The First NRC of Grand Rapids, Michigan (6)

1906–1909: Rev. Cornelis Pieneman (1863–1912)

After three years in The Hague, Rev. Pieneman accepted a call to the Free Church Under the Cross at Rotterdam. He was installed by Rev. Roelofson and preached his inaugural on 1 Corinthians 3:11–13.1

As in The Hague, God’s people and the church prospered under Rev. Pieneman’s ministry. The year 1901 was noteworthy as one of glad and sad tidings. On March 31 Rev. Pieneman dedicated a new church building on the Boezemsingel in Rotterdam. Seven weeks later his first wife died. Five months later, Rev. Pieneman informed his consistory that he was engaged to Greta Van de Pol, who would survive him by close to forty years. She too proved to be a faithful and supportive helpmeet.

Already in The Hague Rev. Pieneman had served as a spiritual guide to Gerrit Hendrik Kersten. In 1902 he confirmed the nineteen-year-old Kersten as exhorter in Rotterdam with the words, “Let no man despise thy youth,” and subsequently gave him theological lessons. In 1905 he ordained Rev. Kersten into the ministry from Ephesians 4:10. Later, Rev. Pieneman remarked, “Although I have not been granted natural children, God has given Rev. Kersten and others as my spiritual children.”

In 1905 Rev. Pieneman had an increasing amount of spiritual exercises about the NRC of Grand Rapids, Michigan, with whom he had entered into correspondence. These exercises included applications of Isaiah 54:5, Habakkuk 2:20, Genesis 38:25, and of Dutch Psalms 95:3 (Psalter 256:4), 116:3–4 (Psalter 426:2–3), and 121:4 (Psalter 344:4). This was also confirmed for his wife from Ezekiel 12:3–4.2 Even before Grand Rapids’ pastoral call arrived on September 24, 1905, Rev. Pieneman had already informed his consistory that he had to accept the call which would come from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Prior to leaving Rotterdam, Rev. Pieneman published a few small books, including one of six sermons, for the benefit of the Boesemzingel church.

The 100th Anniversarysummarizes Rev. Pieneman’s ministry in Grand Rapids as follows:

He arrived in February 1906. The next few years were a period of great growth. The consistory met every week, and much of the consistory business was to consider requests by those who wished to become members of the church.

Soon after the arrival of Rev. Pieneman, it became necessary to enlarge the building. This was done by building an extension on the east end of the church at a cost of $1,200. Because some members had difficulty in obtaining a seat in the church, it was decided to rent spaces in the pews: adults $1.00, and children 25¢. However this was discontinued in July 1907 since there were not enough pews to meet the demand.

Another expansion of church facilities took place in October 1907 when a 50’ x 50’ plot was purchased north of the church building for $1,500. Soon afterward a building was erected at a cost of $2,500. The building contained stables for horses on the ground floor and catechism rooms on one side of the upper floor with an apartment on the other side. This apartment became the residence of the Vander Spek sisters who were paid a weekly sum for keeping the building clean.

Denominational ties were extended during Rev. Pieneman’s ministry. The pastor and Elder Sporte visited Sheboygan, Wisconsin in December 1906 where they laid the groundwork which eventually led to the organization of the congregation. A visit to Paterson, New Jersey in January

1907 by the minister and Elder Merizon resulted in the establishment of the Haledon Avenue Church (now Franklin Lakes Church). Another visit was made in April 1908 to install Rev. N. Beversluis as the first pastor of the new church. In May 1909, the Kalamazoo church joined the denomination.

Under the leadership of Rev. Pieneman, our Christian School was established. The consistory minutes of January 31, 1908, record the appointment of a committee consisting of a Mr. Post, J. Mol, John DeMeester, and D. De Bruyn. The committee met with the consistory on February 7, and were charged by the pastor to make a thorough investigation of the possibility of establishing a school for giving Christian instruction to the youth. Three weeks later, the committee brought in an encouraging report which prompted the consistory to call a congregational meeting on March 19 to elect a nine-member school board. The question of who should teach the children was brought up by the committee, but this was settled by Rev. Pieneman who suggested that Dick De Bruyn be engaged to teach English, and Mr. K. Winters of Rotterdam be called to teach in the Dutch language. Mr. De Bruyn later declined this position, so Mrs. Kate E. Hogle was engaged to teach English. Mr. Winters accepted the call and arrived with his wife and two children on August 3, 1908. A school building was erected on Hastings Street during the summer. [See last month’s Banner of Truthcover, JRB.] On Monday afternoon, September 7, 1908, the minister officiated at an installation ceremony to open the new school.

At the next consistory meeting, permission was granted to a group of young women to gather regularly in the consistory room to sew items for the benefit of the school.

At the consistory meeting of October 1, 1909, permission was granted to a group of young men to use the consistory room for the meetings of a young men’s society. At this meeting, Rev. Pieneman announced that he had accepted a call to Charlois, The Netherlands.

