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Excerpts
from
Centennial History of
the Fourteenth Street Christian Reformed Church,
Holland, Michigan, 1902-2000
by Jacob E. Nyenhuis
The
history of Fourteenth Street Church is an account of the people
who shaped the story of the first English-speaking congregation
of the Christian Reformed Church in Holland. Because of the
elevated position enjoyed by the pastor in the CRC, particularly
in the early decades of the 20th century, it is natural to
think of the history of the church in terms of each pastor’s
tenure. But the story of the church is much more than the story
of the fifteen pastors who have served during the past century.
It is first and foremost the story of the members who gather
together each week to worship at the corner of 14th Street
and Central Avenue.
The
history of this congregation was shaped by the people who banded
together to start a new congregation, but it was repeatedly
reshaped over the years as new members and new pastors came
and old ones left. There are many fascinating stories to be
told about this special group of believers. But at its most
basic level, the key theme of our history is the story of God
working in and through individual believers to accomplish his
purposes. It is a story of grace and glory, of struggle and
victory, of joy and sadness. It is at once a very personal
story of a congregation and, at the same time, a universal
story of faith and hope.
…As
we look forward to our celebration and to the second century
of our congregation’s existence, we do so fully aware
that our past is but the prologue to the Lord’s plan
for our future. We do not know what the future holds, but we
do know who holds the future. At the 25th Anniversary, an article
in The Banner of July 8, 1927, declared: “Truly, as a
congregation we can say, ‘Hitherto hath the Lord helped
us,’ and He is still ‘Our hope for years to come.’” That
confident assertion is as relevant at our centennial as it
was in 1927. May we always be able to make such a claim, as
long as our Lord tarries. And may we also dare to say, “Maranatha:
Come, Lord Jesus, Come Quickly.”
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