A 1960s Baptist church building in a multi-cultural area of West Amsterdam is to become a new international ‘Baptist House’. It will provide a home for the Baptist Union of the Netherlands and its Seminary, the International Baptist Theological Study Centre (IBTSC) and the official office of the European Baptist Federation (EBF). These organisations have already been sharing temporary office accommodation a few minutes’ walk away in the same street.  

An extensive programme of renovating and remodelling the church buildings is nearing completion, including the addition of an extra floor to house the IBTSC Library. There will be a meeting/conference space to seat 100 and various offices and teaching rooms. The small congregation of the original church will continue to gather on Sundays, and two other churches will also use the building for their worship.  The former caretaker’s house will contain two student rooms for rent and a room for the use of guests and visiting scholars to IBTSC.

Earlier this week Tony Peck and Helle Liht visited the building on behalf of the EBF to see its progress towards completion. Tony commented, ‘It is great to see this new “Baptist House’ take shape. The Dutch Baptists and their architects are to be congratulated on their creative design which whilst keeping the footprint of the original building, has provided space for all the user groups.  We pray that when the move take place we will be able to develop and deepen the partnership with IBTSC and our Dutch Baptist brothers and sisters.’

There will be an Opening Celebration at the beginning of September for representatives of the groups and churches using the building, and another official ‘Opening’ at the Assembly of the Baptist Union of the Netherlands in November.

Photos: EBF
1. Baptist House
2. Helle Liht (from left), Albrecht Boerrigter, the General Secretary of the Baptist Union of the Netherlands, and Tony Peck
3. Albrecht Boerrigter and Tony Peck