Our Story

Lee Street Church has been on a journey in the Godfrey-Lee community for over 98 years.

We have old stories to tell; we have new stories to tell.

We’re thankful to share our story. To God be the glory!

Our history shows how God works over time.

Lee Street Christian Reformed Church had its beginnings in the 1920’s when a group of recent immigrants from the Netherlands and Dutch farmers from around Lucas, Michigan began to move into the area around where the church building is located. These immigrants sought opportunity, community, and often religious freedom. In 1926, they went to a nearby church, Grandville Avenue CRC, to ask for help in getting started.

The pastor and council there gave a generous amount to help fund a new church and provided leadership in forming a church council. In many area churches of our denomination, Dutch was spoken at the time. Lee Street wanted to worship together in the language of the new country.

As this immigrant community flourished and more immigrants came, Lee Street Church grew. In the 1950’s and 60’s, there were over 1,000 people in our church family. In the 1970’s, urban neighborhoods across the country experienced a migration of people with European ancestry to farther suburbs. The Lee Street neighborhood echoed this trend. Beginning in the 1990’s, several church buildings in our area changed ownership. Many of the Lee Street church family also moved and joined churches closer to their new homes.

From the 1920’s until now, the Lee Street neighborhood has gone from being largely Dutch to largely Hispanic. Once again there are immigrants seeking opportunity and community. There is a new part of our church family with Hispanic background. As with the immigrants of many years ago, they are worshiping together in a new country.

We find joy in getting to know and work with each other. God works through individuals, and many individuals are or have been part of the Lee Street church family. Each has a story of how God has worked in his or her life. God also chooses to work through his church as a whole. We are delighted to be part of that whole called Lee Street Christian Reformed Church.

We praise him for leading us in the past, present, and future!