janna

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About janna

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So far janna has created 36 blog entries.

2016

2016 | 8 | 8|

Today, Maranatha Ministries has around 2500 members, from forty different national backgrounds. Church members come from all parts of Amsterdam and even from outside the city. A large part of the membership is of Surinamese descent. It has a missionary outlook and tries to reach as many people as possible. The Church’s leaders are now looking for a new building with enough space to bring together all its members in a single service.

2015

2015 | 8 | 8|

Bankside Open Spaces Trust, working with the Friends of Crossbones, opened the graveyard as a memorial garden. Transport for London (which owns the land) granted a three-year “meanwhile” lease, leading to further campaigns and fundraising to ensure the graveyard’s survival.

2015

2015 | 8 | 8|

“Dickens Square: Great Excavations”, an exhibition at the Museum of London, displayed remains of Roman burials and grave goods, 18th century skeletons of diseased cattle, and domestic goods from several historical periods, all discovered in the grounds of the Baitul Aziz Mosque.

2014

2014 | 8 | 8|

The dance studios opened in August 2014. The conversion meant a major transformation of the interior of the church building. Yet, the exterior has remained largely unchanged. Chassé church is now a lively hub attracting dancers, teachers and choreographers. Neighbourhood residents are generally happy with the new use of the building, although some worry about the potential nuisance that the hotel and café clientele might cause. The construction process of the hotel and café are still ongoing today.

2013 - 2014

2013 | 8 | 8|

The need to serve a growing Muslim population for Friday prayers and festivals led to a request for further expansion. Required by law to complete an archaeological survey, Muslim volunteers joined a team of professional archaeologists to dig the land behind the mosque and present the findings to the local community.

2012

2012 | 8 | 8|

Lenny Balkissoon, an entrepreneur and former dancer, bought the church building in 2012. He felt it was important to preserve its function of bringing people together. He decided to convert the former church and vicarage into a complex with eight dance studios, a hotel, a café, a gym/theatre hall and a health centre.

2007 - 2011

2007 | 8 | 8|

In 2007 the church building was bought by a housing cooperation, Ymere, and was officially deconsecrated. As a result of neighbourhood advocacy, the city council decided to enlist the church as a monument. This meant that Ymere could not demolish the building. Its plans to convert the church into an apartment block never materialised due to the financial crisis. In the meantime, the building remained vacant. It was used temporarily by artists, who had to leave when the parish judged their art to be offensive.

2004

2004 | 8 | 8|

The Crossbones monthly vigils began. Taking place at 7pm on the 23rd of every month, the ceremony (“for all faiths and none”) gathers at the gates with candles, incense, poems and music. People come to honour both those interred in the graveyard and anyone who identifies as an outcast.

2001 – 2016

2001 | 8 | 8|

The former church building was in a state of decay. The Fatih mosque community decided to renovate the building thoroughly. In 2001, it was listed as a monument by the City Council, and the roof and towers were restored. Today, the mosque community is constructing a new and more prominent entrance, intended to make the mosque more visible and recognisable from the street.

2000

2000 | 8 | 8|

The Cathedral building was extended on its north side, providing a library, an education Centre, a shop and a refectory.