STEFAN J BOS, of BosNewsLife, reports on an ongoing initiative to bring the Gospel to all in The Netherlands…
A Dutch group says it will continue “old-fashioned” evangelism campaigns throughout the Netherlands amid massive church closures and an influx of mainly Muslim refugees.
The Dutch Biblestudy Center (NBC) is touring the crowded small European nation of 17 million with its circus-like red and blue colored tent. Evening programs, starting daily at 8pm, as well as morning and afternoon sessions, focus on the theme “Happy with the Bible.”
|
|
The NBC tent. PICTURE: BosNewsLife “Our ultimate goal is that they will find the Truth and really study it. Unfortunately we see that fewer and fewer people open the Bible, even believers.”– Albert Korving, Dutch Biblestudy Center tour leader |
At least five week-long evangelistic campaigns are planned, including for the first time in the capital Amsterdam and smaller towns of Oldebroek, Heerde, Urk /Tollebeek, and Apeldoorn.
“The Truth that sets people free is found only in the Bible,” tour leader Albert Korving told BosNewsLife. “That’s why we want to confront people through these campaigns with the content of the Bible and we hope to make them curious.”
“Our ultimate goal is that they will find the Truth and really study it. Unfortunately we see that fewer and fewer people open the Bible, even believers.”
He spoke shortly after the release of a new study which found that church attendance and faith in a personal God continues to decline in the Netherlands, once known as a beacon for Protestant Christianity and mission activities around the world.
The survey ‘God in the Netherlands’, conducted on behalf of Dutch network Catholic Radio Broadcasting (KRO) concluded that a majority of Dutch citizens (82 per cent) never “or almost never” visits church while only 14 per cent believes in a personal God.
“For many Dutch people, Christianity has become an unknown or exotic world. Nearly a quarter of respondents calls himself an atheist, which was 14 per cent in 2006” researchers said.
Agnostics comprise with 34 per cent the largest group, according to the report, carried out among 2,100 citizens every 10 years since 1966.
Across the country, church buildings are rapidly disappearing or turned into concert halls, homes or shops.
The influx of tens of thousands of mainly Muslim refugees last year is also expected to increase the call for more mosques in the Netherlands. Christian aid workers have expressed concerns however over reports that refugees have been threatened in the Netherlands after converting to Christianity.
Yet amid these challenges and a changing religious landscape, the NBC said its message remains the same, including for migrants and refugees. Korving stressed that tent evangelism is “not as old” as many think. “The message of the Bible is simply timeless. We see that during each campaign people come to faith (in Jesus Christ) or deepen their faith and are touched by God’s Spirit.”
He added that the NBC doesn’t focus on reaching “huge crowds” during its campaigns. Every new believer sparks a celebration in Heaven, NBC supporters say.
Besides several speakers, audiences can expect Gospel choirs, bands and other musical groups as well as solo artists.
The NBC was founded by Dutch Bible teacher Ab Klein Haneveld, who is among the speakers, including in evenings with his Bible Believing Christians (BBC) Combo, led by Dutch songwriter, journalist and BosNewsLife contributor Johan Th Bos.
“There are also coffee mornings for women with Bible teacher Chris Raymakers, children’s programs and special meetings for seniors, youth and immigrants,” the NBC added in a statement.
The NBC began tent campaigns in 2005 when another organisation virtually ended these activities after nearly six decades.
Klein Haneveld wanted to revive this way of evangelism, once launched by his late father, evangelist Jacob Klein Haneveld, and late evangelist Johannes de Heer.
