Growing Beyond Their Dreams

In the early 1860’s a teacher, Rev. A. Van Vliet, from the Presbyterian Academy in Dubuque, Iowa came to preach for a group of German settlers just across the county line in Grundy county. He later sent two students to hold worship services and two congregations were formed, one north and the other south of Beaver Creek,

which constituted a natural boundary before bridges had been built.

The north group under the leadership of Jan Arends (one of the two students) became officially organized as the Eastfriesland Presbyterian Church in October 1865.

Sometime later the southern group of worshipers led by student Meinders decided to withdraw their request for organization in the Presbyterian church. Some records indicate that Mr. Meinders had some problems with the Presbyterian church and felt it was drifting away from the Reformed faith. The group requested membership in the True Dutch Reformed of North America, later known as the Christian Reformed Church.

On October 10, 1867, the request of the congregation to join this group was granted by the only classes in the denomination at that time Classis Michigan.

Services were held in Van Patter’s schoolhouse located about three-fourths of a mile west of the present church parsonage. Official recognition was given on November 1, 1867 and thirty-eight charter members with their children began the history of the Ware Hollandsche Gerformeerde Kerk van Steamboat Rock (True Dutch Reformed Church of Steamboat Rock). Since the town of Wellsburg did not then exist, the church was known as the Steamboat Rock church.

This church became the twelfth congregation, second in Iowa, to be part of the then new ten year old denomination.

Later when Wellsburg became a town, the church became more connected with that community because of its close proximity. Today it is the First Christian Reformed Church of Wellsburg, a church that began with the Steamboat Rock name.

As it did then, many members of the church are members of the Steamboat Rock community.