First Christian Reformed Church in Zeeland (Mich.), one of the oldest churches in the denomination, celebrated its 150th anniversary in April.
First CRC, Zeeland
Psalm 100:5 and the theme “Celebrating 150 Years of God’s Faithfulness” guided the celebration. The church invited several pastors who had grown up in the congregation to lead some of the Sunday services throughout the month.
A special banquet included a church history presentation and a magic show. Ten former ministers were able to attend the event, along with Leonard Meinema, who will be installed as the church’s next pastor in July.
“Our former pastors were honored guests, and it was a blessing to be reunited with them,” said Angie Vanden Heuvel, a member of the anniversary planning committee, as well as a life-long member of the church. “It was a humbling experience to know the Good Shepherd . . . has guided our path so many years,” she said.
The celebration wrapped up during April’s final Sunday evening service with a gospel-swing band concert open to the community.
The church was first known as De Ware Gereformeerde Hollandsche Gemeente te Zeeland, or The True Reformed Holland Church of Zeeland. It was a daughter church of Noordeloos CRC in Holland, Mich. Noordeloos was one of the four churches that first formed the fledgling Christian Reformed denomination when they left the Dutch Reformed Church in 1857.
With strong Dutch language ties for decades, the Zeeland congregation held its final Dutch service in 1953.
First CRC has two daughter churches—Bethel CRC and Third CRC, both in Zeeland.
