The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad.
-Psalm 126:3

It took four days for the founders of Fifth Church to construct the original building, a 1,920-square-foot wooden structure where a group of 69 people worshipped with Psalm 126 in their hearts back in 1886. The first pastor, the Rev. R. H. Joldersma, was hired that spring at a salary of $800. Under his guidance, the church built a permanent home, and grew to 236 families by the end of his three-year tenure in 1889. "The Church on the Hill," as it was known, still stands at the corner of Pleasant Street and Church Place just off Grandville Avenue south of Wealthy Street.

The current place of worship for Fifth Church was built in 1957 in an open field that was purchased for less than $10,000. We celebrated our 100 th anniversary in 1986, and look forward to marking 50 years at 2012 Griggs St. in 2007.

Affiliations
Much has changed over the years, including the translation of scripture that we use in worship today. But Fifth Church remains affiliated with the Reformed Church in America, which dates its beginning to 1628 in New York. Colonists arriving from The Netherlands started an American version of the Dutch Reformed Church, a denomination heavily influenced by the writings of Protestant reformer John Calvin.

The RCA now includes more than 900 churches and 175,000 members, and has outgrown its Dutch origins to include people from many ethnic backgrounds. The denomination embraces the confessions of the early Christian church, such as the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed.

Missions
The RCA is a mission-minded church, and Fifth Church is no exception. We support more than a dozen missions all over the world, from individual missionaries in Eastern Europe and Taiwan to local ministries such as the Interfaith Hospitality Network and Woodland Drive-In Church.