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Historical Profile: Central Reformed Church

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Central Reformed was formed by the merger of First and Second Reformed in 1918. After the church building, originally built by 1st Reformed in 1891, was destroyed by fire, the church moved to the corner of College Ave. and Fulton St. in 1953.

Go to the Central Reformed Church website

Locations

164 Fountain NE, 1918-Feb. 10, 1953 - destroyed by fire
10 College Ave. NE, 1956-present

Interactive Google map showing final locations of 1st and 2nd Reformed along with Central's location.

Pastors

John A. Dykstra, 1918-54
Cornelius Vander Naald, education, 1935-40
Charles T. Botkin, assistant, 1951-52
Maurice Marcus, 1952-59
Herbert S. Van Wyk, education, 1956-59
Stanley G. Short, education, 1959-61
Marion de Velder, 1959-61
Frederick H. Olert, 1962-70
Marlin A. Vander Wilt, associate, 1963-68
Donald W. Hoffman, assistant, 1969-73
Dr. Herman J. Ridder, executive/preaching, 1971-83
George Brown Jr., education, 1973-88
Harold A. Colenbrander, part-time, 1982-90
Roger Shoup, 1984-87
Timothy S. Dieffenbach, youth, 1986-??
Dr. Robert W. Bedingfield Sr., senior, 1988-96
Lisa Hansen-Tice, education, 1989-??
Daniel Meeter, 1996-99
Dr. Louis Lotz, 2003-present
Dr. Carl Schroeder, seniors

Membership

Heavy lines: green (lower) shows membership in families; blue (middle), professing members; red (top), total members. Thin lines: magenta (middle), non-professing members; orange (lower), inactive members; black (top), average worship attendance.

Source: Acts of Synod of the Reformed Church in America. Dates are year prior to publication date since data is gathered at the end of one year and published in the next.

For more membership information, click here. View maps showing Fountain Street and College Avenue locations or page showing both maps.

Go to Central Reformed web page or send e-mail to the church office.

Go to RCA geographic index or RCA chronological index.

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