The hidden place: an update from Rotterdam
Erik Pham from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, shares the story of the start of Baptistenkerk op Zuid and the encouragement of connecting with Union Mission.
“…for I have many in this city who are my people.” — Acts 18:10b, ESV
This Scripture speaks of two great realities. One is that our Lord has a people for himself in the city and secondly, that he wants Paul – as his human instrument – to do His work in this particular city. So it was with planting “Baptistenkerk op Zuid” (The Baptist Church on Rotterdam-South). The proposition ‘on’ is carefully chosen, because the southern part of town used to be an island. “Op Zuid” has become a derogatory and infamous name, as Rotterdam-South has a bad reputation because of violence, crime and poverty. It has been called ‘the dustbin’ of Rotterdam.
Could it be that there is Someone who could clean up better than any street sweeper can do, and that He could bring more Light in that dark place than the entire Philips Light bulb factory? Here is a brief story, which is still being written by God Himself, even as it is being narrated here in this article. God doesn’t leave things undone, and unlike us, will bring it to completion in His own way and timetable (cf. Ephesians 1:6, 11; Proverbs 16).
Could it be that there is Someone who could clean up better than any street sweeper can do, and that He could bring more Light in that dark place than the entire Philips Light bulb factory?
As residents of Rotterdam we have always seen a great need for more evangelical churches in the city. Due to various circumstances, in the summer of 2015 a number of us found a safe haven at Trinity International (Baptist) Church in Leidschendam (some 40 minutes drive from Rotterdam). We all stayed there for five years, serving and training, and hoping someday to minister in our home city of Rotterdam once again. Throughout all these years brothers and sisters from different backgrounds were asking us about a healthy church that is multi-ethnic, multicultural, multigenerational and is focused on Gospel- and Bible-centred ministry in Rotterdam.
When we asked people why they couldn’t join other churches, multiple answers were presented to us:
We’re looking for a multi-ethnic church;
Consecutive expository preaching much have centrestage;
Jesus must be the centre of everything, yes, also of the passage which is being expounded;
The Gospel doesn’t need an adjective (they were referring to the so called ‘Full Gospel’, ‘Prosperity Gospel’, etc.);
Meaningful church membership and church discipline must be in place;
We want to build strong Christ-centred relationships with people during the week;
We need help in family worship as well as a church where children are being discipled by the Word of God, not just coming to church to make a nice drawing.
So what to do? After years of prayer and looking at different solutions, a window of opportunity started to appear in May 2019. At a pastors’ conference, a couple of us discussed this apparent need for a new church plant in Rotterdam. Another pastor and I got together with some interested students who were currently living in Rotterdam. Within a couple of weeks we hosted an information meeting and found out that there were about 40 people who couldn’t find a suitable local church.
During months of deliberations, setbacks and spiritual attacks, I received an email from Liam Steele (Mission Co-ordinator at Union Mission). He had heard about our work (even though it was still in its infancy) and would love to have a Zoom meeting. This meeting was providential and reassured us that God was at work.
Then Covid came and shook the world in March 2020, almost drowning all the hopes and plans for this new church plant. But… in fact, this providential act of God also accelerated our plan to launch the church. As many churches in the Netherlands closed their physical doors, venturing into an online setting, only a few churches were using their rights to assemble. Without any time to prepare a launch service (being sent out from Trinity), we started to gather with all the Trinity members and those interested in the church plant, who lived in the Rotterdam area. This became the launching team.
Just the fact that we could be a church and without watering down our message, was another confirmation from above.
It was hard to find a place where we could gather, but in September 2020, we met the chairman of a community hall in the dock area of Rotterdam, called Heijplaat. This wasn’t the place where we wanted to be, but at least it was something. As a matter of fact, it’s nearly impossible to rent a building for ‘religious gatherings’ in the current Dutch context. This gentleman agreed to rent the building to us and asked us to bring people together in this splintered and divided area. “That’s what churches do, right?” Right! But our reconciliatory actions are not our work, they are grounded in a message about a Reconciler, reconciling sinners with/to Himself. Just the fact that we could be a church and without watering down our message, was another confirmation from above.
This dock area has more containers than people (1700 residents) and some have called this particular area (a village within Rotterdam) “het Verborgen geheim” (which means “the hidden secret”). Even as we evangelised, organised neighbourhood events and had to rent another building to house 30 plus children, we found out that we were the answer to people’s prayers! They were amazed that the Lord has not forgotten his people.
Heijplaat, originally a self-sustaining village area for the dock workers in Rotterdam, once had four churches (two reformed, one mainline evangelical, one Catholic church) built and funded by the port/harbour companies for their employees. All these churches have since died out and there has been no Gospel presence in the area for years. A local school teacher told us that a group of Christians had been praying that God would raise up a church in this part of the city once again. Our detour was no coincidence. We would have never found out about this ‘hidden secret’ on our own, nor would we have been willing to serve amid the containers, but God is all-wise and always has a remnant, yes even here. He has not forgotten Rotterdam, even though they have at times forgotten (about) Him. Several church members, including my family and I, have sold our houses and will move to the dock area in the summer of 2023, where God is reshipping the Gospel, for He has many people in this place…
Be encouraged that His timing is perfect, His sustaining power is more than sufficient, and He will guide and lead his workers to places where He wants them to be!
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