First Reformed Church history

After the church was officially organized, it extended a call to the Reverend Seine Bolks of Zeeland, Michigan, who became the church's first minister in April 1872.

Buursma cared deeply about Christian education and was given a three-month leave of absence in 1883 to fill a vacancy at the new Northwestern Classical Academy.

The growing 'American' population led to the formation of the English-language American Reformed Church in 1885.

He served for a decade at FRC and left in 1889 to be the pastor of Fifth Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, MI.

He served the church until his death in 1893, little more than two-and-a-half years after beginning at FRC.

Buursma, though he remained active in the community until his death on June 16, 1894.

He served as the president of the Board of Trustees at Northwestern Classical Academy for thirty-four years and oversaw its expansion to a junior college in 1928 and, just before his death, to a four year college.

However, two services led to a feeling of there being 'two congregations', a problem which was solved by the tearing down of the old sanctuary and building the current sanctuary in 1979 so that the entire congregation could worship together.

Vander Molen served the church for 15 years before taking calls at Christ Memorial Church in Holland, MI. In 1996, he contributed to church's most recent history book at its 125th Anniversary.

In 2000, he oversaw the expansion of the office space in order to better accommodate the growing staff.

In August 2010, First Reformed Church extended a call to Rev.