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the history of this congregation
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America
History of the United
Reformed Church of Wellsburg
Because many children were barred from religious
instruction in the English language, a group of interested people met
in the schoolhouse and organized a Sunday School on July 6, 1919. Regular
religious services were also desired, and a church was organized under
the direction of the Rev. H.C. Bode on October 9, 1919, with 24 charter
members. The church was called "The English Speaking Christian Reformed
Church of Wellsburg".
The need for a meeting place was evident, so a building lot was obtained and a church building was completed and dedicated on August 24, 1920. Professors and students of the Grundy Coollege and Seminary ministered to the spiritual needs of the people in this congregation for the first two years. Corneil Holtrop was extended a call on July 13, 1921, which was accepted. He was the first regular pastor of the church.
Worship services have been held regularly since the beginning. Desiring to worship our Lord in the historic reformed tradition, the congregation voted to join the United Reformed Churches in North "America early in 2001. This church has been blessed by the leadership of many God-fearing men during its history. It haqs undergone many trials and has received many blessings. We are grateful that God has brought to us the Rev. Harold A. Miller, Jr., and his family to lead our congregation at this time.Names are very significant. Take our name for example:
United Reformed Church of Wellsburg. You know where we are located from
that name - Wellsburg, and you know we are a church. The adjective, "United"
you can figure out. What then does "Reformed" mean? That title means,
in brief, church of the Reformation. We have a "genealogy" going back
to Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox and many others. Those reformers
rightly claimed that what they were doing in the Reformation was reconnecting
the church to that of the Apostles. Therefore, we also believe that we
are a church of the Apostles, and of course, of Jesus Christ.
Reformed churches in general see great significance in defining who they
are. This is usually done with a collection of old and ancient confessions
and creeds. These "Doctrinal standards" do not have higher authority than
the Bible, but serve to summerize what the Bible teaches. We hold to the
"Three forms of Unity", namely the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession
of Faith, and the Canons of Dort. We also hold to the so-called Ecumenical
Creeds, namely the Apostles Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian
Creed. As a church we also have a love for other historical doctrinal
statements such as the Westminster Standards and other important documents.
These things being said, we are a church of the present and future, not
of the past. While we are dedicated to understanding the Bible using these
"Doctrinal standards" we also know that they teach us to understanding
the Bible as it speaks to our world today. Our God is unchanging, but
we change. Our God is timeless, but for us times change. We are dedicated
to understanding and applying Scripture and our standards correctly while
also correctly understanding our world today. This is, in short why we
call ourselves "Reformed." To be a Christian who is Reformed is to a Christian
who is always Reforming. Always Reforming him or herself before the Lord
who sees and knows all, and always seeking to be Reforming our world until
"...the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things
in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth -in Him" (Ephesians
1.10)
