The Diocese of Western Michigan, under the leadership of The Right Reverend Charles Bennison, conducted a survey of Paris Township (now Kentwood) in the spring of 1962. It was decided to form a mission church in this area, and the Bishop met on September 16, 1962 with about seven families to organize a church to be named Holy Cross.

 

Mr. Gary Garnett, Deacon, was placed as the Vicar in charge and the first service was held October 21, 1962, in the gymnasium at Meadowlawn School. Then, in 1963, services were moved to the YWCA located on the SE corner of 44^th and Eastern Avenue.

 

On May 5, 1963, the Church of the Holy Cross was recognized as a Diocesan Mission. The Bishop’s Advisory Committee of Holy Cross began to make plans for land purchase with financial help from the Diocese. Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, on Clyde Park Avenue, helped this congregation by allowing them to use their church for meetings, dinners, and social gatherings until the new church was ready.

 

Groundbreaking ceremonies were held on August 17, 1964, and the first services in the new building were held on February 21, 1965. Being a small but growing congregation, much of the work inside the church was done by members which included the painting, laying tile, building the altar and cupboards and refurbishing the pews which were given by a Roman Catholic Church in the area. The kitchen in the undercroft and the organ were donated by a couple of families.

 

Father Garnett was ordained to the priesthood December 21, 1962, and remained at Holy Cross until his acceptance of a call to the Church of the Good Shepherd, Allegan. The Rev. Steinman Stephens was appointed Vicar by the Bishop and celebrated his first Eucharist on January 9, 1966. Father Stephens served as Vicar until July 1971. Bishop Bennison then appointed Reverend R. Craig Bell as Vicar who remained until 1978 when he was called to a parish in Indiana.

 

Bishop Bennison gave Holy Cross permission to search and call their next Vicar. Reverend Charles Homeyer was called and remained for 30 years. Father Homeyer announced his retirement in 2007 and said his last Sunday Eucharist at Holy Cross on January 18, 2009. During his faithful leadership, Holy Cross became a self-supporting parish. We paid off the original mortgage and started a building committee and remodeled and constructed an addition to the church building.

 

Holy Cross continued to grow in spirit and commitment. Three of our members have become ordained priests; Joanne Stearns, Greg Brown and Matt Potts. One member has entered the Deaconate; Kim Hoop. Two groups of young people have been in Journey to Adulthood (J2A) and have gone on pilgrimages overseas.

 

In February 2007, talks began between St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Cascade and Holy Cross regarding a possible merger of the two parishes.

 

St. Michael’s Episcopal Church began as a parochial mission of Grace Episcopal Church, Grand Rapids in 1960. St. Michael’s was located east of Holy Cross in the Cascade, Ada, and Forest Hills suburbs of Grand Rapids. The church became a mission of the Diocese in 1966 with its first full time vicar, the Reverend John Stanley Jr. In 1970, the Rev. R. Craig Bell took over duties and the church building was dedicated in 1971. After the ministry of the Rev. John Ferguson and during the Rev. Louis Schueddig stay, St. Michael’s became a parish of the Diocese on November 1, 1980. After a period with interim priests, Father Tom Atamian became a full time priest in 1984 and served almost two years. Father William Hamm then served for 2 years. After his departure, Father Wm. Smith became part time priest for ten years. Father Ken Tabor served part time until the vestry decided the church could not go on because of declining membership and finances.

 

After many meetings between St. Michael’s and Holy Cross, sharing meals and Sunday services together, it was agreed to combine the two congregations into one parish. On October 7, 2007, St Michael’s and Holy Cross merged. The beautiful altar was brought from St. Michael’s and the Ascension Hall was renamed St Michael’s Hall.

 

The merger of our two churches has resulted in an increase in attendance and will allow us to better “provide an opportunity for our neighbors and ourselves to grow as members of the Body of Christ”.