Stichting Oude Gelderse Kerken

Stichting Oude Gelderse Kerken (SOGK), also known as Gelderse Kerken, is a Dutch foundation dedicated to saving old and monumental church buildings in the province of Gelderland from closure and decay. Founded in 1974, it works by giving the buildings a new function and exploiting them, or by supporting financially struggling churches with subsidies, so that a church can continue to serve a religious purpose while also taking on a new role for the community. The organization manages a diverse portfolio of monumental churches, one synagogue and several towers across Gelderland, and a local committee in each place handles the operation and promotion of the building. The foundation's churches are used for concerts, lectures, exhibitions, family dinners and many other events, which helps maintain these important monuments and makes them a vibrant heart of society. In addition to managing and programming its own properties, Gelderse Kerken advises and supports other church owners who want to do more with their monumental church. It offers its buildings as atmospheric locations for weddings, family days, anniversaries, concerts, exhibitions, business presentations and lectures, and provides advice on maintenance and on what can be done with a church. SOGK has more than 1,500 donors, for whom it publishes the quarterly magazine Venster. Its managed buildings include the Dorpskerk in Aerdt, the Sint-Victorkerk in Batenburg, the Kapel van Bronkhorst in Bronkhorst, the Sint-Lambertuskerk in Buren, the Oude Ettense Kerk in Etten, the Oude Calixtuskerk in Groenlo, the Kluntjespot in Haarlo, the Dorpskerk in Hoog-Keppel, the Sint-Lambertuskerk in Kerk-Avezaath, the Sint-Antoniuskerk in Kranenburg, the Hervormde kerk in Leur, the Martinuskerk in Rijswijk, the Sint-Remigiuskerk in Steenderen, the Sint-Joriskerk in Voor-Drempt, the Grote Kerk in Wageningen, the Walburgiskerk in Zutphen and a synagogue in Zutphen. It also manages the towers of the Remigiuskerk in Hengelo, the Nederlands Hervormde kerk in Hummelo and the Dorpskerk in Vorden. As a foundation, SOGK is a private, non-profit organization rather than a listed company. Its work sits at the intersection of heritage preservation, community programming and the adaptive reuse of religious buildings, and it positions itself as a partner for both its own churches and other church owners seeking a sustainable future for their monuments.

Stichting Oude Gelderse Kerken (SOGK) was founded in 1974 with the aim of protecting old church buildings in Gelderland from closure and decay. From its early years, the foundation pursued a dual strategy: where possible it would give a building a new function and exploit it, and where that was not feasible it would support a financially struggling church with a subsidy. This approach allowed a church to keep its religious function while simultaneously taking on a new task for the community, and it also created ways for target groups such as children to become acquainted with church buildings. Over the decades the foundation built up a portfolio of monumental churches, one synagogue and several towers across Gelderland. In each location a local committee handles the operation and promotion of the building, embedding the foundation's work in local communities. The organization also grew a donor base of more than 1,500 supporters, for whom it publishes the quarterly magazine Venster. By the 2020s the foundation presented itself under the name Gelderse Kerken, describing more than fifty years of work to preserve monumental churches for the future and to give them a fitting, broader destination. Its churches host concerts, lectures, exhibitions, family dinners and many other events, which help maintain the monuments and make them a vibrant heart of society. Beyond managing and programming its own properties, Gelderse Kerken advises and supports other church owners who want to do more with their monumental church, offering its buildings for weddings, family days, anniversaries, concerts, exhibitions, business presentations and lectures, and providing guidance on maintenance and on possible uses for a church.

• 1974

  Stichting Oude Gelderse Kerken is founded to protect old church buildings in Gelderland from closure and decay.

• The foundation builds a portfolio of monumental churches, one synagogue and several towers across Gelderland, with local committees managing each building.

• SOGK grows a donor base of more than 1,500 supporters and publishes the quarterly magazine Venster for them.

• The organization presents itself as Gelderse Kerken, marking more than fifty years of preserving monumental churches and giving them broader uses.

A heritage foundation that preserves monumental churches by giving them new, broader community uses and by advising other church owners.

• Dorpskerk, Aerdt

• Sint-Victorkerk, Batenburg

• Kapel van Bronkhorst, Bronkhorst

• Sint-Lambertuskerk, Buren

• Oude Ettense Kerk, Etten

• Oude Calixtuskerk, Groenlo

• Kluntjespot, Haarlo

• Dorpskerk, Hoog-Keppel

• Sint-Lambertuskerk, Kerk-Avezaath

• Sint-Antoniuskerk, Kranenburg

• Hervormde kerk, Leur

• Martinuskerk, Rijswijk

• Sint-Remigiuskerk, Steenderen

• Sint-Joriskerk, Voor-Drempt

• Grote Kerk, Wageningen

• Walburgiskerk, Zutphen

• Synagoge, Zutphen

• Toren van de Remigiuskerk, Hengelo

• Toren van de Nederlands Hervormde kerk, Hummelo

• Toren van de Dorpskerk, Vorden

1. 1Gelderse Kerkengeldersekerken.nl
2. 2Stichting Oude Gelderse Kerkenwikidata.org
3. 3Stichting Oude Gelderse Kerkennl.wikipedia.org