Netherlands
Theo van Reijn was born in the Netherlands, where his parents served as missionaries for over 35 years. The Lord called him into the ministry as a teenager and gave him a burden for his home country.
The van Reijns are currently on deputation to return to the Netherlands, or Holland as it is also called. The Netherlands is a small country; in fact, it would fit exactly 20 times into the state of Texas. However, with its population of over 16 million people, the Netherlands is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. The country is well-known for its system of dykes and windmills that protect the 27% of the land that lies below sea level. The Dutch are also renowned flower harvesters, and each year millions of bulbs and flowers are shipped worldwide.
While the official religion is Dutch Reformed, the Roman Catholic Church has the greatest percentage of members with 28 percent. An even greater percentage (41%) of Dutch people claim no religious affiliation at all. Over the last 50 years, most churches have seen a decrease in attendance, as interest in organized religion has diminished.
The van Reijns arrived in The Netherlands as planned on 20 October 2010. Their main thrust is to plant churches in the southern province of Limburg, which is commonly recognized as one of the hardest areas of the Netherlands to reach with the Gospel. Strong family ties and unfamiliarity with non-Catholic religious groups keep people loyal to their Catholic traditions. The van Reijns are trusting in God's powerful Word, applied by the Spirit of God, to change the hearts of the Dutch people.
Theo and his family visited our Wednesday evening service, 24 March 2010, where he shared his missions presentation and then preached the evening message. Everyone had a great time of fellowship with the van Reijns and got to know them much better during their short stay with us.
| Birthday: | Theo - 27 September, Sarah - 6 October, Peter - 19 April, Miriam - 24 September, Luke - 10 August |
Anniversary: Ministry: |
13 July 2002 Minister in the Netherlands, planting churches in the Southern province of Limburg |
Home Church: |
Mount Calvary Baptist Church, 1430 Hampton Ave Ext, Greenville, SC 29601 |
Home Address: |
Vredestraat 1 6373EA Landgraaf The Netherlands |
To Field: |
20 October 2010 |
Telephone: |
011-31-6-833 433 44 |
E-mail: |
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
Website: |
www.hollandforchrist.com www.gfamissions.org |
