English Reformed Church, Amsterdam

The English Church

The Begijnhof is known to the city as the apple in the eye of Amsterdam. In the middle of this tranquil courtyard stands the church whose origins date back to the 14th century when it was established as the chapel for the lay sisterhood of the Beguines. As with other city churches, in 1578 the keys were surrendered to the Municipality, when Amsterdam sided officially with the Prince of Orange and Calvinist doctrines were formally adopted.
In 1607, the church was re-opened for worship when the Municipality presented it to the English-speaking Protestants living in the city. Since then, services in English have continued practically without interruption to the present day.

The dissenting English Protestants in Amsterdam in the early days of the English Church included a number, who, within a few years of their arrival in the city, left to form a separate congregation in Leiden and to sail via Delfshaven and Plymouth (in England) on the 'Mayflower' to the New World in 1620.

These Pilgrim Fathers are remembered in stained glass and memorials both within and outside the church.
In 1817, ownership of the building was formally passed to the congregation, by then known as the English Reformed Church ("ERC"), which holds a regular Sunday morning service as well as other services and activities in the church. The ERC is affiliated with the Church of Scotland and the Netherlands Reformed Church and currently has 320 members from 30 nationalities. The church can seat 385 and attracts congregations of over 250 on a regular basis. The church is also in frequent use for weddings and funeral services.
In addition to the ERC, every Sunday Diensten met Belangstellenden (a non-denominational worship community) holds well-attended services in Dutch. During the week, a long established Dutch 'Midday Break Service' (Middag Pauzedienst) has a strong following, both in the church itself and via its radio broadcasts.

Since the late 1970s, the church has provided Amsterdam with an important platform for the performance of chamber music of all periods and styles with over 70 concerts a year. In particular, it has given many young artists the opportunity to launch their careers. The Academy of the Begijnhof, founded by a former church organist, is now one of Amsterdam's premier baroque orchestras.
The musical life of the church has been greatly augmented by the construction in 1999/2000 of a remarkable new organ based on the design of the 1754 M?ller original. The cost of ?400,000 was raised through a vigorous fundraising campaign amongst the congregation and charitable and corporate donors in The Netherlands and overseas. The Monumentenzorg contributed ?31,000 to the appeal.

The church is visited by as many as 1,000 tourists a week during the summer.
next: Why the English Church is falling down

Related topics: Restoration Appeal Overview - building - history - contact - finance

14-02-2006

The English Church The Begijnhof is known to the city as the apple in the eye of Amsterdam. In the middle of this tranquil courtyard stands the church whose origins date back to the 14th century when it was established as the chapel for the lay sisterhood of the Beguines. As with other city churches, in 1578 the keys were surrendered to the Municipality, when Amsterdam sided officially with the Prince of Orange and Calvinist doctrines were formally adopted.
In 1607, the church was re-opened for worship when the Municipality presented it to the English-speaking Protestants living in the city. Since then, services in English have continued practically without interruption to the present day. The dissenting English Protestants in Amsterdam in the early days of the English Church included a number, who, within a few years of their arrival in the city, left to form a separate congregation in Leiden and to sail via Delfshaven and Plymouth (in England) on the 'Mayflower' to the New World in 1620. These Pilgrim Fathers are remembered in stained glass and memorials both within and outside the church.
	In 1817, ownership of the building was formally passed to the congregation, by then known as the English Reformed Church ("ERC"), which holds a regular Sunday morning service as well as other services and activities in the church. The ERC is affiliated with the Church of Scotland and the Netherlands Reformed Church and currently has 320 members from 30 nationalities. The church can seat 385 and attracts congregations of over 250 on a regular basis. The church is also in frequent use for weddings and funeral services.
In addition to the ERC, every Sunday Diensten met Belangstellenden (a non-denominational worship community) holds well-attended services in Dutch. During the week, a long established Dutch 'Midday Break Service' (Middag Pauzedienst) has a strong following, both in the church itself and via its radio broadcasts. Since the late 1970s, the church has provided Amsterdam with an important platform for the performance of chamber music of all periods and styles with over 70 concerts a year. In particular, it has given many young artists the opportunity to launch their careers. The Academy of the Begijnhof, founded by a former church organist, is now one of Amsterdam's premier baroque orchestras.
The musical life of the church has been greatly augmented by the construction in 1999/2000 of a remarkable new organ based on the design of the 1754 M?ller original. The cost of ?400,000 was raised through a vigorous fundraising campaign amongst the congregation and charitable and corporate donors in The Netherlands and overseas. The Monumentenzorg contributed ?31,000 to the appeal. The church is visited by as many as 1,000 tourists a week during the summer.
	next: Why the English Church is falling down