The Covell Avenue NRC of Grand Rapids, Michigan (6)

After Rev. Wielhouwer’s retirement, the Turner (Covell) Avenue congregation was without a pastor for twenty-two years (1944-1966) — the longest period of its history. In fact, this flock has been privileged to have had its own pastor for seventy-one of 105 years of existence. It was during this long vacature that the flock dwindled to about a dozen families. This decline was due in large part to the fact that parents with children had nowhere to turn to have their little ones baptized.

This sad reality came about as the fruit of a serious disagreement which arose between the consistory of the Turner Avenue congregation and the consistories of the Division and Ottawa Avenue congregations. Much of the difficulty arose around three matters:

First, considerable pressure was placed upon the Turner Avenue flock to unite with the Division and Ottawa Avenue congregations in the late 1940s. When they refused to unite to form one large congregation in Grand Rapids, tensions increased and many conflicts ensued.

Secondly, tension and conflict were multiplied through the difficult question of what to do with the elder-exhorters. When Rev. Lamain arrived in the United States, several exhorters were serving the NRC, including three in the Grand Rapids area — Elder Cornelius F. Boerkoel of the Division Avenue congregation, Elder Cornelius Quist of the Ottawa Avenue congregation, and Elder John Nordyke of the Turner Avenue congregation. Though each of the three had been duly permitted to speak and exhort by Classis in the congregations, Rev. Lamain affirmed in conjunction with the tradition of our sister denomination in the Netherlands that the position of exhorter was no longer valid. Either one is a minister or he is not. When Synod concurred, thereby reversing a twenty-year tradition in the North American NRC, two of the exhorters acquiesced with this decision. Exhorter Nordyke and a group at Turner Avenue, however, refused to accept Synod’s ruling.

Thirdly, two individuals who served in the consistory of Turner Avenue continually reported back to individuals in the Division Avenue consistory what was transpiring in their own consistory. Eventually, the Turner Avenue consistory felt compelled to place these brothers under censure. They then left Turner Avenue and were received as members in good standing by the Division Avenue consistory.

Ultimately, the ties of the Turner Avenue congregation to the NRC were officially cut in 1950. Those who supported the Turner Avenue flock were prone to state that they were expelled; their opponents maintained that the congregation withdrew itself. The truth may never be fully known, though a large stack of consistorial correspondence on the matter does point to some combination of expulsion and withdrawal. The question as to the legitimacy of such action, however, continued to be a divisive one for several decades for those who lived through this difficult and trying time.

Throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, the Turner Avenue consistory made several attempts to reunite with the denomination, but all efforts proved fruitless. The consistory then attempted to find some group of churches with which it might unite, most notably the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, but this also failed as this denomination rejects organ music and the observance of the church feast days. Hence the congregation struggled on independently for many years, but through the mercy of God remained faithful to the principles laid down in the founding charter of 1887.

In 1960 the government, by the power of eminent domain, claimed the property of the Turner Avenue church in order to construct an expressway. The last service was held in the Turner Avenue church building on September 21, 1960. The government paid the congregation $136,500 in compensation which in turn was used to erect the brick shell of the colonial structure now in use on Covell Avenue. Ground breaking ceremonies were held on October 14, 1961. While the present building was being constructed, the congregation rented the West Side Christian School for Sunday services. The first service in the Covell Avenue building was held in its basement on January 6, 1963. In 1969 construction again resumed to complete the main floor and balcony which was subsequently dedicated on April 5, 1970.

1966-1986: Rev. Benjamin Densel (1907-1988)

In 1966 the small Turner Avenue flock was once again provided a pastor, Rev. Benjamin Densel. After appearing to be on the brink of dissolution so often, the congregation slowly recovered and began to grow again.

Benjamin Densel was born at Vlaardingen, the Netherlands on June 10, 1907. When Benjamin was two years old, his father, Rev. Cornelis Densel, accepted a pastoral call to the NRC of Passaic, New Jersey. After his ministry in the NRC was terminated sadly in 1920, he established an independent congregation in Passaic which has since moved to Clifton and become a Free Reformed congregation.

As a very young child, Benjamin had many fears of death and eternity; he had a tender conscience. His father’s sermons impressed his childish mind; often he would “preach” to his little sister sitting on the stair steps with her dolls lined up beside her. On one occasion his father, standing around the corner, heard him speaking emphatically about sinners outside of Christ going straight to hell.

When sixteen years of age, Benjamin planned to attend a football game with some of his friends on a Saturday afternoon. He told his mother where he was going, and she advised him to sing Psalm 119, verse 63 on his way there — “I am a companion of all them that fear thee....” That made him feel a bit uneasy, but he was determined to go. The Lord thought otherwise, however; Benjamin was stopped before entering the gate. In the days and months following, sin became sin; he often sought to be alone, and would go upstairs to the attic where he would read his Bible, weep and pray. Later he spoke of a time and could tell on which step of the stairway it happened that the Lord came sweetly to his soul. The Savior, the Lord Jesus, became most precious to him.

As a youth Benjamin often visited the aged Rev. Beversluis, who knew of his exercises of soul and his desire to some day be in the Lord’s service. On one occasion Rev. Beversluis said to him, “Benjamin, if you shall ever preach, preach much of Jesus; but then you must now talk much to Him.” Being exercised about the ministry for some time, he often prayed the Lord to lay his calling upon the hearts of His people. And so it happened; there were many children of God in the congregation who saw the gifts the Lord had given him, who were exercised about his being called to the ministry and felt he would one day become their minister.

