Scope and Contents
The simplest way to view this collection is in several categories. About a third of the information pertains to one of the Classis’ committees. In approximate order of their amount of material, the committees found herein are: Pastoral Supervision and Church Relations, Church Planning and Development, Extension, Executive, Stewardship and Finance, Hispanic, Overtures and Judicial, Nominations and Human Resources, Student Supervision, Revision of the Rules of Order and By-Law, and Discipleship. Agendas, Minutes, and Annual Budgets comprise the next largest items. Other significant categories in the remaining half include: Consistorial Reports (these report membership and basic financial information of each congregation), Constitutional Inquiries (these discern the degree to which each congregation is adhering to the constitutional requirements of the RCA and Holland Classis), Synod information both Particular (Great Lakes or Michigan) and General, Reports from the CRC-RCA Joint Committee, Holland Classis Enrollment, and Correspondence.
This collection is arranged in alphabetical order.
Dates
- Creation: 1848-[ongoing]
History
Under the leadership of Albertus C. Van Raalte, the Classis of Holland, first organized in 1848, officially entered the Reformed Church in America in April 1850. The joining of the Classis of Holland with the RCA signified an important union between the RCA and the Western churches. The first critical years in Holland were made bearable by the generosity and benevolence of the eastern churches that supported the fledgling community after Rev. Wyckoff returned to New York from his visit to the new settlement in 1849. Four congregations left in 1857 to form what was to be called the Christian Reformed Church, and several others during the Masonic Controversy of the early 1880s. At present, eighteen local congregations comprise the Classis of Holland. They are, in order of founding: First, Central Park, Hope, Third, Fourth, Trinity, Maplewood, Beechwood, Calvary, Rose Park, Christ Memorial, Grace, Fellowship, Crossroads, Haven Shores Community.
Extent
21.00 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Dutch; Flemish
Abstract
This collection contains information on Classis Committees and other Classis records. The committees included are: Pastoral Supervision and Church Relations, Church Planning and Development, Extension, Executive, Stewardship and Finance, Hispanic, Overtures and Judicial, Nominations and Human Resources, Student Supervision, Revision of the Rules of Order and By-Law, and Discipleship. Also included are: Agendas, Minutes, Annual Budgets, Consistorial Reports, Constitutional Inquiries, Synod information both Particular (Great Lakes or Michigan) and General, Reports from the CRC-RCA Joint Committee, Holland Classis Enrollment, and Correspondence.
Provenance
Classis of Holland
- Status
- Completed
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Hope College Archives and Special Collections Repository
Van Wylen Library
53 Graves Place
Holland Michigan 49423 United States
616-395-7798
archives@hope.edu
