Donald J. Bruggink's Contribution to Reformed Church in America Historiography

Elton J. Bruins

Just as Edward Tanjore Corwin was the principal historian of the Reformed Church in America (RCA) during the nineteenth century, Donald J. Bruggink is its principal historian in the twentieth century. Corwin made his contribution by producing four editions of the Manual of the Reformed Church in America,1 a mother lode of Reformed Church history, and A Digest of Constitutional and Synodical Legislation of the Reformed Church in America,2 an invaluable source on the work of the General Synod. Bruggink made his noteworthy contribution by founding and editing the Historical Series of the RCA and bringing forth thirty volumes between 1967 and 1999.3 The impact of Corwin's work can be readily attested to; we must now take note of the impact and success of Bruggink's prodigious labors as general editor of the series which have contributed so much to a better understanding of many segments of RCA history. When at the first meeting of the newly constituted Commission on History (COH) in 1967, Donald suggested the publication of RCA monographs, prospects of success were not good. The denomination had enjoyed a well­ 1 4 celebrated 300 h anniversary in 1928 at the height of good times in the RCA and the USA, but the Great Depression that followed proved to be rocky ground for the seeds of future historical work. Edgar F. Romig produced The Tercentenary Year, 5 a full record of the events that took place in 1928 to recognize the organization of the first Dutch Reformed Church on the Island of Manhattan in 1628. A slim volume was produced in 19336 to update the 1922 edition of Corwin's Manual, an edition compiled by Charles E. Corwin, son of Edward T. For the most part, the work of Edward and Charles Corwin from 1859 to 1922 was not followed up in the RCA until the publication of the Historical Directory of the Reformed Church in America, 1628-19657 edited by Peter N. VandenBerge, librarian of New Brunswick Theological Seminary. This valuable work followed the pattern set by the Corwins but lacked the notes they wrote for many of the biographical listings. The publication of the historical directory revived the faltering interest in RCA history. The tercentenary celebration had stimulated an interest in the history of the denomination. Sage Library at New Brunswick Seminary became the center for the deposit of many historical records. 8 The General Synod formed a Committee on History and Research in 1930, but the Depression and World War II so discouraged research and writing on RCA history, that by the

213 mid-fifties the committee no longer met on a regular basis. In 1958, James E. Hoffman, stated clerk of the RCA, was given the responsibility for all historical records, and the regular committee became an advisory committee to his office. Shortly thereafter, Hoffman suffered a major illness and retired in 1961. 9 A change in the apparently dismal prospects for history in the RCA came with the appointments of YandenBerge (1957), and Marion de Yelder as successor to Hoffman. De Yelder desired to carry out the General Synod's charge to be responsible for the archives of the church. YandenBerge brought to the stated clerk's attention the deplorable state of the church records housed in the seminary's Sage Library. By 1966 two significant events signaled great improvement: the publication of YandenBerge's Historical Directory, and the formation of the permanent COH, properly funded by the General Synod. De Yelder convened the first meeting of the COH on April 13, 1967.10 There, its members heard the good news that within the first year of its publication, sales of the new historical directory had exceeded 1,300 copies. The bad news was that YandenBerge had resigned his position at New Brunswick to accept a similar position at Colgate Rochester Divinity School in Rochester, New York. At the same meeting, the stated clerk expressed a need for an updated digest of synodical legislation. Some such work had been done by Hoffman's office to supplement Corwin's A Digest of Constitutional and Synodical Legislation of the Reformed Church in America of 1906, but these supplements were in typescript form and of uneven quality. The origin of the historical series is recorded in a minute of the April 13 meeting of the COH: "It was suggested that the Commission might sponsor the publication in paperback form of scholarly studies about the RCA Dr. Bruggink and Dr. Bruins were appointed as a sub-committee to explore this possibility and work out a comprehensive plan to be presented at the next meeting of the Commission." 11 Although the source of the suggestion is unmentioned, it was undoubtedly Donald since he was made chair of the sub-committee to look into the matter. The suggestion itself was a follow-up to two of the four responsibilities given the commission by the General Synod the year previous. Tho:;e two were to collect and preserve the official records and documents of the church and to maintain a permanent archive. The third was to "promote an interest in the history and traditions of the RCA," and fourth charged the commission to "furnish information about and further research on the history of the RCA." 12 Historical research and writing in the RCA had taken a turn for the better. YandenBerge had good news to report to the synod at its June 1967 meeting at King College, Bristol, Tennessee. 13 The sale of the historical directory was going well, the work of the commission was underway, an archival program was organized and situated in the Dutch Church Room of New Brunswick Theological Seminary, and funding for COH was in place. Nothing was said about the nascent historical series, but at the COH's October 30, 1967, meeting, Don presented a document entitled, "Report on Historical Monographs