At the age of twenty-three Benjamin Densel married Madeline Padmos. They were granted three children1 and fifty-seven years of marriage. Mrs. Densel would prove to be a very faithful helpmeet and devoted minister’s wife.2

About the time of their marriage, Benjamin Densel began to study for the ministry under the tutelage of his father. He also took some correspondence courses for two years under Professor G. Wisse from Apeldoorn, the Netherlands. This was a workable situation as Mr. Densel was equally fluent in Dutch and English. Rev. C. Densel passed away August 2, 1933. Rev. Anthony Lokker from Kalamazoo, Michigan conducted the funeral.3 Benjamin Densel, who had already been exhorting both in the independent Passaic flock and to a small independent group in neighboring Paterson, spoke at the graveside, apparently with considerable freedom. When Rev. Lokker heard Mr. Densel speak, he felt persuaded that the exhorter would be called by the Passaic congregation to take the place of his father. Three months later, on November 1, Rev. Lokker ordained the 26-year-old exhorter Benjamin Densel into the ministry in his father’s stead.

Like his father, Rev. Benjamin Densel was a gifted speaker. He was granted a sound mind, a keen memory, and the gift of oratory. In preaching he sought to maintain a balance between objective and subjective truth. His preaching might be characterized as textual, Christ-centered, and experimental. After serving the independent Reformed flock in Passaic and Clifton for more than thirty years and some personal problems had surfaced, Rev. B. Densel accepted the pastoral call from the Covell Avenue congregation. Arrangements were made by the consistory to have Rev. Densel installed by Dr. William Young and Dr. Harry Hager (the son of Rev. Titus Hager), the only two ministers allowed by the consistory to perform the sacraments during the long period of pastoral vacancy. At the last moment, Dr. Hager’s daughter became ill; hence, Dr. Young performed the installation alone.

Rev. Densel served the independent Covell Avenue flock for twenty years. He preached three services each Lord’s Day until 1974 when the afternoon Dutch service was discontinued. He then began to regularly attend the afternoon Dutch service conducted by Rev. Lamain at the First NRC.

During the active years of his ministry, Rev. Densel made several attempts to seek fellowship with conservative Reformed ministers and congregations. He carried on considerable correspondence with numerous ministers over the years. On occasion, he served conservative Reformed churches as far away as Artesia, California. For some time he even served as editor of a periodical of the Free Reformed Churches, due to the fact that the Free Reformed ministers at that time were not sufficiently competent in English to undertake this task.

In September, 1974 Rev. Densel entered the hospital for what was expected to be simple surgery. Complications resulted and additional surgeries followed. He was unable to preach for four months. Moreover, this medical complication bore noticeable physical effects for his remaining years. He continued his labors and visits with the help of office-bearers and the use of a cane until he became emeritus in April, 1986 at the age of seventy-eight.

In 1983 a special service was held for Rev. Densel’s fiftieth anniversary in the ministry. Rev. W. C. Lamain,4 Rev. Gordon Girod of the Seventh Reformed Church of Grand Rapids, and Deacon Benjamin Densel III, spoke on this special occasion.

The precariousness of an independent congregation again became evident with the climbing of years of Rev. Densel. After Rev. Densel’s emeritation, as well as after much prayerful discussion and seeking of the will of God, the congregation once again sought affiliation with the NRC. A committee was appointed and matters proceeded in an orderly manner. On April 21, 1987 a reaffiliation service was held. Rev. J. R. Beeke preached on Matthew 16:18; Rev. H. Hofman, Rev. J. Spaans, and B. Densel, III also spoke.

Rev. Densel exchanged time for eternity on April 4, 1988 at the age of eighty. The funeral was conducted by Rev. J. R. Beeke and Rev. J. Spaans who spoke on Revelation 21:4b and 14:13 respectively. At the graveside, Rev. Beeke spoke from Isaiah 54:17.

Since 1987 several pastoral calls have been extended without bearing fruit. May God graciously provide our Covell Avenue flock with an undershepherd of His choosing. May His Name be glorified among them, sinners be saved, and His people grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ

1The oldest child, Gertrude, married Henry Reganess. They have four children and live in Newton, New Jersey. Their firstborn son, Benjamin, Jr., had five children and is married to Ruth Quist. They reside in Wayland, Michigan and still attend the Covell Avenue church. The youngest child, William, married Pearl DeYoung. They have three children, and attend the NRC in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey.

2Mrs. Densel passed away on August 22, 1991. Rev. Beeke conducted the funeral from Hebrews 11:16.

3Anthony Lokker had moved from West Sayville, New York, where he had been elder in the small NRC for many years, to Kalamazoo, Michigan where he also served briefly as elder. In the early 1920s he was given permission by the NRC Classis East to exhort, but did not abide within classical guidelines. After Classis withdrew his license as exhorter, Lokker formed an independent Reformed congregation consisting of approximately fifteen families from the Kalamazoo NRC. He was then ordained to the ministry by a retired RCA minister. After some years, Rev. Lokker suffered a severe stroke and was bedridden for the last ten years of his life. He died in the 1940s. The small group he had pastored in Kalamazoo eventually disbanded.

4Throughout Rev. Densel’s ministry in Grand Rapids, a close friendship with Rev. Lamain was established. The two ministers spoke with each other weekly on the phone and frequently visited.

Dr. J.R. Beeke and Rev. J. den Hoed are continuing a series of articles on the histories of individual Netherlands Reformed Congregations.

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