NR #1995-105: Mid-America Reformed Seminary Finds New Indiana Home Approximately 700 supporters of Mid-America Reformed Seminary came from Chicagoland, West Michigan, Iowa, and Canada to the southeast Chicago suburb of Dyer, Indiana to attend an open house and dedication ceremony for the new facilities of the seminary. Begun over a decade ago as a conservative alternative to the official Christian Reformed institution for ministerial training, Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Mid-America's rapid growth caused it to outstrip the capacities of its former facilities in the northwest Iowa farm town of Orange City. NR #1995-105: For Immediate Release Mid-America Reformed Seminary Finds New Indiana Home by John Van Dyk, Managing Editor, Christian Renewal c 1995 Christian Renewal Distributed by United Reformed News Service DYER, Ind. (October 9, 1995) - Mid-America Reformed Seminary supporters came out en masse on September 22 for an open house and dedication ceremony acknowledging the successful completion of phase one of the new seminary building in Dyer, Indiana. Approximately 400 to 500 attended the September 22 open house and some 700 came for an evening service of dedication held in a Roman Catholic auditorium across the street from the new campus. The service was followed by the unveiling of the cornerstone and a reception in the new facilities. Just one year earlier, a ground-breaking ceremony kicked off the building project in a rain soaked field with concerns that the July/August '95 completion date might not be met. But thanks to hard work, good weather and the Lord's blessing, the campus opened on schedule with the professors and office staff moving in in early August, and the students at the end of August. The special day of celebration and dedication for the board, faculty, students and supporters marked the culmination of a move that saw the seminary leave its birthplace in Orange City, Iowa to carry on with the work of training ministers for service in its new urban setting on the fringes of Chicago. The board at the time justified the need for the move as a means of providing its students with more opportunities for ministry in an area with a broader variety of Reformed and Presbyterian churches, the opportunity for students to take up active ministry work in an urban setting, and the need for more working space. The Orange City facility, a converted home in the country-side, was stretched to its limit. After some initial lean years of enrollment in the 1980's, the seminary has continued to steadily add to its student body, this year registering 14 new first year students for a total student body of 25 for the 1995-1996 academic year. Leading the dedication service, board president Rev. John Sittema, a CRC minister in Dallas, Texas, reflected briefly on the seminary's origin some 15 years ago. At that time eight Christian Reformed ministers, out of concern for the future of the denomination, began to meet regularly in a coffee shop called the Iron Horse in Sheldon, Iowa. It was there that plans for a new seminary to address the concern "of the decline in the authority of preaching in the CRC" began to take shape. The men involved, seven of whom attended the dedication service were Dr. P.Y. De Jong, Rev. Nelson Kloosterman, Rev. Ed Knott, Rev. John Piersma, Dr. John Sittema, Rev. Tom Vanden Heuvel, Rev. Henry Vander Kam, and Rev. Eric Fennema. Given the honor of presenting a brief message for the evening, Rev. Ed Knott began with the words King Solomon prayed to God at the dedication of the temple: "Now, my God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place." Although we are not dedicating a temple, Knott said, "we are dedicating a 'school of the prophets' and our prayer is to that same God." Rev. Knott's four-point message was an instruction to pray: 1. that this seminary continue to be to the glory of our great God; 2. that our professors may instruct well to reach the goal that led to the establishment of the seminary; 3. that our students may be Christian, and that they catch the vision of the founding and purpose of Mid-America Reformed Seminary - "to proclaim the gospel in all its power"; and, 4. that the building may serve to that end. Knott defended the seminary's founding against critics who viewed its establishment as schismatic. "The founding was not meant to be divisive or arrogant to the CRC, but it was meant to address and recognize the problems at work leading to the decline in the authority of preaching," said Knott. And the results over the years have been astounding, Knott said. "God has astounded us. God has put us to shame because of the smallness of our faith." Supporters came from as far away as California, Washington State, Alberta, Florida and New Jersey with a busload or two from Iowa for the ceremonies. Phase I Facts The cost of Phase I was $2.5 million with $1 million still to be raised. The size of the building is 17,000 square feet, housing classrooms, administration and faculty offices, a coffee room, reception area and a large library with room for 50,000 volumes. It currently holds 25,000. Student capacity is from 80-100 students. The property is 30 acres. A bell tower by the front entrance was built with money donated specifically for that purpose. Phase II involves the building of a chapel. The cornerstone unveiled at the evening ceremony reads, "How shall they hear without someone preaching to them?" from Romans 10:14. Development Director Resigns After five years serving as Mid-America Reformed Seminary's development director, Mr. Greg Eddings has decided to return to his native home of Texas to be closer to his family. Eddings was hired by the Board in 1991 to promote the seminary to the churches. He became in large part responsible for supervising the building project in Dyer and moved to the area already last year. Cross-References to Related Articles: [No related articles on file] Contact List: Dr. P.Y. De Jong 2681 S. Rt. 394, Room 628, Crete, IL 60417 * H/O: (708) 672-6111 Rev. C. Eric Fennema, Pastor, First Christian Reformed Church 1323 - 16th St., Rock Valley, IA 51247 * H: (712) 476-2763 * O: (712) 476-5902 Dr. Nelson Kloosterman, Professor, Mid-America Reformed Seminary 229 Seminary Dr., Dyer, IN 46311 * O: (219) 864-2400 Rev. Edward J. Knott 2759 Porter St. SW, Wyoming, MI 49509 * (616) 534-4683 Rev. John Piersma 2608 - 186th St., Apt. 301, Lansing, IL 60438 * H/O: (708) 895-9472 Rev. John Sittema, Pastor, Bethel Christian Reformed Church 6506 Frankford Rd., Dallas, TX 75252 * O: (214) 248-4401 * H: (214) 596-7235 Rev. Thomas and Mrs. Laurie Vanden Heuvel, Co-Editors, The Outlook 2475 - 85th St. SW, Byron Center, MI 49315 * H/O: (616) 878-9278 * F: (616) 878-3256 * E-Mail: TomLaur@aol.com Rev. Henry Vander Kam, Interim Pastor, Free Christian Reformed Church 7691 Black Mar Circle, Kalamazoo, MI 49002 * H: (616) 324-3816 ------------------------------------------------ file: /pub/resources/text/reformed: nr95-105.txt .