THE HISTORY OF SCFS ROTTERDAM

Ruud Kuijer, a long standing missionary in Spain with CLC and Open Doors, returned with his family to his homeland in August 2000 and started visiting the ships in the port of Rotterdam in association with the Seamen's Christian Friend Society (SCFS).

Right side: Ruud Kuijer with Felix and Kerstin Henrichs

Felix Henrichs, having graduated from the Free Theological Academy (FTA, now called Freie Theologische Hochschule) in Giessen, Germany, joined Ruud in the fall of 2006 as an intern for 10 months. During this time, Felix felt called to join Ruud in this work. Having returned to Germany to get married and join the DMG, a large German mission organization, he returned to the Netherlands together with his wife Kerstin in the fall of 2009. Three months prior, Ruud had announced his intention to return to CLC and hand over the port ministry to Felix. The stichting Vrienden voor Zeelui was founded that same year and later renamed into stichting Seamen's Christian Friend Society Rotterdam.

In 2011 Felix was joined by Wout de Vries, the first volunteer. In the years since then, the team has grown and together with René Reifel (Bible college Brake, Germany), who joined in the end of 2015, there are now two full-time port chaplains and five volunteers.

What makes this work so special is the fact, that aboard the hundreds of ships coming to the port of Rotterdam on a daily basis, the world is coming to us. 

SCFS Rotterdam

Dwarsweg 40b
3181 HG Rozenburg
THE NETHERLANDS

+31 6 22393023

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