214 to the Commission on History, RCA" which was amended and accepted by the commission. The Historical Series of the Reformed Church was launched. Without Don's astute leadership and publishing experience, the concept of an historical series may never have become a reality.14 COH was funded by the General Synod and by grants from the program boards of the church (Education, World Missions, North American Missions) all soon to go out of existence with the creation of the General Program Council. 15 Of the $4,500 COH budget that year, $1 ,500 was designated to publish the first manuscript under consideration: Herman Harmelink Ill's Ecumenism and the Reformed Church. The first key issue after funding was the choice of a publisher. Don immediately pressed for the Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company of Grand Rapids. He knew this company well, its prices were very competitive, and its owner, William B. Eerdmans, Jr., although a member of the Christian Reformed Church, was interested in RCA history. Although the commission had decided not to limit itself to Eerdmans, Harmelink' s book, the first volume in the series, was published by this company in 1968. The commission's choice of Eerdmans was not well received at "475," shorthand for the headquarters of the RCA located in the Interchurch Center at 475 Riverside Drive in New York City. H. Hudson Brack, Director of General Synod Operations, notified me as the COH's chair in a letter dated December 3, 1968, that the General Synod Executive Committee (GSEC) had approved a policy statement that all printing and publishing by the agencies of the RCA were to be done under the colophon of the "Half Moon Press," an in-house term used occasionally in the past. Brack faced a chaotic situation. For example, in a postscript to his letter, he reported receipt of a bill from Eerdmans on October 17 in the amount of $2,009.37 with a reference number of 55591. Brack did not know what this bill was for, although he assumed correctly it was the bill for the first volume of the historical series. The GSEC's policy statement regarding the Half Moon Press addressed this chaos in RCA publishing. A key player in this decision was undoubtedly Winfield Burggraaff, a respected veteran in the ministry of the RCA, who was then responsible for the Board of Education's editorial services, and favored the policy. Don immediately made a carefully worded, six-page response to "475," which examined the new policy closely and opposed it vigorously. He argued against it on the basis of cost and distribution. The RCA often published "excellent materials without any adequate apparatus for distribution" 16 which ended up on some closet floor, usually at the RCA Bookstore. From his own publishing experience, Don knew that a major publisher such as Eerdmans had professional expertise in sales, distribution, and marketing. The RCA Bookstore, then located in Teaneck, New Jersey, clearly did not. If the volumes of the historical series were to find distribution beyond very limited denominational boundaries, the engagement of a publisher such as Eerdmans was essential. To limit the future publications of the series to the Half Moon

