Reformed Minister
Cornelis (Cor) Gros was born on 28 April 1933, in The Hague, as the son of police officer Jacob Gros and Nieske Poortinga. After completing ULO secondary school, he began his career at the Ministry of Finance. In the evenings, he studied for his Gymnasium A diploma. He received his further education at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. On 10 December 1961, Rev. Gros was inducted as a minister in Woudsend.
From 8 May 1966, Gros was associated with the Reformed Church of Aalten. He served here for 32 years until his retirement in 1998. At the end of April that year, he received a Royal decoration from Mayor Bouwers of Aalten.
In an interview with the regional weekly newspaper Achterhoek Nieuws, published on 22 April 1998, Gros shared his experiences: “I certainly had certain expectations. But what it truly means to be a minister, you only know once you are one. It can be disappointing. However, it can also, as in my case, be even more beautiful than you had expected.”
The fact that Gros became a minister is more or less thanks to the captivating way Cor Bruijn describes life on an island in the book Sil de Strandjutter. “As a boy of about ten, I read Sil de Strandjutter and I thought to myself: how do I get to such an island,” Gros said. “There were three possibilities: as a minister, as a doctor, or as a teacher. I knew quickly that it would be a minister.”
In 1966, he moved with his family to Aalten, where he became the minister for the north-west district, a position he held throughout his career. “I am not a man who jumps through churches like a flea,” Gros explained. “And in Aalten, my family and I liked it so much that I didn’t want to leave. The people of Aalten are good people. I experience them as incredibly cordial. And they also know how to keep their distance, so I never felt like I was being lived by others.”
Gros enjoyed the interaction with the people in his district the most. “My life was dedicated to that,” he said. “I wanted to be there for them when they needed me and, in those situations, to be able to mean something to them in all modesty. Experience has shown that my presence was especially desired in sad situations. I tried to empathize with people, to listen a lot, and sometimes to speak. Pastoral care is for the most part listening. I have always done my work with satisfaction. The trust and gratitude that people gave me were incredibly great.”
Gros held numerous ecclesiastical positions at classical, provincial, and national levels. Among other roles, he was chairman of the Synod of Gelderland and of the Deputies for Spiritual Care Abroad. After his retirement, he was a board member of the local broadcaster De Lindeboom for many years, where he also presented several programs.
The last months of his life, Gros lived on Geurdenstraat in Aalten. He passed away on 21 August 2011, at the age of 78. The service of Word and prayer, preceding his funeral, took place in the Oosterkerk. Cor Gros was buried at Berkenhove cemetery.
