History – West Leonard CRC

Our History

West Leonard Church was established in 1889 as a daughter church of Alpine Avenue CRC. These Christians were heirs of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. At the heart of the Reformed Christian heritage is testing all we do and believe in the light of God’s Word and guidance.

The original wooden church building on Crosby Street burned to the ground in 1908; and the following summer the current building was completed, featuring boulders from the Grand River and put in place by horse teams. In 1964 a newly renovated sanctuary was dedicated. A merger in 1994 with another church in our community blessed us with new people who joined with us in ministry. More recent history extended our facility to include additional classrooms, offices, meeting rooms, an elevator and eventually a bold digital sign, cameras and equipment for live streaming of worship services.

Today our church continues a long history of proclaiming and living out the good news of Jesus Christ in a very urban section of the City of Grand Rapids, and we look forward to what God has planned for the future.

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