The NRC of Kalamazoo, Michigan (5)

As we approach the more recent years of our church history, the records become more legible and the details somewhat more explicit. However, for the sake of brevity, many of these details cannot be given in full. Nevertheless, we will attempt to list changes and developments which took place in those years, with extended explanations for items of greater interest.

1954

A Dorcas Guild was begun among the women of the congregation.

1957

Desire was expressed for an evening Adult Bible Class. Considerable discussion took place, but approval was given, and Elder T. Moerdyk led the class.

1959

The first collections were taken for the support of mission work. This is the first mention made of mission endeavors, although collections had been taken over the years for other churches in need, for disasters, and for those suffering because of the war.

1960

Approval was given for a choral society under the supervision of the consistory.

1962

At a congregational meeting the membership approved the singing of the doxology at the conclusion of the English services. A building committee was appointed to consider the remodelling and expansion of the existing church building, or the alternative, a new church building. They subsequently reported that remodelling or expanding was not economically wise. City code requirements were such that any changes to the building would result in a major and costly project. Therefore a committee was appointed to seek for and purchase, in cooperation with the consistory, a parcel of ground suitable for a church building. A piece of property was located on Pratt Road, but they found upon investigation that it had recently been sold to a party for a nursing home site. Other sites were looked at, but no ideal or agreeable locations were found.

1964

The property on Pratt Road again became available when the person who had purchased the ground for a future nursing home was unable to keep up payments because of a marital problem and therefore decided to resell it. Again it can plainly be seen in the historical events of our congregation that through all the turmoils, strifes, contentions, and failures of men, the Lord was providing for us. The ground was acquired, and the purchase price was paid in full.

1965

Permission was given by the membership to place the church property on South Burdick Street in the hands of a realtor, to appoint a building committee, and to develop plans for a new church building.

1966

An offer to purchase the Burdick Street property was received from the Central Church of the Nazarene, and in July approval was given to sell the old church and to begin to build the new church building. Mr. C. W. Timmer was to serve as the general contractor. Beginning Sunday, September 25, the congregation held its services in the auditorium of the South Christian Elementary School on South Westnedge Avenue.

1967

The building project progressed rapidly, and the cornerstone was laid on May 20, with our moderator, Rev. Lamain, and Mr. Timmer taking part in this ceremony. Many of the congregation will still recall this very special occasion. Rev. Lamain also served us in a dedication ceremony held on Thursday evening, October 19.

1969-1974

In April of 1969, the glad tidings were heard that the Lord had inclined the heart of Rev. Arie Elshout of Artesia, California, to accept our call sent to him. After more than forty-one years without our own pastor and after more than seventy calls sent out, the Lord again blessed the congregation with a minister in their midst.

Steps were immediately taken to receive him, especially since a parsonage had to be built. One of the elders flew to California to welcome Rev. and Mrs. Elshout and family and to discuss the plans for their new home. Upon his return, a newly appointed building committee met. At a congregational meeting the following Monday evening the members gave approval to build a parsonage next to the church.

On August 5, Rev. Elshout was installed by our moderator, Rev. W. C. Lamain; the inaugural sermon was preached that same evening. Not only the younger generation, who in their lifetimes had never known a minister of their own, but also the older people, were enabled to receive the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise in His Word, “Thine eyes shall see thy teachers.”

Rev. Elshout’s arrival prompted a number of procedural changes and new developments, such as the inception of a nursery so that parents with little children would be able to attend the services more regularly. Rev. Elshout served the congregation in the preaching of the Word at two English services each Sunday, and a Dutch reading service was held each Sunday afternoon. A bi-weekly men’s society for doctrinal discussions and a bi-weekly youth group were also begun under the leadership of the minister, also a church bulletin to announce the scheduled activities of the following weeks.

The year 1971 again brought changes, but also sorrows, in the midst of the congregation. On the first day of February, Elder T. Moerdyk passed away at the age of sixty-eight years, having served in the consistory for more than thirty years. During April, Rev. Elshout was also unable to perform his duties among us and in May was admitted to Pine Rest Hospital for treatment. The Lord’s blessing was evident, and in a short time he was again enabled to take up his labors in the congregation.

At the beginning of 1971, the Dutch reading services were discontinued due to declining attendance. At that time also the property west of the parsonage extending back to Evelyn Street was made available to the congregation, and approval was given to purchase it.

