The Old-Catholic and Anglican Airport Ministry Foundation (OCAAM) is the sponsor for the Anglican and Old-Catholic participation in the Airport Chaplaincy of Schiphol Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world. The foundation, a registered charitable organization in the Netherlands, is under episcopal supervision by the Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe and the Old-Catholic Bishop of Haarlem in the Netherlands.
Around the globe, airport chaplains represent the church at the heart of this modern travel and communication world. Within the dynamic flow of thousands of people coming and going at airports, chaplains are available to assist and guide - find a way forward, lend an ear, pray.
The Old-Catholic or Anglican pastor serves full-time at Schiphol Airport, as part of an ecumenical team including Roman Catholic and Protestant pastors.
Objectives
- Our vision is, that in an increasingly transparent world, where globalization is increasing and more people are traveling around the world, the church must be recognized as a beacon on which people can rely, in whatever circumstances.
- The mission of OCAAM is to provide pastoral support to passengers, travellers, employees, and volunteers at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, through the involvement of the Old Catholic and Anglican churches; we strive to be a place for reflection, prayer, meditation, or a helping hand.
The board
The Old-Catholic and Anglican board came into being at the beginning of the year 2011. Anglicans and Old-Catholics share the responsibility in three ways: through prayer, through people and through funding.
| E. de Boer | Chairman | Old-Catholic |
| Vacant | Deputy chairman | Anglican |
| A. Blok | Secretary | Old-Catholic |
| E. Wolters | Treasurer | Anglican |
| H. Toorman | Board member | Old-Catholic |
| A. Huijink | Board member | Anglican |
OCAAM board members receive no salary or allowance for their work. Expenses directly related to performing board duties may be claimed by board members.
The Bishop of Haarlem, mgr Dr. Dirk Jan Schoon and the Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe, the Right Reverend Dr. Robert Innes, signed a covenant in which full participation is secured. Totally in line with the longstanding (more than 80 years) cooperation between the two church communities. In addition to the support of these two churches here in the Netherlands, the British branch of the Willibrord Society also supports OCAAM.
The Old-Catholic or Anglican reverend is not a member of the OCAAM board but he attends the OCAAM board meetings.
Partnering with OCAAM
Institutions of the Anglican Church in the mainland of Europe are generally self-supporting, as was the case with the Anglican Airport Ministry. Since early 2011, the Old-Catholic Church in the Netherlands has been participating in running the Anglican Airport Ministry. This name has now been changed to Old-Catholic and Anglican Airport Ministry (OCAAM). The airport authorities pay most of the operational costs of the Airport Chaplaincy, but the salaries of the clergy and maintenance, plus the costs of the OCAAM foundation, must be provided by the relevant churches, funds, foundations, and other interested individuals.
Because there is no permanent Anglican congregation or an Old-Catholic parish at the airport to support the Airport Pastoral Care, and there are also no Anglican funds in the Netherlands to provide financial resources, external sponsors are needed to ensure the continuity of the OCAAM. We are blessed with the generous support of the Old-Catholic Church in the Netherlands and Christ-Church Amsterdam. OCAAM receives a number of periodic donations, but new financial partners are still needed.
Documents
- The annual accounts of 2022 gives a complete overview of our activities in 2022;
- The standard form for publication - ANBI can be downloaded here.
Donations
OCAAM is considered a charitable foundation with ANBI (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling) status, registered in the Netherlands. Donations made to OCAAM are, for Dutch citizens, donations that, depending on the amount, can be income tax deductible.
All donations are welcome and can be deposited directly to:
IBAN: NL32 RABO 0393 7883 42
BIC: RABONL2U
name: Stichting Old Catholic and Anglican Airport Ministry
KVK-number: 34202767
RSIN: 815744948