My Presbyterian Ancestry

My ancestors practiced many different forms of Christianity, and one of the more interesting denominations my ancestors belonged to was Presbyterianism. I have around seven documented Presbyterian ancestors, as well as a possible eighth. 

Presbyterianism, like the NHK (Nederlands Hervormde Kerk) and its offshoots, is part of the Reformed tradition of Protestantism, which originated with John Calvin in Geneva, Switzerland. The main difference between Presbyterianism and other Reformed traditions is how their congregations are governed. Presbyterian churches are run by councils, or courts, of Elders. Many other Reformed churches are also ran this way, however, the term Presbyterian is often used for churches which trace their roots back to the Church of Scotland or to English dissenter groups which formed during the English Civil War of the mid-1600s. Presbyterianism was brought to the United States mostly by Scottish and Scots-Irish immigrants. 

The first Presbyterian ancestors that I discovered were my great-great grandparents, George Alexander Morris and Rebecca Ann Hall of Covesville, Albemarle, Virginia and Princeton, Mercer, West Virginia. According to their obituaries, both were members of the Presbyterian Church in Princeton, West Virginia. 

Obituary of George Alexander Morris: "Mr. Morris was a member of the local Presbyterian church" and "Funeral service will be conducted at the home at 2 o'clock this afternoon by the Rev. W. R. Smith, Jr., pastor of the Presbyterian church". 

Obituary of Rebecca Ann Hall: "She was a member of the Presbyterian Church" and "Services will be conducted by the Rev. John Womeldorf". 

A few observations: Firstly, because both parents were Presbyterians, I presume my great-grandmother, Mary Roberta Morris, was raised Presbyterian, although I have no evidence of her religious affiliation. I looked up both Reverend W. R. Smith Jr. and Rev. John Womeldorf, but could not find anything on either pastor. I have no evidence of the religious affiliation for either George or Rebecca's parents, so I am unsure whether they themselves became Presbyterians or whether it was a family religion. If it's the latter, I would assume one of them would have Scottish or Scots-Irish ancestry, and that they would possibly descend from Presbyterian immigrants to Virginia from Scotland and/or Northern Ireland. 

The second Presbyterian family in my ancestry that I found were my great-great grandparents, Fred Edwin Wise Sr. and Jeanette Gertrude Harkema, who, while living in Ionia, Michigan, attended the First Presbyterian Church in Ionia. Not much is known about their time as Presbyterians, but they were not raised Presbyterian. Fred's parents were likely Methodists, and Jeanette was baptized at Fourth Reformed Church (RCA) in Holland. In the 1920 Census, the couple and their family are found living in Ionia, Michigan, probably moving there for work due to Fred's job as an Electrician. While living in Ionia, they probably began attending the Presbyterian Church there due to its theological similarities to the RCA. On March 25, 1923, Mr. and Mrs. Fred E. Wise, members in full communion of the First Presbyterian Church in Ionia, were dismissed from the congregation at their own request and recommended to the "Christian care and fellowship" of the First Reformed Church (RCA) of Holland. Some observations: My theory is that Fred and Jeanette only attended the Presbyterian Church in Ionia due to there not being an RCA congregation in Ionia. I'm not sure that Fred was ever a Methodist, despite his parents attending First United Methodist Church of Holland later in life, but Jeanette seemed to be very religious, so the family likely attended the denomination closest to her beliefs, likely the Presbyterian Church. Once the family returned to Holland, they joined First Reformed Church rather then a Presbyterian congregation, seeming to bear this out. My great-grandmother, Gertrude, was likely raised Presbyterian for a few years then, although she later converted to Methodism, possibly due to the influence of her paternal grandparents (just my opinion). Due to the Wise's living in Ionia for a few years and being listed as members in full communion, I presume they attended the Presbyterian Church for at least a couple of years. 

