Hendrik Arend van Gelder

Who is Hendrik Arend van Gelder?

Hendrik Arend van Gelder was a Dutch Mennonite teacher and minister.

Van Gelder was the son of the paper maker Hendrik van Gelder and Aagtje Mats. He was trained at the Amsterdam Mennonite seminary and first served in Mensingeweer 1851-1853. He married Rinske Feikema of Franeker in 1853 in her birthplace. Van Gelder then served at Medemblik 1853-1855, Drachten-Ureterp 1855-1858, and Bolsward 1858-1863 before being called in 1863 to serve in the Doopsgezinde kerk, Haarlem. Van Gelder wrote a history of the Mennonites in Haarlem that was never published. From 1869 he was also a member of the Teylers First Society.