Van Raalte Papers: 1860-1869

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  An Essay by the Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte, on "Colonization and Education," Published in De Hope, October 13, 1869

  A. C. Van Raalte and Simone Kennedy

  An essay by the Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte, on "Colonization and Education," published in De Hope, October 13, 1869, who has returned to Holland, from where V.R. is writing, having returned apparently from Amelia, Virginia, and saying that a Mr. S. Bolks has returned from the East where he was raising money "for our Education Foundation." Bolks was also asked to establish churches in the Amelia Colony and was successful in organizing three of them in Amelia, Matoax, and Chula respectively. (The Matoax church is the only one to survive and is a Presbyterian church today.) Van Raalte reported that in spite of the drought in Virginia, the farmers are having reasonable yields of grain. The Amelia Institute for higher and lower education has been established in a renovated hotel and headed by Dr. [Anson] Du Bois. William Gilmore, V.R.'s son-in-law and a graduate of Hope College, is also teaching there. V.R. noted "we can humbly thank God that He uses our people and our Institute Hope College to establish centers of education and inspiration in other regions of our vast country." And, "We, the Dutch, have as a Christian people a calling towards the Dutch and Holland-America emigration, and also towards this country—vast in size and influence—in which God has placed us."

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  A Letter of A. C. Van Raalte to Philip Phelps

  A. C. Van Raalte and George Scholten

  A letter of A. C. Van Raalte to Philip Phelps, pressing with urgency the need to keep raising money for Hope College: "We must keep to work: constantly to work for years to come with force and perseverance, else we will make bad work. We must have buildings."

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  Letter of Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte to Dirk Broek

  A. C, Van Raalte; Henry ten Hoor; Dirk Broek; Albertus T. Broek; and John Y. Broek

  In a letter of Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte to Dirk Broek, pastor of the Reformed Church in Graafschap, Michigan, just south west of the City of Holland, V.R. apologizes that he cannot be at the meeting next Monday due to "bad rheumatic pains and related miseries." The purpose of the meeting is not stated other than to say V.R. says that congregations should not be weakened by mislocation of church buildings.

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  A Letter of A. C. V. R. to a Mr. J. G. Van Heulen

  A. C. Van Raalte and Seth Vander Werf

  A letter of A.C.V.R. to a Mr. J. G. Van Heulen, who is advising Van Heulen about where to settle in America. If he should come to Amelia, A.C.V.R. informs him what to expect. A.C.V.R. gives detailed information about the conditions in Virginia. An important letter.

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  A Marriage License Was Issued This Date to Rev. William B. Gilmore and Christina C. Van Raalte

  Albertus C. Van Raalte

  A marriage license was issued this date to Rev. William B. Gilmore and Christina C. Van Raalte. The marriage took place on 14 July. Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte was the officiating minister. The parents of William were Darius and Margaret A. Gilmore.

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  A Letter of Christine Van Raalte to Her Brother, Ben

  Christine Van Raalte and Clarence Jalving

  A letter of Christine Van Raalte to her brother, Ben, reporting on the family's new life in Amelia. She is very positive about her experiences there but is a bit homesick for her family and friends in Holland.

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  A Letter of Christine Van Raalte to Her Brothers, Ben and Dirk

  Christine Van Raalte and Clarence Jalving

  A letter of Christine Van Raalte to her brothers, Ben and Dirk, thanking them profusely for writing her. She reports on life in Amelia, making some very interesting comments. "Some of these Dutchmen are peculiar people - you cannot imagine how terribly ignorant and stupid some of them are."

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  The Articles and Regulations of the Michigan Lake Shore Ministerial Association Adopted On This Date Followed by the Minutes of the Organization from August 2, 1869, to December 5, 1876

  A. Zwemer

  The articles and regulations of the Michigan Lake Shore Ministerial Association adopted on this date followed by the minutes of the organization from August 2, 1869, to December 5, 1876. The purpose of the organization was "the promotion of brotherly fellowship, and the performance of such literary duties as shall be resolved upon."The articles and regulations of 1869 are in Dutch and English. Albertus C. Van Raalte's name heads the list of members followed by Seine Bolks, Gerrit J. Nykerk, A. C.Kuyper, Hendrik Uiterwijk, William Moerdyk, Balster Van Es, Gerrit Dangremond, Dirk Broek, Roelof Pieters, Jacob Vander Meulen, E. C. Oggel, John Broek, Peter De Pree, James F. Zwemer, W. Vander Kley, L. J. Hulst, and Adrian Zwemer. When the group was reorganized in 1879, many more names were added.