215 Press and the denomination's bookstore would be to hide the RCA' s scholarly work under a bushel. Furthermore, the Half Moon Press lacked "facilities for its own production, layout and cover design," all required for good publication. Don's document clearly demonstrated that he knew far more about publishing than anyone at "475." The young scholar/professor from Western Michigan was shaking the foundations of church headquarters. Don's position finally prevailed, but not without one more objection from Burggraaff. Three years later the latter wrote, "A Discussion of the Problem of Publishing," a paper opposing the COH's decision to publish at Eerdmans. In a five-page letter to Marvin D. Hoff, Secretary for General Synod Operations at "475," on December 29, 1971, Don again outlined the reasons why the COH had to retain Eerdmans. As a result of Don's strong leadership, the people at "475" finally agreed with the COH. Thus, all volumes in the series have been published by Eerdmans. 17 In succeeding years, Don periodically informed the COH that the sales at Eerdmans exceeded significantly those of the RCA Bookstore. In 1980, for instance, 711 copies of various volumes in the series were sold by Eerdmans while the RCA distribution centers sold only 145, 18 a pattern that continues to the present. An important by-product of publishing the series at Eerdmans is that almost all its volumes are in print and continue to be advertised in Eerdmans' catalogues. Because the books are owned by the RCA, U.S. tax laws have not led Eerdmans to remainder them after three years. Marvin Hoff proved to be the key person at "475" to help the COH solve the problem of funding the series. He suggested setting up a revolving fund when the new digest of synodical legislation was published. The success of the 1966 directory persuaded the General Synod to accept this fund as the repository of the profits from sales of the series. Many problems had to be solved before the revolving fund was firmly in place, but it is now the basic vehicle for the capitalization of the series and vital for its health. Thanks to the gradual build up of the fund, the historical series is now adequately capitalized. To say that does not mean the series is flush with cash. The General Synod had to make grants for publishing such major volumes as the digest, and the directories of 1966, 1978, and 1992. The Third Reformed Church, Holland, Michigan, funded the first and second editions of its history, The Americanization of a Congregation. The children of Edwin and Ruth Stegenga Luidens supported the research and writing of the monumental history of the RCA's mission in Arabia, The Arabian Mission's Story: In Search ofAbraham's Other Son. Very seldom is any volume funded entirely from the revolving fund, but its institution solved the financial problem of publishing RCA history. On the other hand, the assurance of funding of a manuscript by an author or a sponsoring institution has not guaranteed acceptance of it in the historical series. The good sales generated by Eerdman's publishing and distribution, and the capitalization provided by the revolving fund also enabled Don and the COH to solve "the bestseller issue." That is, certain manuscripts considered by the editor and the commission raised the question of whether the proposed volume would

216 sell. If the answer appeared negative, its publication would inevitably deplete the revolving fund. The issue was difficult because the commission resisted the position that it would only publish so-called bestsellers, missionary memoirs, for example, that would be of obvious interest to the people of the church. The commission's first major test in this regard was Gerrit tenZythoff's manuscript, Sources ofSecession : The Netherlands Hervormde Kerk on the Eve of the Dutch Immigration to the Midwest. Although commission members recognized that it would have modest sales, they also realized that this dissertation (written under the direction of Martin E. Marty at the University of Chicago), was a definitive work about the Dutch immigration to the Midwest in the mid-nineteenth century and would make an important contribution to the history of the RCA. Happily, the work was finally published and is not only one of the best scholarly volumes in the series, but also continues to sell. The capitalization of the series together with various sources of funding now enable the COH to publish worthy volumes independent of their projected sales. Another challenge to the COH was how to keep the unpaid general editor engaged with it. Since its inception in 1966, terms of service on the commission were identical to all RCA permanent commissions: a three-year appointment with the possibility of reappointment, for a total of six years. Don was one of the first six members of the commission appointed in 1966 and reappointed in 1969. When, as Western Theological Seminary's James A.H. Cornell Professor of Historical Theology, he was eligible for a sabbatical in 1970-71, Don resigned his membership on the commission. 19 Following his sabbatical, the commission nominated him for a new term since his membership was crucial to the continuance of the historical series. When the 1971 General Synod failed to reappoint him, I, as chair of the commission, wrote John W. Beardslee, the archivist at New Brunswick Seminary,20 to inquire why the commission's nomination had been rejected. Beardslee learned that the General Synod's Committee on Nominations had rejected it to avoid having two fiersons on the six-member commission from the same city, Holland, Michigan! 1 The problem created by this understandable desire for geographical balance was solved by Alvin J. Poppen, the RCA's Director of Human Resources, who suggested that Don be declared an ex officio member. Although Don did serve some regular terms subsequently, he ultimately served the COH as general editor in an ex officio capacity, beginning in 1978. His continued presence on the commission was an absolute necessity for the historical series has become the major work of the COH and its very raison d'etre. 22 The perennial challenge facing the COH and its general editor was obtaining manuscripts worthy of publication. In the early days of the series, it was slow going. Howard G. Hageman accepted the commission's invitation to write a history of the RCA liturgy, but the project never materialized to the point of publication. The tenZythoff manuscript referred to above was an early candidate for the series, but for various reasons was not published until 1987. The

