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Title: Drenthe Presbyterian Church Collection, 1851-[1999]

ID: COLL/369

Creator: Drenthe Presbyterian Church

Extent: 0.25 Cubic Feet. More info below.

Arrangement: Folder level description

Minutes and membership data from Drenthe Presbyterian Church, 1851-1886, at Drenthe, Michigan. Originally in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, the congregation was part of the merger that created the United Presbyterian Church of North America in 1858. The collection contains biographical data detailing Roelof Smit (1815-1886), the congregation's pastor; biographical data detailing Jacob R. Schepers (1819-1878), the pastor of the Associated Reformed Congregation at South Holland, and Graafschap, Michigan; and genealogical data on the Dutch families in Drenthe.

History:

Unhappy with the union of the West Michigan Dutch congregations with the Reformed Church in America (RCA) in 1850 and with the leadership of Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte, the Drenthe congregation seceded from the RCA in 1853, shortly after Smit arrived from the Netherlands to lead the congregation.  Like a similar, smaller group in South Holland (Graafschap), the congregation joined the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church because of its adherence to Psalm singing in worship and adherence to doctrine they believed more closely akin to their own in comparison to that of the RCA.  The congregation flourished for a time but the lack of Dutch-speaking pastors in the Presbyterian ranks, proved a problem for the congregation as Smit aged.  Likewise, a new Christian Reformed (CRC) congregation organized in 1884 in Drenthe caused Smit to encourage his parishioners to join the CRC at his death, which they did.

Alternate Extent Statement: 1 Boxes

Acquisition Source: John Brower