Foundation Friends of the Pilgrimfathers' church
As a private individual and corporate sponsor, you contribute to safeguarding the building as a unique historical heritage with national and international significance for the future. The Old or Pilgrimfathers Church is related to the departure of the originally English Pilgrimfathers on July 22, 1620 with the Speedwell from Delfshaven to the promised land of America. With a stopover in England, Plymouth they switched from the leaky Speedwell to the Mayflower. After a heavy sea journey of more than 2 months, they landed in Massachusetts.
The departure of the Speedwell from Delfshaven in 1620 is depicted in a large painting (3.60 m. by 5.40 m.) called Embarkation of the Pilgrims, painted by Robert W. Weir for the US Congress. The artwork is an icon in American state history and has been hanging in the Rotunda of the Capitol in Washington D.C. since 1843. The Old or Pilgrimfathers Church in Historic Delfshaven is therefore inextricably linked to America. 'Democracy and Freedom' are a continuing pursuit for society - all over the world.
The exhibition Pilgrimfathers Presentation, renewed in 2020 in the Ankie Verbeek-Ohr room by the Friends Foundation, marks 400 years of Commemoration of the Pilgrimfathers. This has been appropriately commemorated in the US, the Netherlands and England. The opening of the exhibition planned in October 2020 by the US Ambassador together with the Mayor of Rotterdam had to be postponed due to the second corona wave. The postponed opening will still take place at a suitable time.
In 2021 it was 400 years of Thanksgiving Day. In this context, the Friends, in collaboration with Erasmus University, have organized an essay competition between the universities of Leiden, Delft, Rotterdam and Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts. The Erasmus Trust Fund has sponsored the prize, 1 week student stay in the Netherlands/USA and vice versa. The theme of the essay competition was the spoken word 'The Hill we Climb' by Amanda Gorman, inauguration Joe Biden January 6, 2021. The future of society and the world is rooted in the past with its good and bad sides to learn! In 2025 we started a lecture series in the Old of Pilgrim Fathers Church in anticipation of the commemoration of July 4, 2026, marking the 250th anniversary of the United States (then English colonies) declaring its independance from England.
Become a Friend
The Friends Foundation was established in 1994 in order to support the church in the broadest sense of the word. Preserving the church building as a monument and its development into the ecclesiastical and cultural centre of Delfshaven are its main aim. Support by preserving, maintaining and modernising the interior of the church, as well as assisting in acquiring fundraising partners are emphasised.
To continue our efforts we are very much indebted to our Friends for financial support. We would benefit greatly from gaining as many Friends as possible, not only because it means we can do more, but also because it enlarges, broadens and strengthens the support base for the church, so it can continue to be a hub of cultural activity in Delfshaven.
Therefore, please consider becoming a friend. In order to do so, send a message, preferably by e-mail, with your name, address and telephone number to the contact address below.
For the annual fee of € 30 (minimum) we will keep you informed of what is happening in the church and the foundation.
The Friends of the Old or Pilgrimfathers Church Foundation has an ANBI (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling) status in The Netherlands. For individuals and companies, the ANBI status of the Friends of the Old or Pilgrimfathers Church Foundation is beneficial (only if tax is paid in The Netherlands): donors may deduct their donations from income or corporate income tax (for the most up-to-date information on this, please refer to the Tax and Customs Administration). The amount of your donation is of your own choice. Every year there is a joint meeting in the church. For companies there are various possibilities for contributions with associated exclusive benefits. Businesswise, the intended relationship between the Netherlands and the US may also be of interest to you.
Specifically for U.S. taxpayers, the Netherlands America Foundation (NAF) has established a legal structure to facilitate tax-efficient cooperation in fundraising for the Old or Pilgrimfathers' Church. The Friends Fund of the NAF gives U.S. donors the advantage of a U.S. income and gift tax deduction for their gifts. This means your contributions will be tax-deductible for the purpose of U.S. federal and state taxes, to the extent permitted by federal and state law. To donate to the Old or Pilgrimfathers' Church using the Friends Fund Program of the NAF, click here.
