In 1944, when I was twelve years old something happened in that church which would not be forgotten for many years to come. The German occupation was forever on the look-out for young men who were supposed to be working in Germany but had gone underground. But during periods of a more relaxed attitude of the Germans, these ‘onderduikers’, these young men who were in hiding, sometimes became a bit too bold: they even would come to church. Well, just before a morning service, the janitor got word that the Germans would search the Roman Catholic and Reformed churches. Two trucks stood ready at the police station. There was no time left to warn the young men in our church. The janitor would close the entrance doors of the church with a bang and that would be the sign that the trucks were arriving. Rev. Hommes, a young preacher, was on the pulpit. He was involved with the underground fighters and would certainly be taken captive. In the middle of his sermon, the doors banged. Of course, this came as a big surprise to us, for we didn’t know that this had already been planned.

Ministers dressed in ‘tails’ at that time, although some wore gowns. So, here we see Rev. Hommes put his hand on the railing of the quite high pulpit and, with tails flying, jump over it, and in a flash he disappeared. Other young men quickly went through the same door, and hid under the pulpit, where usually the chairs of the meeting room behind the church were stacked. There was a small door which led to this space, but that door was in the wall were consistory and church members hang their coats. Although the whole church was searched thoroughly, especially the steeple, these young men weren’t found. But many people had to come along to the police station because they didn’t have their identification cards with them. Amongst them was Stiny’s father and my brother Kees. Stiny’s mother got on her bike and flew to their home in Blyham to pick up the card. My father brought Kees’ card to the police station. When Rev. Hommes had left, Rev. Berghuis, in all the commotion, with Germans all over the church, let the congregation sing Psalm 89. After that the service was over.