NOM

So there it is: Nijmegen is closing, announced yesterday

So here´s the map
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?ll ... EY4t7k&z=8

You can cross out:
Hilversum, The Hague, closed per january 2017
Assen, Apeldoorn, closed per january 2017
Leeuwarden, Apeldoorn, autumn 2017
Nijmegen, Apeldoorn spring 2017
Dordrecht, Rotterdam summer 2017

Heerenveen, Apeldoorn already closed 2 years ago
Winterwijk, Apeldoorn already closed 2 years ago
Zutphen, Apeldoorn already closed 2 years ago
Delft, The Hague already closed 2 years ago

As a member of Nijmagen was gushing on his FB

The Stake president and his first counselor were there too, and right after Sacrament meeting the Stake president spoke to us, he told us that the members of the Nijmegen Branch will merge with the members of the Arnhem Ward in 3 weeks from now.
For some of the members, it came as a shock.
I knew that eventually, it would happen, a very dear friend of me in our branch
told me that about 3 weeks ago.
But you know, sometimes someone tells you something but you don't really hear what they saying. But I did yesterday, oh boy, I did hear, loud and clear.

It will be strange for me not to go to church in Nijmegen anymore in 3 weeks,
heck, I was converted and joined the church in Nijmegen 40 years ago.
My Mother and I were baptized the same day, June 11, 1976.
I love the members in my branch, in all the 40 years I never strayed to another LDS branch or ward.
But I know that this decision was made together with Salt Lake and the West European Area presidency.
And us members moving for our Sunday meetings to the Arnhem ward and be members of the Arnhem ward, will be okay. I look forward to meeting the
members and getting to know them better. Some of the members I already know and the are good friends.

I know that this decision was inspired because this is the church of Jesus Christ and our church leaders are called by God. It will be good, it will be good!

I´m off to go get myself some Kool-Aid.
The church, It´s growing and flourishing.....
No-one has ever seen a consolidation like this in Holland, no-one.

I'm surprised Dordrecht is closing! Isn't that where the temple is located?

That´s Zoetermeer, where the temple is.

Here is an unfair, overwhelming question for you, Meilingkie. If the institutional LDS church put you in charge of these realignments for the sake of maintaining some organizational health, what would you do? Do these changes make sense? Is the raison d'etre of the LDS church in Europe worth a realignment either big or or small?

Churches being closed now are those buildings which are easily disposed of.
Rented spaced, converted houses ets.
Dordrecht being a case in point.
An old city-mansion which would be eminently suited to house an accountant, doctor, or lawyer.
A monumental old house with a massive yard in the old town.
In 1940-1945 it was the headquarters of the SS
Worth abt 2 million in current condition.

The Rotterdam 2nd Ward is in trouble but had a chapel built. In a part of town which is being restructured. The ground beneath is is virtually worthless. And who would want to
Buy an LDS chapel?? Turn it into a dancing or a mosque. Not much money there.

So these 2 wards get combined.

Nijmegen and Arnhem the Same.