Contact data
Stichting Vrienden van de Oude of Pelgrimvaderskerk (Foundation of Friends)
c/o P. O. Box 54562
3008 KB Rotterdam
E-mail: vrndpelgrimvaderskerk@gmail.com
ANBI-Data (Public benefit organisation)
Name: Stichting Vrienden Van De Oude Of Pelgrimvaderskerk
Established 23 August 1994; ANBI-Foundation since 2008
Fiscal Number: 8032.80.968
Board
S.B. de Vries, chair
M.Y. van Schijndel, secretary
E.J.H. Bouwens, treasurer
Policy
Remuneration of the Board: This is a voluntary organisation, the board is not paid in any way.
Objective: The foundation’s main objective is to support the Pilgrimfathers’ Church of Rotterdam-Delfshaven in the broadest sense of the word.
Activities carried out in 2025 by the Friends of the Old or Pilgrim Fathers Church Foundation
The board of the Friends of the Old or Pilgrim Fathers Church Foundation met four times in 2025. In addition, two board members of the Friends Foundation sit on the board of the Foundation for Management and Exploitation of the Old or Pilgrim Fathers' Church. Within this Foundation, the board met in several meetings in 2025.
In 2024, in consultation with the HGD, it was decided to merge the two websites of the church into the current existing website https://www.oudeofpelgrimvaderskerk.nl . To make this possible, the board has been busy rewriting texts and sharing information between both websites. A new booking system for the rental of rooms was also developed. The completely new website https://www.oudeofpelgrimvaderskerk.nl became operational at the beginning of 2025.
On April 1, 2025, a lecture series began in the Old of Pilgrim Fathers Church in anticipation of the commemoration of July 4, 2026, marking the 250th anniversary of the United States (then English colonies) declaring its independance from England. The series kicked off with a presentation by historian Jaap Jacobs of the magnificant book "A firm Peace and Sincere Friendship?", published by Walburg Pers . The book "400 Years of Dutch-American stories", was commissioned by the National Archives and, edited by Jaap Jacobs, compiles the stories of 25 authors.
The Friends Foundation organised this evening in collaboration with the National Archives and Walburg Press. The first copies of the book were awarded to the Mayor of Rotterdam, Carola Schouten, (Dutch version) and to Marcus Micheli, Chargé d'Affaires a.i. US Embassy (English version). The well-known and acclaimed author Annejet van der Zijl was interviewed by Jaap Jacobs and Eline Hopperus Buma regarding her contribution to the book. All donors of the Friends Foundation were invited to attend this first lecture and book presentation.
The second lecture in the run-up to “4 July 2026” took place on September 11, 2025. Bas Blokker, NRC correspondent/journalist for many decades with five years living in Washington, gave a lecture in the church on the theme ‘What if the Dutch had formed North America?’. His wife Jutta Chorus, also an NRC journalist and columnist, joined him on stage afterward, after which they were interviewed together by Eline Hopperus Buma. The third reading, by Michael Douma, took place on December 9, 2025. Michael Douma, with Dutch ancestors, was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and holds a doctorate from Florida State University. He spoke about the Dutch involvement in slavery in (Dutch) New York. Jaap Jacobs and Eline Hopperus Buma further questioned Michael Douma in the follow-up to his lecture. On March 6, 2026, the fourth lecture in the series is scheduled to be held by Russell Shorto.
Continued familiarity with the national and international context of the historical events surrounding the Old or Pilgrim Fathers Church with the departure of the English Pilgrim Fathers from Historical Delfshaven with the Speedwell on 22 July 1620 to the promised land of America is of social value. The board of the Friends Foundation in 2025 aimed to establish contacts with other organisations that primarily have the cultural America-Netherlands relationship in mind. Contact with the NAF (Netherlands America Foundation) started in 2024. In 2025, we expanded our contacts. It was decided to set up an essay competition for students from universities on both sides of the Ocean in the US and the Netherlands in 2026 in honour of 250 years of Independence Day that year. This is a follow-up to the essay competition in 2021, organized by Erasmus University, TU Delft, Harvard University (Boston, USA) and the Friends Foundation in the context of 400 years of Thanksgiving. The award ceremony is scheduled to take place in the Old or Pilgrim Fathers Church on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 2026.
As usual, the annual Newsletter was sent in October 2025 to all donors of the Friends Foundation.