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  The Acts and Proceedings of the General Synod of the Reformed Church in America, Convened in Regular Session in the City of Hudson, N. E, in June, 1868. New York: Board of Publication of the Reformed Church, No. 103 Fulton Street, 1868, pp. 461-63

  Board of Publication of the Reformed Church

  Albertus C. Van Raalte is attending the meeting of the General Synod of the Reformed Church in America. A major issue is on the agenda from the Classis of Holland that the RCA issue a "distinct utterance of its disapprobation of the connection of the Lord's people with the Order of Freemasons, in order that the moral power of our whole Reformed Church may be against a great and growing evil." The committee which dealt with the issue formed a resolution which said: "That this Synod do not consider it proper to express our opinion in the case." In the roll call vote on the resolution, 89 men voted for it and 19 voted against the resolution of the committee. Van Raalte cast a "no" vote along with Jacob Vander Meulen, John Vander Meulen and John H. Karsten. These were the only mid-west votes against the resolution. Fifteen easterners also voted against it. I recognized other Dutch immigrant mid-westerners' names who voted for the resolution.

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  The Acts and Proceedings of the General Synod of the Reformed Church in America, Convened in Regular Session in the City of Hudson, N. Y., in June, 1868. pp. 461 and 463

  Board of Publication of the Reformed Church

  Dr. Albertus C. Van Raalte was a delegate at the General Synod of the Reformed Church in America, held at Hudson, New York. Overtures from the Classes of Holland and Wisconsin asked the synod to disapprove of the order of the Freemasons and the right of men to be members of the Freemasons while being members of the RCA. The synod's action was: "Resolved that this Synod do not consider it proper to express our opinion in the case." The reason given for this was that the synod should not rule on abstract questions and that it was left to the consistoriesto exercise discipline. There was a call for the question. Eighty nine members voted for the recommendation and nineteen voted against the resolution. Van Raalte was one of the nineteen to vote against the recommendation along with Jacob Vander Meulen, John Vander Meulen, and John H. Karsten.

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  The Acts and Proceedings of the General Synod of the Reformed Church In America, Convened in Regular Session in the City of Hudson, N. Y., in June, 1868. pp. 472, 480-485

  Board of Publication of the Reformed Church

  At the meeting of the General Synod of the Reformed Church in America, held at Hudson, New York, the Committee on the Professorate made an extensive report. Much of the report dealt with issues at Hope College. One issue was the relationship of the theological school located at Hope College with Hope. Another issue was the proposal of Rev. Philip Phelps and Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte to make Hope College into a university. Professors T. Romeyn Beck, Charles Scott and Cornelius E. Crispell, professors at Hope College, sent a paper dissenting from the proposal to make Hope a university. "Your Committee find that the views of the respective parties are radically and resolutely opposed. The questions involve very delicate and complicated relations and immense responsibilities," (p. 482). Van Raalte was in attendance at this meeting. The committee submitted many resolutions but there is nothing in the minutes as to how the synod dealt with them.

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  Letter from Hendrik Merckens of Culenborg to A. C. Van Raalte

  Nella Kennedy

  Hendrik Merckens of Culenborg and his wife plan to emigrate to America. He now is asking Rev. Albertus Van Raalte for advice about making this move. He is the headmaster of the school on Culenborg. He has a broad background. He also would like to know what they should bring along to the United States.

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  Mr. J. H. Kloos is Writing the Editor of De Hope Which Was Printed in the November 18 Issue

  J. H. Kloos and Henry ten Hoor

  Mr. J. H. Kloos is writing the editor of De Hope which was printed in the November 18 issue, protesting some information that appeared in the letter of Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte in the October 21 issue. Kloos says that he is not an agent of the St. Paul & Pacific Railway. He also clarifies information about his business regarding land purchases. Kloos is promoting a settlement fourteen miles from Sauk Rapids. The severity of the winter is not what V.R. claimed.