217 preparation of digests and indices of the General Synod minutes, as well as the historical directories were long-term projects. The work of the former got underway when Mildred W. Schuppert, the very capable retired librarian at Western Theological Seminary, agreed to assume this most laborious and tedious task Her two-volume index and digest23 have become an indispensable tool in the RCA, and will be continued under the aegis of the Office of Historical Services headed by the RCA archivist, Russell L. Gasero. Because a regular flow of manuscripts now comes to the general editor's desk, four volumes were published in 1998, and several more are scheduled for 1999. One cannot review the thirty volumes that have appeared between 1968 and 1998 without being struck by the fact that their wide variety of subject matter appeals both to various constituencies in the church and to the scholarly world. Titles such as The Dutch Reformed Church in the American Colonies, by Gerald F. De Jong are found on the shelves of research libraries across the country.24 The historical directories, of particular interest in the RCA for obvious reasons, are also eagerly sought after by libraries which specialize in genealogical research. Libraries in RCA congregations gravitate toward such missionary memoirs and histories as Grace in the Gulf, by Jeanette Boersma, and The Call of Africa, by Morrell F. Swart. The institutional histories of New Brunswick Theological Seminary by Howard G. Hageman, and of Northwestern College by Gerald De Jong are notable. The volume, The Church Speaks: Papers of the Commission on Theology, Reformed Church in America, 1959-1984, edited by James I. Cook in 1985, remains of considerable current value for understanding the theological positions taken by the denomination over the course of twenty­ five years. The volumes which are collections of essays, while not usually "best sellers," contain such a wealth of information on RCA history that the titles of the individual essays are included in the appendix. The current relative ease (though not in terms of the workload of the general editor!) of publishing multiple volumes per year is due, in part, to the computer age and the expertise of Russell Gasero. After Don and his editorial assistant, Laurie Baron, have the manuscript ready for publication, Gasero prepares the photo-ready copy. 25 After thirty years of experience, moving through bureaucratic thickets at church headquarters, obtaining adequate funds, and working with an established publishing firm, Don has brought the historical series to its current professional level. The administration of Western Theological Seminary is to be recognized and congratulated for providing the institutional support for Don in his editorial role. Don's accomplishments have greatly advanced the understanding of the RCA's history, and place him on a par with Corwin, the first great light in the denomination's historiography. Equally remarkable is that even as Corwin did his monumental work while serving as a pastor,26 Don has accomplished his invaluable service while serving the church in a full-time capacity as scholar, professor, preacher, and writ.er. Although the work of editors is usually unappreciated, by the time of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the series, the

218 General Synod honored Don with a special tribute. 27 The synod of 1998, meeting at Holland, Michigan, again recognized him for his thirty years of special service to the denomination as the historical series' general editor. We now pray that as he retires from Western Theological Seminary, he will be willing to continue this service for many more years.