The third Presbyterian family in my ancestry that I've discovered were my 3rd great grandparents, John Ver Hoef Sr. and Martje Karsten, as well as John's father, Albert Ver Hoef. They were members of the Drenthe Scottish Presbyterian Church, located in Zeeland Charter Township, Ottawa County, Michigan. In May 1853, the Reverend R. H. Smit severed connections with the Holland Classis of the Reformed Church, which had a congregation in Drenthe, and joined the Associate Reformed Church, usually called the ‘Scottish Church’, a body which in 1858 was one of the two groups which combined to form the United Presbyterian Church. In Spring 1886, Smit died and it is said that on his deathbed he advised his people to unite with the Christian Reformed Church of Drenthe. In March 1887 some eleven families and some individuals of the Scottish Church joined the Drenthe Christian Reformed Church. One of those families listed is Albert Ver Hoef and Lubbertje Blaauw, my 4th great-grandfather and his second wife. The "Drenthe Scottish Presbyterian Church, List of Women and Their Spouses, 1852-1886" shows Albert VerHoef and Lubbertje Blaauw, as well as Jan VerHoef and Martje Karsten. We find the families again in "Drenthe (Michigan) Presbyterian Church, Family Records 1852-1883", which show Ver Hoef, Albert and Blaauw, Lubbigje, from Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk, Gelderland, Netherlands, with daughter Dirkje; as well as Ver Hoef, Jan and Karsten, Mertje, also from Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk, Gelderland, Netherlands, with sons Maarten and Lubbert. My observations: I presume that Albert and Jan Ver Hoef, as well as their wives, were followers of the Reverend R. H. Smit upon their immigration, which is why they attended the Presbyterian Church rather then the Christian Reformed Church upon their arrival in West Michigan from Doornspijk, Province of Gelderland, Netherlands. Once Smit died and recommended his congregation to the Drenthe Christian Reformed Church, Albert and his wife Lubbertje soon transferred their membership. I do not know when John left the Scottish Church, although he is later found in the records of Central Avenue Christian Reformed Church, showing that he did leave. 

Finally, I have also found a possible ancestor who was a Presbyterian. My 6th great-grandmother, Mourning Collum of Twiggs County, Georgia, who was born around 1783 in North Carolina, is said to be a great-great granddaughter of John Neil McCollum, who was exiled from Scotland in 1685 for his participation in Argyll's Rising against King Charles II. I have not proven her line back to him, but I am pretty certain that her father was William Collum of Edgefield County, South Carolina, where she lived in 1800. I think her descent from John is at least plausible. After his exile from Scotland, John made his life in Somerset County, New Jersey, where he was a founding member of the Presbyterian Church of Basking Ridge. John was an Elder of the Congregation, and it is said that he owned Pew #1 inside the church. John McCollum was a Trustee of the deed granting land for the Congregation. The deed is reproduced as follows: 

"WITNESSETH that the said Thomas and Richard Penn in consideration of the premises, and for promoting and encouraging the good design aforesaid, and of the sum of five shillings paid to them in hand (otherwise gift) by the Party of the Second Part, [John McCollum] the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged and at the special interest and request of the said Presbyterian Congregation now using and frequenting the Meeting House at Baskenridge, to have and to hold the said described 37 acres to the said John McCollum, John Ayres, Samuel Brown, W. Kilpatrick, Ed Lewis and James Todd, in trust TO THE INTENT PURPOSE THAT THE SAID DESCRIBED PIECE OF LAND SHALL BE AND REMAIN FOREVER for the use and service of the said congregation, OR PEOPLE CALLED PRESBYTERIANS, WHO DO, OR SHALL HOLD AND CONTINUE TO HOLD THE SYSTEM OF DOCTRINE CONTAINED IN THE WESTMINSTER CONFESSION OF FAITH AND DIRECTORY, agreeable to the interpretation of THE SYNOD OF NEW YORK AND PHILADELPHIA, to which they are now united, BUT UNDER AND SUBJECT, NEVERTHELESS, TO THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS AND LIMITATIONS:

That is to say-- Provided alway that no person shall be deemed to belong to said congregation until he has statedly attended upon the Public Worship of God in the said congregation for the space of twelve months. And shall have regularly contributed to the support of the ministry and other charges of the same according to the usage of Presbyterians. Nor shall he be deemed any longer thereof a member than he continues to hold and conform to the Westminster Confession of Faith and Directory And shall continue to attend statedly in orderly manner upon the Public Worship of God in said congregation Steadfastly setting an example of conduct And to be in communion with the said Synods of Philadelphia and New York Providing the ministers shall continue to serve as moderators."

