English services; later there was an early morning Dutch service that was read, with a morning English service, an afternoon Dutch service, and an evening English service all covered by the pastor.

1916
January 18: The congregation purchased a German Reformed church building at Jay and Chene (approximately Chene northwest of Antietam) for $13,000.
May 31: Decision to have Sunday school in Dutch and English on alternate Sundays, but it is soon decided to have separate Dutch and English classes.
Fall: Young Men’s Society organized (and organized again in 1921, 1924, 1932… Apparently the society had a hard time keeping itself going.).

1917
Mission Society is established to visit prospective members.

1918
February 3: Rev. Herman Bel of Rochester, New York, is installed as the first pastor.
December 8: Mission Sunday school is begun in the Gratiot-Six Mile Rd. area (discontinued August 28, 1929).

1919
February 27: Mens’ Society is organized.

1921
Rev. Bel leaves for Muskegon.
October 28: Young Ladies Society is organized (for the second time).
December 31: Rev. Henry Verduin of Purewater, South Dakota, is installed. He was called upon to preach one Dutch and two English sermons per Sunday.

1923
July 2: The congregation decides to sell the Chene St. church building to the African Methodist Church for $28,000; the last service in the building is on September 2.
October 22: After three Sundays in a lodge hall at Mt Elliott Ave. and Charlevoix and six months in the school of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church at Jay and Joseph Campau (approximately two blocks southeast of Joseph Campau and Vernor), the church purchases lots at Maryland and Goethe in Grosse Pointe Park for $8400 (all previous locations were in the vicinity of the present Ford Field and Elmwood Cemetery).
November 12: The church decides to build a new building seating 400 people with provisions for a future gallery at a cost not to exceed $45,000; groundbreaking is on November 30.
November 15: Choral Society is formed.

1924
May 4: The first worship service at the new site is held in the basement of new church.June 11: The cornerstone of the new building is laid.

1925
January 21: The new building is completed. It is dedicated on February 4 in Dutch and February 5 in English. Total cost for the new building is $53,000.

1926
November 14: Rev. Verduin’s farewell service; he leaves for Grand Rapids.

1927
June 13: First Church decides to build a parsonage at a cost not to exceed $10,000 (1442 Maryland).

1928
August: Rev. Martin Monsma arrives from Doon, Iowa.

1929
February 1: The Young Men’s Society discusses whether “Confessed Lady members of our church” should “be allowed to vote in Church Election.”
Grosse Pointe Christian Day School opens, with Dewey Westra as principal.

1930
September 10: Missionary work begins at the Marine Hospital at the foot of Alter Road. This work went on for the next 17 years.

1932
January 31: The church is gutted by a fire that leaves only the outside walls standing. The insurance company pays $33,000, and the building is restored for about $25,000, leaving a surplus. Until the building is finished, afternoon services are held in Grace Evangelical Church (Kercheval at Lakepointe), and morning and evening services and Sunday school are held in Jackson School, Marlborough and Waveney, Detroit.
An approximately 1921-vintage Page theater organ is purchased.

1934
May: Rev. Monsma leaves for Pella, Iowa.
October 7: Rev. George W. Hylkema, from Orange City, Iowa, preaches his inaugural sermon.

1938
February 21: The Mary and Martha Circle holds its first meeting (now Women’s Bible Study).
September 31: Boys Club and Girls Club are started.
December 31: Rev. Hylkema preaches his farewell sermon, leaving to become chaplain at Pine Rest Hospital.

1939
April 2: Rev. John O. Schuring preaches his inaugural sermon. There are now two English services, with an afternoon Dutch service conducted by an elder.

1942
Choral Society sings over the radio at Detroit Flower Show.

1944
Rev. Schuring leaves, and Rev. Menko Ouwinga arrives.

1947
Mission Society conducts services one Saturday per month at City Rescue Mission.

1948
Goethe St. next to the church is acquired.

1949
Rev. Ouwinga leaves.

1950
Rev. Vincent C. Licatesi, a former Roman Catholic who became a Heidelberg Catechism scholar, arrives.

1953
June 27: Lake Worth, Florida, Christian Reformed Church is sponsored as a Home Missions Church.
November: The first Sunday school classes in Immanuel Chapel, Roseville.