Appendix The titles in the Historical Series of the Reformed Church in America, all published by the Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan. No. 1: Ecumenism and the Reformed Church, by Herman Harmelink III, 1968 No. 2: The Americanization ofa Congregation: A History ofthe Third Reformed Church ofHolland, Michigan, by Elton J. Bruins, 1970 No. 3: Pioneers in the Arab World, by Dorothy F. Van Ess, 1974 No. 4: Piety and Patriotism: Bicentennial Studies of the Reformed Church in America, 1776-1976, edited by James W . Van Hoeven "The Reformed Church and the American Revolution," by John Beardslee III "The American Frontier," by James W . Van Hoeven "Immigration," by Elton J. Bruins "World Mission," by Herman Harmelink III "Theology," by Eugene Heideman "Social Concerns," by John A De Jong "Education," by Norman Kansfield "The Role of Women in the India Mission, 1819-1880," by Barbara Fassler No. 5: The Dutch Reformed Church in the American Colonies, by Gerald F. De Jong, 1978. No. 6: Historical Directory of the Reformed Church in America 1628-1978, by Peter N. VandenBerge, 1978 No. 7: A Digest and Index of the Minutes of the General Synod of the Reformed Church in America 1958-1977, by Mildred W. Schuppert, 1979 No. 8: A Digest and Index of the Minutes of the General Synod ofthe Reformed Church in America 1906-1957, by Mildred W . Schuppert, 1982 No. 9: From Strength to Strength: A History a/Northwestern [College] 1882- 1982, by Gerald F. De Jong, 1982 No. 10: "B. D. "A Biography ofmy Father, the Late Reverend B. D. Dykstra, by D. Ivan Dykstra, 1982 No. 11 : Sharifa, by Cornelia Dalenberg with David De Groot, 1983 No. 12: Vision From the Hill: Selections from Works ofFaculty & Alumni, published on the Bicentennial of the New Brunswick Theological Seminary, edited by John W . Beardslee III, 1984 Foreword, by Herman Harmelink III

219 John Henry Livingston, 1746-1825, "The Everlasting Gospel" James Spencer Cannon, 1776-1852, from Lectures on Pastoral Theology Alexander McClelland, 1794-1864, "Spiritual Regeneration Connected with the Use of Means" Joseph Frederick Berg, 1812-1871, from Old Paths John Van Nest Talmage, 1819-1892, from Forty Years in South China John De Witt, 1821-1906, from What is Inspiration? Ferdinand Schureman Schenck, 1845-1925, from Christian Evidences and Ethics and The Sociology ofthe Bible Graham Taylor, 1851-1938, "Industry and Religion" Edward Strong Worcester, 1876-1937, "The Parish Minister and His Theology" Samuel M. Zwemer, 1876-1952, "What Constitutes a Call" John W. Beardslee, Jr., 1879-1962, "The New Testament Doctrine of the Holy Spirit" Abraham J. Muste, 1885-1967, "War Is the Enemy" Hugh Baillie MacLean, 1909-1959, "The Relevance of the Old Testament" Joseph R. Sizoo, 1885-1966, "We Are Ambassadors" No. 13: Two Centuries Plus: The Story ofNew Brunswick Seminary, by Howard G. Hageman, 1984 No. 14: The Reformed Church in America: Structures for Mission, by Marvin D. Hoff, 1985 No. 15: The Church Speaks: Papers of the Commission on Theology, Reformed Church in America, 1959-1984, edited by James I. Cook, 1985 [The volume contains 29 studies grouped under the topics of Scripture, Faith, Sacraments, Ministry, Witness, and Sexuality.] No. 16: Word and World: Reformed Theology in America, edited by James W. Van Hoeven, 1986 "Orthodoxy and Piety: Two Styles of Faith in the Colonial Period," by John W. Beardslee III "Dort and Albany: Reformed Theology Engages a New Culture," by James W. Van Hoeven "New York and Holland: Reformed Theology and The Second Dutch Immigration," by Elton M. Eenigenburg "Saints and Sinners: Secession and The Christian Reformed Church," by M. Eugene Osterhaven "Inspiration and Authority: The Reformed Church Engages Modernity," by Paul R. Fries "Prose and Poetry: Reformed Scholarship and Confessional Renewal," by I. John Hesselink "Heidelberg and Grand Rapids: Reformed Theology and the Mission of the Church," by Eugene P. Heideman