Lists like these are always incomplete, because it is probable I have other Presbyterian ancestors I have not discovered. My lines that probably include Scottish and Scots-Irish ancestry are largely documented, and it is possible that if I find records for those lines, I will find more Presbyterian ancestors.

Nec Tamen Consumebatur

FURTHER SOURCES:

• https://www.history.pcusa.org/history-online/presbyterian-history/history-church   History of the Presbyterian Church
• http://files1.wts.edu/uploads/pdf/about/WCF_30.pdf   The Westminster Confession of Faith
• http://ppcepc.org/   Princeton Presbyterian Church 
• https://1stpreschurchionia.com/   First Presbyterian Church of Ionia 
• http://migenweb.org/ottawa/churches/christianref/drenthe.html   History of Drenthe Christian Reformed Church, with Drenthe Presbyterian Church History
• http://migenweb.org/ottawa/churches/presbyterian/drenthewomen.html   Drenthe Scottish Presbyterian Church, List of Women and Their Spouses, 1852-1886
• https://library.calvin.edu/guide/collections/hh/in_house_resources/historical_church_records/drenthe_church   Drenthe (Michigan) Presbyterian Church, Family Records 1852-1883 
• https://brpc.org/who-we-are/church-history/   History of Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church 

Ancestral Discoveries: Roelof Frens Strik the Seceder

As most of my maternal ancestry consists of mid-1800s Dutch immigrants to West Michigan, I can trace several lines of descent from members of the Dutch Seceded Churches, or, those who left the NHK (Nederlands Hervormde Kerk/Dutch Reformed Church) in the wake of Hendrik de Cock's 1834 secession in Ulrum, which began the Afscheiding. In West Michigan, my ancestors were certainly involved in the Reformed Churches- my great-grandfather, Alvin John TerVree Sr., was a Deacon at First Reformed Church of Holland, and my 3rd great-grandfather, Pieter Huyser Sr., was an Elder at Beaverdam Reformed Church, for example. But what about back in the Netherlands? Were my ancestors as involved in the Dutch Reformed Church as they were in the Reformed Churches of West Michigan? The short answer is, it doesn't seem so. My maternal grandfather's family just happens to be intensely religious. However, I have recently discovered some interesting information on my 5th great grandfather, Roelof Frens Strik of Smilde, Province of Drenthe (1773-1840), which show his active involvement in the Reformed Church in Smilde, as well as his role in the secession of the Smilde congregation from the NHK. 

In 1816, King Willem I of the Netherlands introduced major changes into the NHK. The Church Order adopted at the Synod of Dort in 1619 was set aside and replaced with a government created hierarchical structure. This also turned the NHK into the State Church. In the old Dutch Republic, the NHK was never the state Church, although it had certain privileges, and public officials were required to be communicant members. These changes were the beginning of the events that led to the Afscheiding. 

My first discovery on Roelof Frens Strik found that he was a Deacon as early as 1817. Apparently, at a church service in 1817, the Reverend Amshoff sang one of the new man-made hymns introduced by the new Reformed church order. Deacon Roelof Strik refused to sing along, because he considered this contrary to God's Word. Because of his actions, he was suspended from the diaconate and later fined. This was a very interesting anecdote to read, especially considering that the introduction of man-made hymns was a major catalyst for the Afscheiding, yet most of the churches descended from the Seceder movement no longer object to man-made hymns. For example, the Christian Reformed Church, which split off from the "liberal" Reformed Church in America in 1857, no longer holds to exclusive psalmody. Despite this, I still admire Strik for taking a stand for what he believed in, especially because of the personal consequences. 

Next, I found that Roelof Frens Strik was an early member of the Consistory of the Seceded Church in Smilde. On November 20, 1834, the nearly eighty-member Afgescheiden Gemeente in Smilde was instituted by the Reverend Hendrik de Cock, the father of the Afscheiding. The first members of the Consistory who were elected were Elders Roelof Strik and Hendrik Heins, as well as Deacons H. Sickens and J. Nuys. The Consistory later met at Strik's home on December 1st. From this, we can conclude that Roelof Strik was a respected figure in the Seceder community of Smilde, due to his election as an Elder. 