The balcony of the new church had not been finished at the time of construction, but in late 1972 it was deemed necessary to have additional seating capacity in the sanctuary. The balcony would provide approximately sixty additional places. Two memorial gifts were received for that purpose and the space was soon in use.

In 1973, the corner lot east of the church was put up for sale. At that time the property included the house and barn facing Burdick Street. However, when presented to a congregational meeting, the purchase was voted down by a large majority. It was not until 1976 that the corner lot became available without the house and barn, and then approval was given to purchase it.

In March of 1974, Rev. Elshout informed the congregation that he had been inclined by the Lord to accept a call to Slik-kerveer in the Netherlands, bringing sadness again into our midst. The announcement was made at a Sunday morning service, at which time he spoke about the twenty-first Lord’s Day of the Heidelberg Catechism. In question and answer 54, the Heidelberg instructor presents to us the preservation of the church by the Spirit and Word of the Son of God. There we are given to understand that the church does not depend upon man, but upon the work of a triune God, originating in heaven. May that still be our comfort and encouragement even today, as we again seek to obtain a minister. □

Rev. Arie Elshout (1923-1991)

Born in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, on January 20, 1923, Arie Elshout was the second child and first son in his family. The city of Rotterdam remained his home until he moved to Utrecht to become minister there years later.

Through his parents he became acquainted with the Netherlands Reformed Congregations when he was seventeen years old. At the age of eighteen years, the Lord used a house visitation by two elders of the congregation to draw him with cords of lovingkindness out of spiritual death into spiritual life. He wrote, “By the grace of God, the administration of God’s Word by means of read and preached sermons, etc., in the midst of our denomination made me to fear. My prior love for sin, as well as my sinful heart, became my burden and shame. My heart was also full of grief because of my iniquities. God used the ministry of Rev. W.C. Lamain (then still in the Netherlands) to shed light into my heart concerning Christ — the Way, the Truth, and the Life — the Savior of sinners, and to draw me with irresistible power to turn unto Him for reconciliation with my Maker and Judge. The sermons read in our vacant congregation and the ministry of visiting ministers, especially those of Rev. G.H. Kersten, plus the reading of God’s Word and other books which could make me wise unto salvation, were used by the Lord to shed more light into my soul about the mediatorial work of Christ. Then I, too, had to say with Solomon’s spouse of Him that was and is more than Solomon, ‘He is altogether lovely. This is my beloved and this is my Friend.’ My surrender to Him with body and soul for time and eternity to be my Prophet, Priest, and King was followed by much joy, peace, and rest for my soul, and I wished to depart and to be with Christ, since that was by far the best for me. I was at that time nineteen years old. However, the Lord made it known to me that He had some work for me to do in His church as a fisher of men.”

During World War II, Arie Elshout was sent to Germany from 1943 till 1945 as a dispersed person. He was forced to work by the Germans. Of his experience in Germany, he could say, “I received some training in the oven of affliction, but God’s grace was sufficient unto me to overcome it all.” By God’s providence, he was guided to Brunswick and, when the war was over, he married a German girl, Elfriede Irmgard Ilse Melzian. In 1949, their first child, Bart, was born, and seven children followed him.

After his return to the Netherlands from Germany, he went back to work in his former position as an administrative clerk. In 1950, he was elected to the office of deacon in the church, but in 1951 the door was opened for him to commence training for the ministry. Ordained in his first congregation, Utrecht, in 1955, he served them until 1961, at which time he went to Scheveningen, where he served until 1967. At that time the Lord inclined his heart to a call from the congregation of Artesia, California, which in time led to a call from Kalamazoo, where he was installed by Rev. W.C. Lamain as our pastor. After serving us for five years, he returned to the Netherlands in 1974 to the congregation of Slikkerveer. He served that congregation for eight years, in 1982 accepted a call to Zoetermeer, and in 1987 returned again to the congregation of Scheveningen. He passed away suddenly on August 10, 1991, to enter into the joy of his Lord. (See further details of Rev. Elshout’s life in the September, 1991 issue of The Banner of Truth, pp. 248-250.)

Garret J. Moerdyk serves as elder in the Netherlands Reformed Congregation of Kalamazoo, Michigan.

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