The pastor preached his farewell sermon on November 16 and began his journey to the old fatherland on the next day.3

To this summary we are grateful to be able to add some interesting details related to Rev. Pieneman’s ministry as there are several individuals in the Grand Rapids congregation (now in the upper eighties and nineties) who still recall this dear pastor and his wife. We will let these seniors speak anonymously in their own words:

The first Sunday Ds. Pieneman preached in “Division Avenue” in the afternoon, my father and I went to hear him. There were several steps—about twelve— and very wide. These steps were filled with people from top to bottom. We did not get to hear him that time because there was not room. Soon after he came, my parents, along with many others, transferred their memberships from “Turner Avenue” to “Division Avenue.”

The people used to talk often about Ds. Pieneman’s sermons. They were always well-studied, moving, and beautiful. Some, however, thought his sermons were too thoroughly researched, but several people were converted under them during the few short years he was with us. The Pienemans were a friendly family. A Miss Anna Heldrop lived with them. She and Mrs. Pieneman helped the minister with catechism, asking the children their questions. The young children attended catechism after school in a room to the right of the steps. The older children had catechism in what we called the horse barns where on the main floor the horses and buggies were kept during services. Catechism was held upstairs.

To the left of the front steps there was a pump with a tub of water which had two “dippers.” Almost everyone took a drink before going into church—all out of the same dippers. I remember well that there were two people who passed away from tuberculosis who also drank from them.

There is also a well-known anecdote about Mrs. Pieneman. On a certain day, when her husband was gone and visitors were present for the noon meal, she prayed that God might heal her sick bird. One of the visitors reprimanded her for praying for something so trivial. Mrs. Pieneman replied: “A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel” (Prov. 12:10).

Rev. Pieneman was very instrumental in the commencement of our first Christian school on Hastings Street. He and my father and others worked together. It seemed like they were busy every night planning and taking care of all the things it takes to start a new school.

As children we could feel that Ds. Pieneman loved us. He came to school often to teach catechism class. I remember several times that he would ruffle some boy’s hair and say, “Je moet tot God bekeerd worden” (“You must be converted to God.”) He came to our house a lot and one time gave me a quarter. My father often traveled with him. We were very sorry when he left us and went back to the Netherlands. Some people did not feel it was right that he left us so quickly.4

Rev. Pieneman served as an invaluable friend to many. To mention only two examples: He was very instrumental in the lives of Rev. John Van Zweden and Rev. Adrian Van Dyke. The former was converted under a sermon he preached in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Rev. Pieneman believed that the young John Van Zweden would one day be ordained into the ministry, but did not live to see that day for himself.5 During Rev. Pieneman’s farewell message from 1 Corinthians 15:58, Adrian Van Dyke, with whom the departing pastor was also closely knit, was given to believe that he himself would one day proclaim God’s Word from the same pulpit. Later, Rev. Pieneman was used as one of God’s means to open doors for Van Dyke to enter into the ministry in the North American NRC.6

After a short pastorate of less than sixteen months in Charlois, The Netherlands (1909–1911), Rev. Pieneman accepted a call to Dirksland. He preached his inaugural from Acts 9:20 on April 9, 1911. His pastorate in Dirksland was also of short duration. In July of 1912 Rev. Pieneman became ill after preaching in a hot, old wooden building while the new church in Dirksland was being built. His cold developed into a severe case of pneumonia. After sixteen months at Dirksland, the Lord called him home at the young age of forty-nine on August 2, 1912. Rev. G. H. Kersten conducted the funeral service from Revelation 7:13–14, stating that ties of friendship had been laid which neither the ocean nor death could separate.7On his epitaph, Daniel 12:3 is appropriately engraved: “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.”

Historically, Rev. Pieneman’s labors in the North American NRC are most significant. His influence far outweighed his short pastorate. Rev. Kersten rightly concludes that he “laid the foundation of friendship and unity between the Netherlands Reformed Congregations in America and those of the Netherlands.”7 Above all, God used him mightily for the conversion of sinners, the upbuilding of His saints, and the glory of His worthy Name. May God grant that he being dead, “yet speaketh”—also to us in our needy day. By sovereign grace, may we be granted parallel zeal for the extension of God’s kingdom and the ingathering of His harvest.

1Cf. Predikanten en Oefenaars: Biografisch Woordenboek van de Kleine Kerkgeschiedenis,

Deel 1,Tweede Druk (Houten: Den Hertog, 1989), pp. 178–82.

2Cf. Leven en werk van Ds. C. Pieneman(Veenendaal: Kool), pp. 59–69.

3Pp. 11–12.

4We wish to thank all those from our Grand Rapids congregation who contributed to these remarks.

5A Brief Historical Survey,p. 64.

6Cf. Predikanten en Oefenaars: Biografisch Woordenboek van de Kleine Kerkgeschiedenis, Deel 1,p. 181; Ds. G. H. Kersten, Bedroefden om der bijeenkomst wil(Utrecht: De Banier, 1985), pp. 196–97.

7For the funeral message, see Leven en werk van Ds. C. Pieneman,pp. 71 ff., and Bedroefden om der bijeenkomst wil,pp. 127ff.

8A Brief Historical Survey,p. 33.

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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