Reverend Wouters

Dominee Wouters - co-founder of De Regenboog Groep (died May 19, 2017)

As founder of what would later become De Regenboog Groep, Pastor Douwe Wouters devoted his heart and soul to helping people in need in Amsterdam for 25 years. In 2010, he said:

"It does me good to see that De Regenboog Groep is still a thriving organization. A lot has changed, of course. The Christian identity is no longer in the foreground, but the working method we developed back then is still proving its worth. De Regenboog Groep still relies on the efforts of hundreds of volunteers. You have your roots in society and that helps define your identity. As long as De Regenboog Groep is able to maintain that base, a lot of good work can still be done."

From the Nederlands Dagblad (Written by Rick Moeliker on May 24, 2017):

Dominee Douwe Wouters, pastor emeritus within the Protestant Church in the Netherlands, died Friday in his hometown of Huizen. Wouters gained national fame in 1990 when he sought to free his son from Iraq. Wouters' son, along with nine others, had been held hostage by Saddam Hussein's regime. The government felt that the release would have a better chance of success by deploying some "heavyweights," including former Foreign Minister Joseph Luns. The latter was willing to help, but not cooperate with "the minister with the beard," he said on television. Despite this uproar, Wouters succeeded; the hostages were released.

In Amsterdam, the pastor had enjoyed fame for much longer. This was mainly due to his role as co-founder of De Regenboog in 1975, an interdenominational foundation that provided care for hard-drug addicts. In addition to providing help, Wouters also organized church services for the addicts. About this he told this newspaper in 1989 that "drug users and prostitutes are more receptive to the gospel than those well-fed sheep who only go to church to hear confirmation of what they already know. Wouters was active for the foundation until the beginning of this century. The native Frisian served the Reformed Churches (synodal) of Monnickendam (1957), Hoorn (1961), Pijnacker and Nootdorp (1965) and Amsterdam (1972), where he retired in 1992.