Augustinitsjerke

The Reformed Church and the Reformed Church in Drogeham, Friesland, merged on 12 December to form the Protestant Church of Drogeham. The reunification takes place after a separation of 175 years. Drogeham was one of the first churches to join the Secession. The Secession began in 1834 in Ulrum under the leadership of Rev. H. de Cock. In 1835, Doeveren and Genderen (Rev. HP Scholte) followed, and in 1835 Hattem (Rev. A. Brummelkamp), Almkerk (Rev. GF Gezelle Meerburg) and Drogeham (Rev. S. van Velzen). The merged church has approximately 900 members.

The church is a remnant of a Premonstratensian monastery founded in 1240 by a certain Gerke Harkema from Augustinusga , the Jerusalem monastery. In 1580 the monastery was largely demolished, only the fifteenth century brewhouse remained. In 1629 this was converted into a church, part of it was given the function of a residence for the minister in 1786. The tower is 19th century.

Characteristic Reformed church building with tower. In December 1925, the architect's first construction drawings were on the church council table. Initially, no one thought about a church tower, because it had to be as cheap as possible. The budget indicated approximately 34,000 guilders. Wasn't a wooden church cheaper anyway?! Moreover, the exact location had not yet been determined, because permission had not yet been obtained due to the canal that had to be dug. In the meantime, the architect simply continued calculating and thinking and came to the church council with a construction drawing of the Reformed Zuiderkerk in Emmen, which, including central heating, cost approximately 50,000 guilders, but then you also had a tower! Initially, it was decided – in order to save 6,000 guilders – to leave out the central heating and the tower, but the plans for the construction of an emergency church or a wooden church had also been thrown overboard. When the building permit was finally granted, it was decided to build a church with a tower after all, and construction company Nanning Bulthuis from Buitenpost in Friesland could start. The job was done for fl. 40,500 and the paintwork cost about fl. 2,500. In addition, a horse stable was built at the church for those who came to church by horse and cart. On either side of the main entrance of the church, a small memorial stone was bricked in: to the left of the entrance with the text 'Gebouwd' and to the right of it with '1926'.