Edward J. Knott (1922-) | Heritage Hall, Hekman Library

Edward J. Knott was born in the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1922. Knott graduated from Calvin College in 1944 and went on to study ministry at the Protestant Reformed Seminary.  In 1946, Knott married Harriet Doezema. In 1947 Knott was ordained to serve as a home missionary for the Protestant Reformed Church.

For three years, he served as a home missionary until Knott accepted a call from the Protestant Reformed Church in Kalamazoo in 1950. He served the Kalanazoo congregation for 9 years and then went to the Second PRC in Grand Rapids for two years. During this time, Knott encountered a serious struggle of determining whether to leave the PRC for the CRC. With much apprehension, Knott accepted the call from Beverly Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids. He served the Beverly congregation for 10 years. Knott went on to serve the congregations of West Leonard, Grand Rapids (1971); Calvin, Rock Valley, Iowa (1978), and Forest Grove, Michigan (1983). Knott retired in 1988, however still served the Forest Grove church as a counselor. In 1992, Rev. and Mrs. Knott returned to Beverly CRC, this time as members.

The Rev. Knott also found time to serve several boards including the Home Missions Board and the Board of Trustees of Calvin College and Seminary. He severed as a delegate to the Christian Reformed Church synod and elected as president of the first synod of the United Reformed Churches.