1954
Rev. Licatesi leaves.

1956
Rev. Samuel Vander Jagt arrives.
The Lake Worth, Florida, Christian Reformed Church is organized.
October 24: Choral Society is renewed, but following participation on Thanksgiving a protest is raised about it on various grounds.

1957
Centennial of the Christian Reformed Church.
January 8: Council rejects the protest against the Choral Society.

1959
December 2: Immanuel Christian Reformed Church in Roseville is organized.

1960
Rev. Vander Jagt leaves.

1961
October 1: Rev. John H. Groenewald preaches his inaugural sermon.
Council approves right of women to vote in Congregational Meeting.

1962
February 11: Initial worship services at the Christian Reformed Church in Royal Oak (church sponsored by a group from First Church).
Fall, a new, 17-rank organ is installed, with pipes from Holland and cabinetry from Germany, at a cost of $17,000.

1964
Spring: A community church at 14th and Pingree is prepared in an apartment building with much support from First Church.

1966
February: Royal Oak church is organized (now North Hills Christian Reformed Church, Troy).

1967
Rev. Groenewald leaves.
July 3: Rev. Franklin D. Steen preaches his inaugural sermon.
September: Grosse Pointe Human Relations Council holds its first meeting, following Detroit race riots of July; several First Church members attend (became Grosse Pointe Interfaith Center for Racial Justice).
First Church families sponsor Wayne Reformed Fellowship at Wayne State University.

1970
Seminarian William C. DeVries arrives to begin two years with Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship at Wayne State with First Church sponsorship.

1972
Seminarian Ron Cok begins a year at Wayne State with Inter-Varsity.

1974
John Natelborg arrives to begin as Associate Pastor for Campus Ministry at Wayne State under Inter-Varsity and Christian Reformed Home Missions.

1975
Rev. Steen leaves.
Community Assistance Program (C.A.P.) is begun.
Choir begins to sing regularly in worship services.

1976
February: Coffee Break Bible Study begins.
September 12: Rev. Douglas A. Warners is installed.

1977
March 27: The church begins its Faith Promise program of financial support for missions.

1978
Children’s Church begins.
Elizabeth Dowdell replaces Stuart Eppinga as choir director.

1981
People in Faith United (PIFU) is organized by fourteen churches, including First Church, with Bon Secours Hospital and Crossroads.

1982
Rev. Warners leaves.
October 10: Rev. William J. Moxey becomes the new pastor.

1983
March: Maundy Thursday services are initiated.
Spring: Crossroads East social service office opens with First Church members involved.
October: Adult Education receives new emphasis.

1985
January: The first woman deacon, Nancy Malefyt, is ordained at First Church.

1987
Rev. Moxey leaves.
A new parsonage is purchased, and the old one becomes Parish House for various activities.

1988
September 20: Rev. William C. DeVries is installed.

1991 or 1992
Margaret Feringa becomes the first woman elder at First Church.

2001
Rev. Natelborg, associate pastor, retires.

2003
November 9: Rev. DeVries preaches his farewell sermon and leaves for First Christian Reformed Church of Grand Rapids.

2005
September: Rev. Van’t Hof is installed.

2006
The parsonage is sold.

2008
February 3: Rev. Van’t Hof is called home to be with the Lord.

2009
January 4: Rev. Van Arragon is installed.

Ministers
Herman Bel 1918-1921
Henry Verduin 1921-1926
Martin Monsma 1928-1934
G. W. Hylkema 1934-1938
John O. Schuring 1939-1944
Menko Ouwinga 1944-1949
Vincent C. Licatesi 1950-1954
Samuel Vander Jagt 1956-1960
John H. Groenewold 1961-1967
Franklin D. Steen 1967-1975
Douglas A. Warners 1976-1982
William J. Moxey 1982-1987
William C. DeVries 1988-2003
Mark R. Van’t Hof 2005-2008
Ben Van Arragon 2009-