Simon van Velzen was a Reformer of the church of Christ in the Netherlands in the Secession of 1834, a seminary professor who influenced hundreds of future Reformed ministers, a powerful preacher of the gospel, and a faithful husband and devoted father.
In his own day, he was held in high regard by such notable figures as Abraham Kuyper and Herman Bavinck, and was respected as a spiritual father and John Calvin-like figure by Reformed believers both in the Netherlands and America.
Sadly, many Reformed Christians in the twenty-first century have little, if any, idea as to who he is. Where he is remembered, he is often branded as being “unyielding, obstinate, and domineering,” and he is dismissed as having little significance in the history of the church.
Here is the biography that corrects the ignorance and misconceptions by setting forth the fascinating life of an influential figure in the history of Christ’s church.
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Joshua Engelsma is a minister in the Protestant Reformed Churches of America. He has served as pastor of Doon Protestant Reformed Church from 2014-2021 and is now pastor in Crete Protestant Reformed Church. He is also the author of Dating Differently: A Guide to Reformed Dating.
Review by Rev. Jerome Julien, The Outlook July/August 2021
“Thoroughly rewarding read! Having lived for many years in the Netherlands, and having been converted to Christ there, and later a member of the Restored Reformed Church (Hersteld Hervormde Kerk), I knew something of the Afscheiding and the Doleantie, and also the later Vrijmaking under Rev. Schilder, but had never heard of Rev. S. van Velzen. How I enjoyed reading of a man, that by God’s grace, had studied to show himself approved, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed. His zeal for God’s truth, in the face of many types of compromise, is exemplary. The brutal truth is laid bare for all to see, that the Redeemed of the Lord, are redeemed sinners, and therefore still sin, even against their fellow-Christian and fellow-ministers (Psalm 55:12–13)—a truth that is both encouraging and discouraging at the same time. What a great start the churches of the Afscheiding had, and yet, looking at what, in general, they later became after the union of the Dolerende congregations and the Afgescheidenen, as they became progressively more liberal, to the extent that they would have disfellowshipped even Kuiper and van Velzen, if they had been around today. And yet, here is the great encouragement, Christ is still building His Church through His Church, in spite of His Church! May the Lord grant us His grace to know which battles to fight, and then to fight well. Thank you to Rev. Joshua Engelsma for a fascinating and well-written book.” – Paul B.
“Easy-to-read, many interesting details from the life of Simon van Velzen. I found the book to be full of fascinating details regarding the life of Simon van Velzen and the period of the Afscheiding in the Netherlands. As a Reformed Christian in the USA with spiritual roots in the Netherlands, I appreciated gaining a much better understanding of the events and history during this time period. At just over 200 pages, this book should be quite accessible to the average reader.” – Jason E.
