On the first Sunday in this year the Rev. P. Moerdyk, pastor of the First Reformed Church, preached a historical sermon of which mention was made at the time. The sermon has just been printed in pamphlet form, and as it is quite an important part of the history of our city, we give liberal extracts from it, or a resume of its contents.

"The consummation long devoutly wished has at last been achieved. This church is established. It has ceased to be a mission church. By the favor of God, we today celebrate our independence of the board of domestic missions, which aided this church from its birth until the end of the past year.

The consistory of our church, constrained by a deep sense of gratitude to Him that led us, requested me to "rehearse the matter from the beginning" on this festal occasion.

The Rev. Isaac McCoy began missionary labors in this locality in 1822. The Gov. Cass, the Governor of the Territory, and by whose authority Rev. McCoy came here, urged him to "contend against whisky". With Mr. McCoy were a teacher, a blacksmith and two laborers, and a part of the time the Rev. Mr. Slater, who afterward succeeded him. The mission station continued until 1839, and was the initial point of this goodly city - the missionaries were the pioneers of civilization here. The settlement of the city began in 1833, when Louis Campau secured land on the east side of the river - the mission post was on the west side - and platted it.

In 1836 Deacon George Young moved here from Ovid, NY; he brought his family in 1837. He was a member of and a "passionate lover" of the Reformed Church, then called the Dutch Church - he was a descendant of the old Holland pioneers on the banks of the Hudson, and had lived most of his life in Albany, NY. He naturally attempted to secure a Reformed church mission here, and as a result of his efforts the Rev. Hart E. Waring, who is yet living, came her from Lawyerville and Cobleskill, NY, and arrived in July, 1840 to establish the mission, the mission being under the fostering care of the Ladies' Missionary Society of the Reformed Church at Ithaca, NY, which had been itself a mission church and had just become self-sustaining and anxious to aid other as an expression of gratitude. The Rev. J. C. F. Hoes, D. D., was pastor of that church. The active agencies aiding Deacon Young were his former pastor, the Rev. Isaac Ferris, D. D., afterward Chancellor of the New York University, and the Rev. John F. Schermerhorn, who had once visited this region. The Rev. M.r Moerdyk in this connection gave a brief retrospect of the other religious societies here as follows:

"At that time the population of Grand Rapids numbered about 400, among whom the usual diversity of religious beliefs and preferences existed; hence, shortly before, the Roman Catholic Church with the help of L. Campau, who was of that faith, had located a mission enterprise here. A Presbyterian Church was organized in 1837, which in 1839 was changed into the Congregational Church, now known as the Park Church. St. Mark's Episcopal Church dates its active existence from 1839, and built a house of worship late in the following year on the northwest corner of North Division and Bronson sts., now occupied by Julius Berkey's residence. This building was subsequently moved to the northeast corner of North Division and Park streets, bought by the Baptists in 1848, and used for three years and a half by our own Church. It is now know as Cumming's wagon shop. The Methodist class had been started in 183? which ha circuit preaching occasionally until 1843, and out of this the Division Street Methodist Episcopal Church has grown. The Baptists, though organized as a Society in 1826, did not really commence their church life until 1848.

The Grand Rapids Reformed Church was the third mission attempted in what was then called the "Great West". The first was at Redford, in this State, in 1836, which failed, died out, about ten years later, and a second was at Fairview, ILL. In 1873, --- flourishing, as "New Jersey Dutchmen" to the manner born, founded it. So this church is the second in point of age, now extant. The new church society was organized in Mr. Waring's house August 12, 1846, with twelve member4s, who were: Samuel F. B--- and his wife, Lydia, George Young and his wife, Eliza, James S. Horton, Abraham Horton and Emily C., wife of Hezekiah Osborn, who have all died since; also Hezekiah H. Osborn, Adelaide Waring, wife of the pastor, Bilius Stocking and Mary H., his wife, and Daniel C. Stocking, all of whom are living, and three of whom are yet here. Sunday School was soon organized and choir with Dea. H. R. Osborn as Chorister. The Consistory consisted of /elders George Young and Samuel F. Butler, and Deacons H. Osborn and Bilius Stocking, with the pastor as President. He continues the narrative follows:

"The church thus organized first held services for from six months to a year in the village schoolhouse, a small frame building on what was then the hill on the south end of the site now occupied by Ledyard's block on Ottawa street, and next, for their greater convenience, hired, at 50 cents a week, the upper part of Col. Roberts' building standing on the northeast corner of Fountain and Ottawa streets, now having a shop in the basement. There they worshiped nearly a year, next occupying for two or three months the second floor of the frame store nearly opposite the Rathbun House, on Monroe street.