220 "Piety and Patriotism: Reformed Theology and Civil Religion," by Dennis N. Voskuil No. 17: Sources ofSecession : The Netherlands Hervormde Kerk on the Eve of the Dutch Immigration to the Midwest, by Gerrit J. tenZythoff, 1987 No. 18: Vision For a Christian College: Essays by Gordon J. Van Wylen, President, Hope College, 1972-87, edited by Harry Boonstra, 1988 No. 19: Servant Gladly: Essays in Honor ofJohn W Beardslee Ill, edited by Jack D. Klunder and Russell L. Gasero, 1989 "Recollections of the Beardslee Family," by Marion de Yelder "Advocacy for Social Justice in the Reformed Church in America," by Arie R. Brouwer "Reformed Perspectives on War and Peace," by John Hubers "A History of Synodical Opposition to the Heresy of Apartheid: 1952- 1982," by Jack D. Klunder "The Origins of the Theological Library at New Brunswick," by Russell L. Gasero "From Calvin to Van Raalte: The Rise and Development of the Reformed Tradition in the Netherlands, 1560-1900," by Elton J. Bruins "From Pessimism to Optimism: Francis Turretin and Charles Hodge on 'The Last Things,"' by Earl Wm. Kennedy No. 20: Grace in the Gulf: The Autobiography ofJeanette Boersma, Missionary Nurse in Iraq and the Sultanate ofOman, by Jeanette Boersma with David DeGroot, 1991 No. 21: Ecumenical Testimony, by Arie R. Brouwer, 1991 No. 22: The Reformed Church in China 1842-1951, by Gerald F. De Jong No. 23: Historical Directory ofthe Reformed Church in America 1628-1992, by Russell L. Gasero, 1992. No. 24: Meeting Each Other in Doctrine, Liturgy, and Government: The Bicentennial ofthe Celebration of the Constitution of the Reformed Church in America, by Daniel J. Meeter, 1993 No. 25: Gathered at Albany: A History ofa Classis, by Allan J. Janssen, 1995 No. 26: The Americanization ofa Congregation, 2"d ed., by Elton J. Bruins, 1995 No. 27: In Remembrance and Hope: The Ministry and Vision ofHoward G. Hageman, by Gregg A. Mast, 1998 No. 28: Deacons' Accounts 1652-1674 First Dutch Reformed Church of Beverwyck/Albany, New York, translated and edited by Janny Venema, published by Picton Press in cooperation with the Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1998 No. 29: The Call ofAfrica: The Reformed Church in America Mission in the Sub-Sahara, 1948-1998, by Morrell F. Swart, 1998 No. 30: The Arabian Mission's Story: In Search ofAbraham 's Other Son, by Lewis R. Scudder Ill, 1998

221 ENDNOTES

1 The four editions were published in 1859, 1869, 1879, and 1902. 2 1906. 3 A complete listing of all the volumes is in the appendix. 4 The General Synod appropriately was convened in the Collegiate Reformed Church of St. Nicholas which was founded in 1628, and is located on the corner of 48th Street and 5th Avenue. One aspect of the social life that accompanied the work of the synod was the June 9, 1928, excursion on the Hudson River on the steamer Alexander Hamilton for the 150 people who were entertained by Helen Gould Shephard at luncheon that day in the mansion her father, financier Jay Gould, had built at Tarrytown, New York. 5 The subtitle of the tome, consisting of 542 pages, was "A Record of the Celebration of the Three Hundredth Anniversary of the Founding of the First Church in New Netherland, now New York, and the Beginning of Organized Religious Life Under the Reformed (Dutch) Church in America Held under the Auspices of the General Synod, RC.A, A.D. 1928." The book was published for the church under the colophon of the Knickerbocker Press and published by G.P. Putnam and Sons, 1929. 6 1 Supplement to Corwin 's Manual (5 h Edition 1922) ofthe Reformed Church in America. James Boyd Hunter and W.N.P. Dailey were the editors. The book of 60 pages was published by The Board of Publication and Bible School Work, 193 3. At the time of its sesquicentennial celebration in 1934, the New Brunswick Theological Seminary published Biographical Record, Theological Seminary, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 1784-1934. Brief biographical sketches of all the alumni and considerable biographical notes on all the professors is a valuable source on the history of theological education in the Reformed Church in America. 7 This 348-page volume was published in 1966. 8 Actually Sage Library had been considered the depository for important records of the Reformed Church since it was built in 1872. A special vault was built specifically for the RCA papers at the south end of the main reading room. 9 Hoffman was honored upon his retirement by a special resolution at the meeting of the General Synod at Buck Hill Falls, Pennsylvania, June 1961 . An excerpt of the resolution included the following words, " . . . he has served these nineteen years from 1942 to 1961 so acceptably and with diligence." The Acts and Proceedings of the One Hundred and Fifty-Fifth Regular Session ofthe GENERAL SYNOD of The Reformed Church in America, . .. , 401. In any further references to the acts and proceedings of the General Synod, I will use the more accepted method of calling them minutes. 10 Since many of the records of the COH are contained in my personal papers in the Joint Archives of Holland, Box 32, I need not make references to some specific details. I served six terms on the COH for a total of eighteen years. The papers of Dr. Bruggink are still in his own possession and were not available for research at this time. The members of the first commission were Howard Hageman, Larry Suntken, James Nettinga, Gerald De Jong, Donald Bruggink, and myself. I am dependent entirely on the minutes of this meeting for my information in this section

