East Congregational Church was organized in 1894 with 15 members and, for a time, met in rented space in East Grand Rapids. By 1896, they had built their first building in East Grand Rapids.
By 1911, that space became crowded, and a larger church was erected at Norwood and Wealthy Sts. to accommodate their needs.
Some twenty-five years later the membership had grown to 670. They decided to purchased the dwelling next to the church to help ease the overcrowded main church building. Soon they realized that this did not solve the problem and that they would need a more permanent solution.
The church purchased six lots at Alexander and Giddings in Grand Rapids with the dream of building a facility to meet the needs of a larger congregation. The plan included well-equipped classrooms for Christian education, a chapel and sanctuary. The Church chose the leading architect for ecclesiastical edifices of the day in the person of Ralph Adams Cram. Cram had designed many famous churches and collegiate buildings, including Duke University Chapel, Princeton University Chapel, and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, as well as many other well known churches.
The real work began to bring into reality the dream of their minister, James W. Fifield. Ralph Adams Cram’s plan included elements of Gothic architecture. The chapel, and education buildings are connected by a cloister walkway. The buildings were built in sections. First, the education building was erected and was used as the Sanctuary. It was a double height building with a main floor surrounded by a balcony.
The second phase was followed quickly with the building of the Klise Chapel, which was the gift of Albert Berend Klise, Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Klise, and Mrs. Martha Klise Frick. The first service in Klise Chapel was held in May of 1931.
By the 1950’s it was clear the time had come for an even larger Sanctuary addition. While it’s final design varies significantly from the original design because of city ordinances and the cost of building the original design, still the feeling and the grandeur of those plans remained in many ways. This is now the main Sanctuary on the north side of the church complex.
The double height of the original sanctuary was modified and the balcony and upper portions were made into classrooms. Part of the Chancel and areas where the pipe organ was situated were converted to offices. Today we designate this area as the Second Space.
The facility we know today as East Church is the result of much love, care, and devotion of generations of members.
Affirming Statement
In 2002, East Church engaged in study and discussion and voted to become an Open and Affirming Congregation. The following is from our Affirming Statement:
We celebrate the diversity of God’s creation and affirm that each person has special worth as a unique creation in God’s image. All are welcome to worship here and to come into relationship with the church’s life and work. We thank God for the blessing, the challenge, and the joy that we experience in both our unity and our diversity.
We acknowledge that, historically, many Christian churches and societies have excluded people for a variety of unjust reasons. Among these are race or ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, economic class, physical or mental abilities.
We affirm that all people are embraced with the family of God.
We affirm that the full fellowship of East Congregational Church (all rights and duties, benefits and responsibilities as defined by our constitution) is open to all who seek a relationship with God through union with this congregation in Christ. We affirm that all members of East Congregational Church are called to share as fully as they are able in the worship, fellowship, and leadership of our congregation.
As we journey together as a community of faith, we are called by God to seek justice for all people. We, therefore, call ourselves to make a continuing effort toward inclusiveness, standing against all forms of discrimination.
Therefore, we declare ourselves to be an Open and Affirming congregation.