He then recounted the history of the first church building, the old stone structure now used as a wagon shop on the corner of Bridge and Ottawa streets. The society had entered into negotiations for a site on the northwest corner of Lyon and Ionia streets, and began drawing stone to build, but as that site was to cost $150, and the one finally used was offered as a gift, and they had to be economical, they accepted the gift, which the pastor fears was a blunder. The site was accepted 3 January 1842, the plans were completed for a building "38 feet wide, 50 feet long, 10 feet clear in the basement and 20 feet in the main body", with Kendall Woodward as chief architect, J. L. Wheeler as master mason, and elders George Young and S. F. Butler as building committee. The material for the building was taken from the bed of the river, ground was broken April 25, and the corner stone laid 9 May 1842. This was an event, for those times, as the church was to be an imposing structure. This corner stone was removed 30 December last, and its contents were enumerated by the pastor, as recorded in the Eagle at that time.

The followed a history of the struggles of the Society to finish the church - the basement only had been completed for use - and of Dea. Young's begging tour in the East, where he collected nearly $1,000 in the winter of 1842-3, and met Mr. Myron Hinsdill who was then East on a similar errand for the Congregational Society which had bought the old Catholic church on the corner where Porter's block now is, and was struggling to pay Mr. Campau for it. Also of the efforts and revival in February and March 1843, when John Mason Ferris, son of the preacher heretofore mentioned, now Secretary of the Foreign Missionary Board of the denomination, then visiting here, was converted. At that time the church had 38 members and 100 to 150 persons in the congregation, and a Sunday school of 150 pupils. But dissensions between the church and pastor arose, and then resulting despondency and depression. At that time it was the largest society in the town, but its location had proved unfortunate and the other societies flourished apace and it did not, because their church buildings were further south. The Rev. A. B. Taylor followed Rev. Waring for four and a half years of pastoral labor. In 1848 the church died, practically, when Mr. Taylor resigned the pastorate and the Rev. Dr. Penney, a Presbyterian clergy.

=============== missing information

years to 1860; how he tried to get missionaries sent here, how many were appointed and none came to stay until July, 1860, Rev. Phillip Berry came and the society was resuscitated. Then in 1861 the main audience room was completed at a cost of $1,000, and nineteen years and a month after the laying of the corner stone. But Mr. Berry had to return east in 1861 on account of illness in his family, and the society was again without a pastor until 1862, when John Mason Ferris came and stayed three years. In 1863 the society vacated its building and moved to the northeast corner of Division and Park streets, where they stayed until 1866. The U. S. used the building for a hospital, for a time in 1863, and a German society occupied it for a school and other purposes, for a time; later it was occupied as a storeroom and furniture factory, and still later, for two years, as a ward school house. Rev. Mr. Ferris resigned in July, 1865, the church having grown to twenty-five members, and was followed by Rev. Henry E. Decker, and under him the old building was repaired at an expense of about $2,000, about the close of 1866, and reoccupied. Mr. Decker resigned in 1867, leaving 43 membe4rs in the church, and was succeeded by Rev. Chr. Van der Veen of Grand Haven, in March, 1868. In May, 1871, he resigned to go to Holland City, and the pulpit was supplied by Rev. Jacob Van der Meulen, son of the pastor of the Second Reformed Church since 1860, until April, 1872. May 3, following, the church building was burned; the fire proved a blessing in disguise. The society then worshiped for a time in the Westminster Presbyterian society's building, southwest corner of Division and Lyon streets, and without a settled pastor until August, 1873, when the Rev. Mr. Moerdyk was called to the pastorate. Meanwhile the old church site and walls had been sold for $11,550, and the building now occupied on North Division street was bought of the Baptists for $7,000. The society had also declined an offer consolidate with the Westminster society, whose building it had been using for some months.

In October, 1873, the Rev. Mr. Moerdyk fairly began his labors with a church of 29 members and a Sunday school of 45 members, including the pastor's Bible class of 9, and with a congregation of 40 persons at the morning services and 25 at the evening.

He then gave a brief retrospect of his own labors, the history of his church since coming here, describing its growth from then up to date, with the doings of its officers and Sunday school, its losses by death, etc. It now has 140 members, is self-sustaining, and one of the most prosperous organizations in the city. All of its eight pastors are yet living, and six of his predecessors have personally congratulated the Rev. Mr. Moerdyk on the work he has done, and the Society on its final successes after forty years of tribulations. And the public will join them in this feeling, most sincerely and heartily