The next thing I discovered is that soon after the formation of the Seceded Church in Smilde, the leader of the community, L. Dijkstra, and the Elders, Strik and Heins, went to Mayor Kymmell of Smilde to inform him that a Christian Seceded Congregation had been established, with the request to grant protection to the congregation. However, the mayor referred them to the governor of the Province of Drenthe. On November 25, they went to his residence and were informed that they should turn to the King for such matters, and were warned that King Willem I would certainly not be pleased, because he hated dissent in the Church. 

On November 21st, 1834, a letter was written to the Mayor of Smilde, bearing Strik's signature alongside 35 other individuals. The computer generated translation is rather hard to understand, but at first glance, it appears to be related to the education of children. Apparently, the writers seem to be requesting that they be allowed to have a Seceded educator, D. van der Werp, educate their children, due to problems they saw in the public schools. Three lines from the letter stand out: "being convinced that now in the schools true doctrine is not impressed upon the children, we cannot send them thither without sinning against God", "we cannot let our children grow up like savages, who know nothing" and "we, then, unable to have them vaccinated without staining our consciences before God, wish to obey God more than men". 

On December 11th, 1835, the Consistory of the Seceded Church in Smilde wrote a letter to the King of the Netherlands, requesting that they may freely practice the Seceded religion. The letter starts off by saying that the Dutch Reformed Church is not based on God's Word or the Three Forms of Unity. They reference the Constitution of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to support their claims for freedom to practice their faith. They argue against the commonly used constitutional provision against the Seceders, disturbing the peace, as they say they are the quietest of citizens, the most faithful and peaceful subjects. As they say: "Our slogan is: Fear God, honor the King; which slogan we willingly wish to practice in everything, praying for the salvation of Fatherland and King, but above all for the prosperity and peace of Zion and Jerusalem". The rest of the letter is basically a summary of requests, and is signed by Strik, as well as L. Dijkstra, H. Hein, J. Sickens, J. Nuijs, and the aforementioned teacher, D. van der Werp, the scribe. 

The last thing I found is a negative description of Strik, given by the Mayor in a letter to the governor of Drenthe. He writes: "About the elder R.Strik, a poor carpenter known for the disharmony in which he lives with his wife, as well as his opposing intolerance and his stubborn feelings, which always go hand in hand with [his] stupidity." Essentially, the Mayor describes him as an intolerant, stubborn, stupid man who doesn't get along with his wife (his second wife, I descend from his first wife). What a fascinating description!

At first I doubted that this was my ancestor. However, a quick search on WieWasWie finds no other possible Roelof Strik in Smilde between 1800 and 1850, and the description of him as a carpenter by the Mayor matches his known occupation, as he's listed as a carpenter in all known records. Despite the fact that I probably wouldn't get along with him, I must admire his courage to stand up for his beliefs and faith in a world he considered immoral. I would definitely consider him a role model! 

FURTHER SOURCES: 

• https://gereformeerdekerken.info/2019/02/07/de-gereformeerde-kerk-te-smilde-1/   DE GEREFORMEERDE KERK TE SMILDE (1)
• http://oud-schoonebeek.nl/index.php/drenthe/10-kerken-en-preken/170-cocksianen-in-drenthe   Cocksianen in Drenthe
• https://gw.geneanet.org/kdoumadijkstra?n=dijkstra&oc=&p=1+8+luitzenjochems   Luitzen Jochems Dijkstra (his biography includes a long history of the Afscheiding in Smilde)
• https://jimdo-storage.global.ssl.fastly.net/file/7bbd01a1-9d38-4a80-824d-7d4916a38bb8/205%20POD%20Drentse%20kerken%205%20jan%202022%20web.pdf   Drentse Kerken
• https://www.dbnl.org/arch/bos_070arch02_01/pag/bos_070arch02_01.pdf    ARCHIEFSTUKKEN BETREFFENDE DE AFSCHEIDING VAN 1834