It was back in 1834 that Third Reformed Church was born. It was born in the City of Albany (then with a population of 26,000 people). It was started because of the growth of the city in the southerly direction and was first composed of 19 charter members who moved from South Reformed Church. The date of institution was December 16, 1834. The first pastor was Rev. Edwin Holmes who was not installed until the following February.
Worship was first held in the Strains building on the corner of Westerlo and Dallius. A few years later land was granted to the church from General Van Rensselaer for one dollar. The land was on the corner of Green and South Ferry Streets. On this site a building was built and finally dedicated in April of 1837.
This building (the second used by the church and the first owned by the church) burned down except for the four walls only four years later. I imagine that those faithful people felt a great deal of despair but even greater than their despair was the sure knowledge that Christ was with them always, even to the close of the age. The building was rebuilt.
The congregation finally began to prosper but despair was waiting a few decades later when the congregation suffered from movement to other neighborhoods, and the draft during the Civil War. It was not until the post-war period that numbers again stabilized and the congregation began to grow again.
The turn of the century brought great crises to the congregation. Protestant immigration all but disappeared, replaced by Catholic and Jewish new comers. The congregation almost failed and twice requested aid from the Reformed church board of domestic missions which granted these requests. Again it would have been easy for the congregation to despair. Instead they remembered Jesus words, "I am with you always, even to the close of the age." Instead of giving up, the congregations faithful continued to look forward. In 1913 the congregation looked into moving to the Delaware Ave. area in response to the movement of people to there. At that time the neighborhood was the place where the upwardly mobile settled. Three lots on Stanwix St. and Second Ave. were purchased and a temporary chapel was erected. In May of 1914 four lots were purchased on the south side of Ten Eyck ave. and the building of the church building and parsonage was approved. All of this for $ 35,000.00.
The first worship was held in the new building in October 1914 and the building was completed in 1915. The centennial celebration of the church was held in 1934, just 18 years after the building was complete.
In the last 66 years, since that celebration, this congregation has had it's share of good times and bad. Protestant immigration, the mainstay of Protestant growth in the early history of our nation, came largely to an end in the 1900's as most of the immigration came from Catholic and Jewish families.
The nation and Third Reformed found that churches grew in the post world war two era. This however was balanced for city dwellers by the move of populations away from the cities toward the suburbs as well as the patter of moving from the Northeast to the South and Southwest regions of the country. Albany's population peaked in 1960 with 137,000 people. In forty years we lost 37,000 people, 27%, and the population now hovers around 100,000 people. These were three strikes; little protestant immigration, suburbanization, and southwestern movement worked against the ministry. To this we can add a fourth strike; secularization. Society that does not value religiosity as it once did.
Currently, after years of decline, Third Reformed Church is actively reaching out to knew residents of our community which are different than they were in past decades. No longer an all white congregation, our worshippers now have roots in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. Formerly, solid middle class, our neighborhood now reflects more diversity of income groups as done our congregation. Formerly churched people, our neighborhood increasingly has people who never grew up in church, or who have left church because of estrangements.
Third Reformed has now become a haven for healing. Hosting seven different twelve step groups, working with Equinox Inc. and hosting an office of the Samaritan Counseling Center, has put us in touch with many people who need to be healed of old wounds. We provide a safe place for those who need healing. Our congregation is open minded, accepting people from all backgrounds.
Since 1834, this congregation has worship in four locations, in four buildings and one trailer. The congregation has seen many separate pastors and stated supply ministers. Pastor Mark is the 33rd pastor. We continue Christ's ministry and are here to introduce Jesus Christ to a hurting world.
