EVANGELICAL CHURCH OF SAN NICOLAS
Our church is the outgrowth of a vision
the Lord gave to his servant Frederick
Franson back in the nineteenth
century. Franson was born in Sweden
on June 17, 1852. He grew up in a
Christian environment and his family
immigrated to Nebraska, USA, in
1869. At the age of 20 he was
converted after reading Romans 10:6-
7 and was later baptized in the
Swedish Baptist Church.
In America he worked as a counselor
during the outreach services of D.L.
Moody and later became a member of
Moody's Church in Chicago. By the age of
23 he was involved in missionary work
among the Swedish speaking
communities in Minnesota.
Franson went back to his homeland in
1881 and spent nine years in Scandinavia
preaching the gospel. His work led to the
birth of the Scandinavian Alliance Mission
(SAM) in which several church formed an
alliance to send missionaries around the
world, including China. When he returned
to the US in 1890 The Evangelical
Alliance Mission (TEAM) was founded.
Franson's life's motto was "Forward Till
Upward."
In early 1920 TEAM missionaries focused
their attention on Venezuela and
Colombia. When their visas needed to be
renewed they would go to Aruba or
Curacao to wait for the necessary
permits. It was during these visits that the
need for reaching the islands was sensed.
G.A. Holmberg and his wife were
appointed to minister in Aruba while
awaiting their visas for Venezuela. Once
their visas were issued they were
replaced by Paul Sheetz and his wife
Sharlotte in 1943. The preaching ministry
of Paul Sheetz brought many to faith in
Jesus Christ and in 1955 the
Evangelical Alliance Church of
Oranjestad was founded. Other TEAM
missionaries who served on the island
of Aruba were, among others, Bruce
Bromley, Robert McClain, Betty
Ratzslaff and, Lillian Mikkelson. TEAM
was instrumental in establishing a radio
station in Aruba, Radio Victoria, and
translating the complete Bible into
Papiamento, the local language.
Rev. Edgar Martens was sent to Aruba
as director of constructions and in 1970
a church was founded in the English
speaking community of San Nicolas in
Aruba. Thus, Evangelical Church of
San Nicolas was born. Later Lester
Morris replaced Rev. Martens.
Those who have served as pastors in
the Evangelical Church of San Nicolas
were Edgar Martens (Canada), Lester
Morris (Canada), Anthony Green
(Aruba), Fernando Eights (Aruba),
Carlos van Langeveld (Curacao), Ron
Johnson (USA), Phil Holiday (Canada),
Delbert Denny (USA), Michael Scolare
(USA) and, Norman Browne (Aruba).
History of Evangelical Church of San Nicolas, Aruba
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