Martinikerk

The Baptist community of Southwest Friesland drove the first pile for a new church building last week. The community, which is affiliated with the Union of Baptist Churches, has grown from around 70 to 120 baptized members in the past ten years. In addition, the community has around fifty children and young people and an equal number of people who are registered as friends of the community. The new church will have a hall with around 250 seats. The community hopes to be able to move into the new building this year.

In 1999, the Russian Orthodox Church in the Northern Netherlands acquired the former Reformed church building in the Frisian village of Hemelum. This church was built in the garden of the first deacon of the Reformed Church, Arent Gosses Visser. According to the archives of the Reformed Church, the piece of land was purchased from the first deacon for 150 guilders. In terms of the archive: "the Lord disposed of a piece of land". The church was built as a Doleantie church. The church building was transformed into a monastery, which was dedicated to Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra . The Russian Orthodox community thus continued a tradition. In the Middle Ages, there was a monastery in Hemelum, which was founded by the Benedictines of the monastery of Saint Odulphus in Stavoren . This monastery was also dedicated to Nicholas of Myra. The Reformed Nicholas Church of Hemelum was later built on the foundations of the old monastery.

In this church the old copper chandeliers were hung that had also hung in the church that had stood there since 1768. This church also had stained glass windows that unfortunately have not been preserved. Tower of the Herv. Church. 17th century tower finished by a saddle roof. Bell tower with the chiming of two bells by J. Noteman, 1649, diam. resp. 81 cm. and 71 cm. Mechanical tower clock, first quarter 20th century. Part of tower probably 13th century.