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  Meeting Minutes of the Congregation of the First Reformed Church

  J. Schrader, William Buursma, and Althea Buursma

  At a congregational meeting of the First Reformed Church at which Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte presided and opened with prayer, elders and deacons were elected. The congregation was informed that the classis would have a drive for the academic school building.

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  Meeting Minutes of the Consistory of the First Reformed Church

  J. Schrader, William Buursma, and Althea Buursma

  At a meeting of the consistory of the First Reformed Church at which Elder Kamper was chosen as chairman, Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte entered the meeting after the discussion of the Wakker case had begun. It was decided that Wakker himself will be denied the privilege of partaking of the Lord's Supper because he seemed pleased that his marriage broke up.

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  Meeting Minutes of the Consistory of the First Reformed Church

  J. Schrader, William Buursma, and Althea Buursma

  At a meeting of the consistory of the First Reformed Church at which Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte opened with prayer, "the matter of Brother Wakker was again discussed..." at length. Dr. Van Raalte was actively involved in the discussion.

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  Meeting Minutes of the Consistory of the First Reformed Church

  J. Schrader, William Buursma, and Althea Buursma

  At a meeting of the consistory of the First Reformed Church, it was decided "that as soon as Dr. van Raalte returns from his trip to pay him $50.00 and, if possible, more."

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  Meeting Minutes of the Consistory of the First Reformed Church

  J. Schrader, William Buursma, and Althea Buursma

  At a meeting of the consistory of the First Reformed Church at which Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte opened with prayer, Student [Ale?] Buursma appeared before the consistory and learned that he had to make a public confession because his wife became pregnant before they were married. "He gladly agreed to this, and Rev. van Raalte led in prayer."

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  Meeting Minutes of the Consistory of the First Reformed Church

  J. Schrader, William Buursma, and Althea Buursma

  At a meeting of the consistory of the First Reformed Church at which Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte presided, the resignation of the clerk, Gerrit Wakker, was accepted. He had served for many years as clerk of consistory but due to domestic conflict with his wife, he felt he had to resign. Two elders were appointed to look into "this offensive situation." J. Schrader was chosen as clerk.

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  Meeting Minutes of the Consistory of the First Reformed Church

  J. Schrader, William Buursma, and Althea Buursma

  Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte was in attendance at the consistory meeting of the First Reformed Church. "Dr. van Raalte" opened the meeting with prayer. The pastor gave an overview of the Wakker domestic situation. Mrs. Wakker was put under censure for running away from her husband. "Her departure has not severed the union which God has brought together."

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  Meeting Minutes of the Consistory of the First Reformed Church

  J. Schrader, William Buursma, and Althea Buursma

  At a meeting of the consistory of the First Reformed Church at which Elder Keppel was chairman, it was noted in article 3 that Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte's letter of 4 June was set aside until the next meeting. Most of the meeting was spent on the domestic problems of the Gerrit Wakker family.

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  Meeting Minutes of the Consistory of the First Reformed Church

  J. Schrader, William Buursma, and Althea Buursma

  At a consistory meeting of the First Reformed Church at which Elder Pijster served as chairman, article four dealt with a letter from Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte on three different matters: the Wakker problems, collections for the various boards, and concerning the call to Rev. Joh. Brummelkamp. "After considerable discussion, it was decided to request the Rev, to come to our meeting so that the matter [of Wakker] can be dealt with."

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  Meeting Minutes of the Consistory of the First Reformed Church

  J. Schrader, William Buursma, and Althea Buursma

  At a meeting of the consistory of the First Reformed Church, it was decided to ask Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte to attend the next meeting when the Wakker situation would again be discussed.

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  Meeting Minutes of the Council of Hope College

  Abel T. Stewart

  At this meeting of the Council of Hope College, Dr. Albertus C. Van Raalte was present. The meeting was apparently brief. The Council again met on 27 May. Routine business was taken care of.

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  Meeting Minutes of the Council of Hope College

  Abel T. Stewart

  Dr. Albertus C. Van Raalte was not present at this special meeting of the Council of Hope College. Again, mainly local members were present. The report of the college to the General Synod was approved. At the afternoon meeting on the thirtieth, Professors Charles Scott, T. Romeyn Beck and Cornelius Crispell were present to express their views about the proposed Hope Haven University. No comments were made about the ideas that the professors expressed. It was decided that the executive committee would have a quorum of four members.