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LaGrave Avenue CRC

Grand Rapids, Michigan

LaGrave CRC was organized on Feb. 23, 1887 as the first English-speaking Christian Reformed Church under the sponsorship of First CRC. LaGrave was the fifth Grand Rapids CRC congregation. Their first sanctuary was built in 1888. It was replaced by a new building in 1960, with a major addition completed in 1996.

Pastors

John Y. De Baun, 1887-92
S. I. Vander Book, 1892-98
Dr. Henry Beets, 1899-1915
W. Stuart, 1915-25
R. B. Kuiper, 1925-29
H. Bel, 1932-40
E. J. Masselink, 1940-44
G. Goris, 1945-53
Jacob D. Eppinga, 1954-87
W. S. Gritter, 1968-71
P. D. Winkle, 1973-77
John J. Steigenga, 1978-present
Stanley Mast, 1990-present

Burton Heights, 1905
LaGrave Neighborhood, 1948-53
Wayland, 1957

Membership

The drop in membership in the mid-1890s is likely due to the formation of Broadway CRC, the second English-language CRC congregation in Grand Rapids, in 1893. The smaller drop around 1905 corresponds to the organization of Burton Heights CRC, the third English-language CRC in Grand Rapids.

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

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

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.

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