Protestant Church in Oudenbosch C.A.

When the Reformed had to give up the original parish church and the rectory in 1799, they churched for some time in a room on the so-called "Oil Mill". After that, the church services were held in the presbytery on Fenkelstraat, which was taken from the Catholics, from 1804 to 1819. King Louis Napoleon, who was regent from 1807, determined by Royal Decree of 4 May 1809, no. 1 art.2, that a church would be built within Oudenbosch for the Reformed of Oudenbosch, Rucphen and Zegge. He promised a sum of seven thousand guilders. The landrost of Brabant then ordered the Reformed congregation of Oudenbosch on 13 May to ensure that the church was built and completed during the current year (1809). He also ordered that the construction should take place by means of a public tender.
The municipal administration was instructed to assist the Reformed and to designate a suitable site or room for them and to ensure that the new church to be built would serve the congregation as much as possible. Soon a suitable site was found, namely the garden of the rectory in the Fenkelstraat. By Royal Decree of 13 September 1809, Louis Napoleon donated this garden to the Preacher and Church Council in ownership. But the political events in the summer of 1810, the forced abdication of King Louis Napoleon and the annexation of Holland to France halted further development of plans.
For the time being, the presbytery continued to serve as a Reformed church building. Because the promised sum had not been paid in full, it took until 1818 before the building plans were continued. On March 23, 1819, the Mayor of Oudenbosch, Jacobus Benjamin van Breda, was able to lay the first stone, as evidenced by a brick with inscription in the outer wall of the church.
On October 17, 1819, the church building was inaugurated. The new profession pastor, Rev. Hermanus Johannes Krom, gave a festive sermon on that occasion. The manuscript of that occasional sermon "on the newly built church in Oudenbosch" has been preserved. (This shows that this manuscript was auctioned in April 1908 at the well-known auction house Frederik Muller in Amsterdam)
The restoration of the church in 1972 was carried out under the direction of the architectural firm Keij en Verduijn in Oudenbosch. That the restoration of the church was necessary can be deduced from a remark by Rev. C.B. Dekker from Rucphen (sermon in 1988): "When I once preached here before the restoration, the pulpit was the only place in the church where you were still dry!"
During the renovation of the consistory in 82/83, it was substantially modified. If it previously had a room layout with a raised stage, after the restoration the consistory was transformed into a modern meeting room with suitable furniture and kitchen corner.

Comments Statistics

| | Public | Dutch