First Christian Reformed Church chose its name for a reason. It’s the oldest Christian Reformed Church (CRC) in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and one of the original four congregations formed by Dutch immigrants at the founding of the influential Calvinist denomination in America in 1857.
Now, nearly 168 years later, First Church is also preparing to be one of the first to leave in a split over the denomination’s stance on LGBTQ inclusion.
“As a leading voice for the use of women’s gifts, for ethnic diversity and justice issues, and for rigorous debate, First Church insists that faithfulness requires them to separate from the denomination that has reflected them and nurtured them,” Thomas Hoeksema, a regional representative of the CRC, told Christianity Today in an email. “They are clearly grieving.”
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