Netherlands

Country
Holland, as many familiarly call the Netherlands, is a quaint land, which impresses its visitors with tulip blossoms, dikes, wooden shoes and windmills. Much of the land is below sea level and through hard work, skillful engineering and a pioneering spirit, the Dutch took much of their territory from the bordering North Sea.

People/Society
The Dutch society is internationally-minded, displays a genuine openness to the world and has a strong tradition of liberalism. Its people admire traits like honesty, humor, modesty and a good education. Equality is highly valued, and status is measured mostly by occupation.

Religion
The 16.3 million people in the Netherlands constitute a secular society in which the role of religion is steadily diminishing. About 31 percent of the population is traditionally Roman Catholic, 21 percent is Protestant (mostly Dutch Reformed), 4.4 percent is Muslim and 3 percent belong to other churches.

History
The work of the Church of the Nazarene in the Netherlands came by invitation from a group of people who had become convinced that this church provided for them a system of belief and a spiritual home for which they had been seeking. The group, which  included  Miep and Cor Holleman, came in contact with European Nazarene Bible College and with Rev. Jerald Johnson, who was missionary in Frankfurt, Germany. In January of 1967 Rev. Johnson was invited to organize the very first church in Haarlem.  Soon thereafter Cor Holleman was elected its first pastor.

The Church Today
Since 1967, 10 local churches have been established in the Netherlands. For a list of churches, please refer to the district Web site. The total membership on the Netherlands district is 1,754 (31.12.2004) Rev. A.W. Snijders is currently serving as district superintendent. There also is a publishing house in Vlaardingen, the NUN - Nazarener Uitgeverij Nederland -, where the printed materials for the district are produced.

Other countries in the Northen Europe field:  Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Poland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Netherlands district: