Gerrit Govaars

Who was Gerrit Govaars?

Gerrit Jurriaan Govaars was a Dutch teacher who was instrumental in setting up the Salvation Army in the Netherlands, and in engineering its spread through the various Dutch territories. In Dutch-speaking areas, the Salvation Army is called the 'Leger des Heils'.

Govaars, together with the English officers Captain and Mrs Joseph K. Tyler, commenced Army work in the Gerard Doustraat, Amsterdam, on 8 May, 1887. Operations soon spread throughout the country and reached Indonesia in 1894. Further advances were made in 1926 in Surinam and in 1927 in Curaçao.

As 'Colonel Gerrit J. Govaars', he was a recipient of the Salvation Army's 'Order Of The Founder' in 1947. Govaars composed a number of hymns that the 'Leger des Heils' employed in their activities. His grandson Robert Simpson was a noted English composer.