Maranatha Ministries

/Maranatha Ministries

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.

1990

1990 | 8 | 8|

After selling the building in 1983, the Reformed congregation moved to the side-room, once used by the Maranatha community, for their services. In 1990, the Reformed community left the building and joined with another Reformed church (Pniëlkerk, in the Bos en Lommer district). Meanwhile, the Maranatha Church, now called Maranatha Ministries, grew exponentially.

1983

1983 | 8 | 8|

In 1983 the Reformed congregation sold its church building to the Maranatha community. The new owners of the building made some changes to the interior: the church benches were replaced by removable chairs, and a sound system and a stage with a bath for baptisms were installed. The Church’s organ was left in place. It continued to be played for some time, but has now fallen silent in favour of the amplified worship music of the “praise team”.

1976

1976 | 8 | 8|

The Pentecostal Maranatha Church (Volle Evangelie Gemeente Maranatha) started to hold their services in a side-room of the Bethelkerk. The Maranatha community had come into existence in 1960 and used to meet in a room in a building in the city centre (Frederiksplein). In 1975, Stanley Hofwijks became the leader of the community and, under his work as a pastor, Maranatha started to grow quickly.

1928

1928 | 8 | 8|

The Calvinist Reformed Bethelkerk (Bethel Church), built by the architect E.A.C. Roest, was erected in 1928 in De Baarsjes in West Amsterdam, as a Protestant counterpart to the neighbouring Catholic Chassé church.