222 because I was unable to attend this meeting due to my class schedule in my first year of teaching at Hope College. Nevertheless, the commission elected me its first chair, a position I held for five years. 11 Page two. 12 Minutes ofthe General Synod, 1966, 204. 13 This meeting was held in Tennessee because the RCA was in a merger discussion with the Southern Presbyterian Church meeting in the same city that year. All the commissioners of the Southern Church were declared fraternal delegates. Minutes of the General Synod, 1967, 174. 14 His first of several publications was Guilt, Grace and Gratitude, a Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism Commemorating Its 40dh Anniversary. He edited this book which was published by the Wm. B. Eerdmans Company under the colophon of the Half Moon Press. 15 The Stewardship Council was also merged with the three boards. The merger was approved at the 1967 General Synod meeting. The full story of this momentous action by the synod is given by Marvin D. Hoff in The Reformed Church in America: Structures For Mission, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1985, volume 14 in the Historical Series. 16 Page two, Elton J. Bruins papers, Joint Archives, Box 32. 17 No. 28 in the Historical Series, Deacons' Accounts 1652-1674 First Dutch Reformed Church ofBeverwyck/Albany, New York was published at Eerdmans under the colophon of Picton Press, Rockport, Maine. It is interesting to note also that Mr. Rein Vander Hill, Professor of Art at Northwestern College, Orange City, Iowa, designed all of the covers for the historical series with the exception of No. 20. 18 Don reported these figures at the meeting of the COH in Holland, Michigan, on October 5 and 6, 1981. The minutes for October 23, 1989, reported that "Eerdmans continues to be the best sales outlet, outselling the Distribution Center in sales of the Series." 19 His sabbatical accounts for the fact that no volume followed No. 2 in the series, fcublished in 1970, until No. 3 was published in 1974. 0 September 1, 1971. I took it upon myself to exercise my authority as chair to invite him to the fall meeting anyway. 21 Letter of Beardslee, September 7, 1971. 22 The work of the COH has changed considerably through the years. At first, John W. Beardslee III served as archivist of the RCA, assisted ably by Elsie Stryker. In 1978, Russell L. Gasero was appointed the first full-time archivist of the church, thanks to the general secretary, Arie Brouwer, at the urging of the commission. For a few years, the COH supervised Gasero's work. Later he was placed under the supervision of the general secretary. Much of his work now is in the Office of Historical Services and only his work with the historical series is now under the supervision of the commission. 23 The digest and index which covers the minutes of the General Synod from 1958 to 1977 was volume number 7 in the historical series and published in 1979. The digest and index for the years 1906 to 1957, number 8 in the series, appeared in 1982.

223 24 I found this work in the collections of the research library at the University of California at Los Angeles and the Regenstein Library at the University of Chicago. 25 Don did the copyediting himself through volume no. 13. Terry De Young did a recent volume. Don also enlisted others to do this work but now Ms. Baron does most of the copyediting. She is on staff at Western TI1eological Seminary, a convenient location much appreciated by the general editor. 26 In a conversation with Don on Wednesday, January 27, 1999, he acknowledged that he had to set aside much of his personal research and writing due to the demands of the general editorship in this special service to the church. 27 Minutes of the General Synod, 1993, 158.

224