Dr. A. C. Van Raalte and his followers in 1847 were Reformed mystics,ecclesiastical separatists, and orthodox theologians. Reared in rural villages in The Netherlands, thoroughly Dutch in outlook, these men and women went to the wilderness in Michigan and after a few years began to know what it meant to be confronted by the complexities of an American culture. In spite of many doubts and perplexities, they succeeded in a remarkable way in remaining true to their principles. The mark which Van Raalte left upon the midwestern section of the Reformed Church is as deep and enduring as was that left by Livingston in the east. To these two men the denomination owes a debt of gratitude which the centuries have not yet been able fully to repay.