the members of his congregation, but included members of every
denomination in the city, and people of every walk in life. When it
became known to the community that he had accepted the call from Rutgers
College, the grief of the entire community was deep and genuine, and
when he came to Pella to visit the people whom he loved, in 1882, it was
arranged to hold the services in the First Reformed Church building, as
no other room in Pella was large enough to hold the vast audience that
came to hear him. On Sunday evening, July__, 1882, Dr. Thompson preached
his last sermon in Pella, before an audience that crowded the capacity
of the First Church.

Four years later, in September, 1886, the entire community was saddened
by the news of his death.

The first consistory of the Second Reformed Church chosen at a
congregational meeting held the 13th day of February, 1863, was as
follows: Elders, Adrianus Kuyper and Teunis Schenk. Deacons, J. Muntingh
and J. Napjes.

From the church hand book of June 1, 1919, we give the following:

1863---February 13, organization of Second Reformed Church.
1863--Sunday School organized.
1864--First Church building erected.
1876---First parsonage bought.
1877--Woman's Missionary Society organized.
1889---Christian Endeavor Society organized.
1900---Second parsonage built.
1902---Pipe organ installed.
1906--Support of foreign missionary undertaken.
1909--.Second Church dedicated, April 4, i909.
1909--Pipe organ installed.
1913--Mizpah Guild organized.
Abram Thompson, home missionary, 1863-1870.
Abram Thompson, pastor, 1870-1875.
H. R. Schermerhorn, pastor, 1875-1878.
Cyrus Cort, stated supply, 1881-1882.
G. Huyser, pastor, 1883-1885.
A. N. Wykoff, staled supply, 1886-1887.
G. H. Sharpley, pastor, 1888-1892.
Ambrose C. Smith, staled supply, 1893-1893.
James Ossewaarde, pastor, 1894-1898.
Lawrence Dykstra, pastor, 1899-1901.
William J. Van Kersen, pastor, 1902-1910.
B. F. Brinkman, pastor, 1910-1917.
Henry M. Bruins, pastor, 1917.

The present enrollment shows a church membership of 507.

Members of the consistory: Elders, H. W. Pietenpol, vice president; D.
G. Gosseling, treasurer; S. B. Baron, clerk; P. G. Gaass, E. M. Cole,
Frank Lecocq and C. Boat.

Deacons: A.T. Klein, H. Veenstra, A. C. Van Houweling, A. B. Van
Houweling, M. Vander Linden, E. A. Roorda and A. D. versteeg.