Pioneer Christian Monthly - September, 1995

40 Years - Immanuel Reformed Church - London
Gerry DeHaan

A group of 11 people, all new immigrants from the Netherlands, began in January 1952 to worship the Lord together with the hope of establishing a Reformed Church in London. With the support and guidance of the Classis of North Grand Rapids of the Reformed Church in America (R.C.A.), Immanuel Reformed was officially organized on July 8, 1952, one day after Bethel Reformed Church in Exeter.

Both churches were pastored by a layman missionary field-worker, whose salary was paid for by the R.C.A. Since Mr. Eelman was not an ordained pastor, an ordained R.C.A. minister was invited to administer the sacraments of communion and baptism. The congregation came together for worship in a room at the old YM.C.A. (burned down) until an agreement was made with the Seventh Day Adventist Church on Rectory Street at the Fair grounds (demolished) to rent their church building on Sundays and one day during the week. This was a great improvement, but the longing was there for a place of worship that was their own.

Following are some decisions consistory had to make in 1952/1953:

- that one worship service per month would be in the English language.

- that one member of consistory should have a telephone at his residence.

- that a Sunday School should begin.

At that time the average offering was $20.00 per week. A lot of time was spent at consistory meetings deciding how to get people to church who had no means of transportation. It was difficult dealing with new immigrant families, who contacted the church, but who were in reality unchurched in the Netherlands. Also, consistory had to learn to function as a consistory, which was not always easy. Lots of obstacles had to be overcome, and when the question was raised in December 1953 of buying or building their own church, shortage of money proved to be the real stumbling block.

By the end of 1953, the congregation had grown to the point where it wanted to have its own pastor. This meant the congregation was responsible for all expenses, including a part of the pastors salary. In March 1954 they received their first full time pastor.

1955 was a difficult year for the church, with a decline in membership and a pastor-consistory relationship problem. But positive things were happening too. A parsonage on Wortley Road was bought, thanks to a generous gift from the Classis of North Grand Rapids. Also, an offer was made on an Anglican Church building on Dundas Street East but was declined.

During the following couple of years, an influx of new immigrant families increased the membership to such an extent that it became a necessity either to look for a place of worship with more room or to build their own church. With much financial and spiritual help from sister churches in the U.S.A., the congregation was able to purchase a parcel of land on High Street. Construction started in the fall of 1957, and the new church was dedicated to the Lord in a service on May 22, 1958.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY

Still, the congregation was a group of people much on the move. People came, stayed for a while, and moved on to new opportunities and other churches, as did ministers who served the congregation. 'To mould a large group of people from so many different backgrounds and traditions into a unified body of faith and fellowship proved to be a real challenge to all of them.

In 1978, the parsonage on Baseline Road was sold and the proceeds used to build an addition to the church. This provided the congregation with Sunday School classrooms downstairs and a fellowship hall and kitchen upstairs. In 1988, another parsonage was purchased on Ferndale Road.

With the passing of the years, the make-up of the membership of Immanuel slowly started to change. Several non-Dutch names appeared on the roll and became an integral part of the congregation. We were not a 'Dutch church' anymore. Over the years, several events took place that helped many in their spiritual walk with the Lord. All of these events required a lot of prayer, bible study, soul searching, and commitment. Many lives were enriched and the result was a deeper sense of commitment and love for the Lord's work and a greater desire to teach other people about Christ.

God has been good to us these past forty years. There were disappointments and hurts, but many good things happened too.

In 1988-1989, a lengthy study program was undertaken to determine the direction, its purpose, and mission for Immanuel in future years. From this study, the church's concept of ministry statement emerged, and it is our hope and prayer that as a church, with God's help, this will be our direction for the years to come:

"We are God's church, a bible believing people. We strive to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in ministry to one another, enabling the church to reach out to others by serving Christ through Christian fellowship and love."

Pastors who faithfully served our church during the past 40 years.

Mr. Cornelis Eelman from Sept. 1952 to Feb. 1953

Moderators - Rev. Carl Schroeder and Rev. Hani Zegerius from March 1953 to March 1954

Rev. Gerrit Molenaar from March 1954 to March 1955

Rev. Henry Fikse from Dec. 1955 to Dec. 1959

Rev. Karel Hanhart from March 1960 to Sept. 1964

Rev. Jacob Dykstra from Jan. 1965 to Jan. 1968

Rev. Clifford Turkstra from June 1968 to June 1984

Rev. Peter Mantel from 1982 to 1983

Rev. Earl Smith from March 1985 to Feb. 1992

Rev. Jack VanDyk from Oct. 1992 to the present.

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