After serving as a fulltime missionary for more than 10 years in Spain, Ruud Kuijer 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) – now the Seafarers’ Christian Friend Society – in the UK.
Felix Henrichs grew up in Germany and Pakistan. He studied theology at the Free Theological Academy (FTA, now called Freie Theologische Hochschule - FTH) in Giessen, Germany. During his studies, he read the book “Seafarers” written by Martin Otto and became interested in the ministry among seafarers. During a one-month internship in the port of Hamburg, the Lord called Felix into this ministry. After graduating from seminary, he joined Ruud as an intern for 10 months in the fall of 2006. During this time, the Lord confirmed his call and Felix decided to join Ruud in this work in Rotterdam. 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. Ruud had decided to hand over the port ministry to Felix. Together, they founded the registered charity “Vrienden voor Zeelui” (friends of seafarers) that same year, which was later renamed into Stichting Seamen's Christian Friend Society Rotterdam.
In 2011, Felix was joined by Wout de Vries, the first volunteer ship visitor. 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 four volunteer ship visitors.
Through the years, we have seen the Lord continue to bless and grow the ministry of SCFS Rotterdam. What makes this work so special is the fact, that aboard the many ships coming to our port on a daily basis, the world is coming to us.
ADDRESS
Dwarsweg 40B
3181 HG Rozenburg
THE NETHERLANDS
PHONE
+31 6 16077868