Catherine Ann Lombard
Biyeen Kombian, 30, stands before 150 people and starts singing in her native Twi. She is from Ghana and graduated this March with a Masters in Geoinformation Management. ‘I woke up with a song in my heart,’ she says. ‘The joy of God is like a river in my heart. And I wanted to share it with all of you.’
The crowd that gathered for Sunday service is enraptured with her clear voice even without understanding her words. Later the room is rocking and rolling with the choir’s rendition of ‘Igwe’ which means God in Yoruba, a Nigeria language. Women are trilling in ululations and the choir’s brown robes sway to the catchy beat. Soon the whole congregation is smiling, singing, and dancing in place.
Offering weekly ecumenical Christian services, the ITC Christian Fellowship started in 1977 with about ten people gathering for worship. Recognizing the great variety of worshippers of the Christian faith, the Fellowship seeks to find a common basis for all denominations and Christian traditions. This idea of inclusion was certainly demonstrated by the offertory hymn ‘Blessed be the name of the Lord’ which the choir sung in English, Luganda (Uganda), Yoruba and Igbo (Nigeria), Swahili, Shona (Zimbabwe), Tagalog (Philippines), and Twi (Ghana).
The Fellowship is a student church with student leadership. Blessings Mpanga from Malawi has recently assumed the role of coordinator. ‘We invite everyone to join us and feel the presence of God,’ he said during the coffee and snacks after the service. ‘We thank the Dutch people and government for the friendly environment and for allowing us to worship God as we do. God will bless this land,’ the 39-year-old master’s student smiled.
This Sunday service was conducted by Rev. Josine van der Horst, chaplain to international students on behalf of the Dutch Reformed Church. She travels to Enschede on the second Sunday of every month and leads the Wednesday bible study. Other preachers from a variety of denominations are welcomed on the other Sundays, including a Roman Catholic priest who says the mass on the fourth Sunday of every month.
Perhaps key to holding the continuity and stability of the community is the Support Group. They are local people who are connected to the Fellowship and offer guidance to the student leadership which is renewed every year. ‘One of the toughest parts about being a Support Member,’ said Dr. Paul van Dijk, Head Research at the ITC, ‘is that we become attached to the members. By the time you are good friends, you have to say goodbye.’
‘We want to emphasize,’ he continued, ‘that we are open to everyone – not just to students, but also staff. And not just to the people at the ITC, but also to those at the University of Twente, Saxion Hogeschool, and ArtEZ Institute of the Arts.’
Besides Sunday service, the Fellowship meets for bible study on Wednesday evenings and prayer on Friday. The chaplain is also available for private consultations. All services are in English. After the Sunday service, you can borrow or buy one of the books from the Library Table. And the choir is always looking for new members to sing or play a musical instrument, especially piano. ‘Everyone is welcome in the choir,’ said Mpanga. ‘There is no audition. All you need is a voice to sing God’s praises.’
Perhaps the Fellowship’s greatest service is creating a warm and welcoming space for people who are far from home and family. During the service, as an American, I certainly felt at home, especially when the worship ended with that American gospel classic, ‘When the Saints Come Marching In!’
For more information about the ITC Christian Fellowship, visit their website at icf-enschede.nl.
You can’t help but be lifted up by this choir with its members from around the world. Emmanuel Kofi Gavu from Ghana, a recent master’s graduate from the ITC, leads the hymn. (Photos: Gijs van Ouwerkerk)
