Notable Members
- Herman Baker, founder, Baker Publishing Group
- Louis Berkhof, 1873–1957, prominent Reformed theologian of the 20th century
- Dirk Booy, vice president, World Vision
- Scott Brown, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts
- Sietze Buning, poet, the pen name of Stanley Wiersma (1930–1986)
- Richard DeVos, businessman, co-founder of Amway
- William B. Eerdmans, founder, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
- Vern Ehlers, U.S. Representative from Michigan
- William K. Frankena, 1908–1994, Philosopher, University of Michigan
- Paul B. Henry, U.S. Representative from Michigan
- Bill Huizenga, U.S. Representative from Michigan
- Richard Krejcir, Pastor, Theologian, Author and Director of Into Thy Word]
- Frederick Manfred, author of Westerns, the pen name of Feike Feikema (1912–1994)
- Alvin Plantinga, Philosopher, University of Notre Dame
- Cornelius Plantinga, theologian, author, President of Calvin Theological Seminary
- Michael Rea, Philosopher, University of Notre Dame
- Jacoba Beuker Robberts, co-founder of Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services
- Lewis Smedes, author, ethicist, and theologian (1921–2002)
- The Staal brothers
- Eric Staal, NHL hockey player, Carolina Hurricanes
- Marc Staal, NHL player, New York Rangers
- Jordan Staal, NHL player, Pittsburgh Penguins
- Jared Staal, OHL player, Sudbury Wolves
- Jay Van Andel, businessman, co-founder of Amway
- Cornelius Van Til, (1895–1987) Reformed theologian, (raised CRC and attended denominational schools before joining the Orthodox Presbyterian Church)
- Geerhardus Vos (1862–1949), theologian, "Father of Reformed Biblical Theology"
- Nicholas Wolterstorff, Philosopher, Yale University
- Pat & Bernie Zondervan, founders, Zondervan Publishing
- Jerry Zandstra, conservative activist
Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek Community Church and founder of Willow Creek Association, was raised in the Christian Reformed Church, but left, and was a critic of the CRC's apparent lack of evangelistic focus. In later years, Hybels has softened his stance, noting that the CRC has made progress in evangelism and that many CRC members attend the evangelism conferences hosted by the church he founded. Others, such as novelist Peter De Vries and filmmakers Paul Schrader (Raging Bull, Taxi Driver), Leonard Schrader (Kiss of the Spider Woman) and Patricia Rozema (I've Heard the Mermaids Sing, Mansfield Park) were raised in the church by CRC-member parents and attended denominational schools, but later left the church. However, the influence of CRC origin can be detected in their later work, especially the films of Paul Schrader, who has publicly stated that "a religious upbringing... never goes away."
Harold Camping, president of Family Radio, was a member of the Christian Reformed Church until 1988, when he left the church, claiming that the spirit of God had left all churches.
Wiebo Ludwig, a convicted eco-terrorist and the leader of the Trickle Creek Christian community in northern Alberta, was raised in a Dutch Reformed church, and attended both Dordt College and Calvin Theological Seminary.
Read more about this topic: Christian Reformed Church In North America
Famous quotes containing the words notable and/or members:
“Every notable advance in technique or organization has to be paid for, and in most cases the debit is more or less equivalent to the credit. Except of course when it’s more than equivalent, as it has been with universal education, for example, or wireless, or these damned aeroplanes. In which case, of course, your progress is a step backwards and downwards.”
—Aldous Huxley (1894–1963)
“[T]here is no breaking out of the intentional vocabulary by explaining its members in other terms.”
—Willard Van Orman Quine (b. 1908)