Remembering Brother Andrew

On September 27, 2022, Anne van der Bijl, better known as “Brother Andrew”, was called home to meet, face to face, the Saviour he served so well while on earth. He was 94.

Andrew follows his wife, Corry, who passed away in 2018. He is survived by five children and eleven grandchildren.

On September 27, 2022, Anne van der Bijl, better known as “Brother Andrew”, was called home to meet, face to face, the Saviour he served so well while on earth. He was 94.

Andrew follows his wife, Corry, who passed away in 2018. He is survived by five children and eleven grandchildren.

God's Smuggler

“Lord, you have made blind eyes see. Please make seeing eyes blind.”

That was the “smuggler’s prayer”, whispered by Brother Andrew every time he crossed a border with a car full of Bibles for Christians in restricted areas.

Originally focused on Eastern Europe, Brother Andrew’s ministry of strengthening the persecuted church has grown into a global movement.

God's Smuggler

“Lord, you have made blind eyes see. Please make seeing eyes blind.”

A life well lived.

Throughout his life, Brother Andrew dared to trust God and follow Jesus into danger. He leaves a powerful legacy of vision, faith and everlasting hope for the persecuted believers he dedicated his life to serve. Open Doors celebrates and gives thanks for his inspirational life.

Revelation 3:2, “Strengthen what remains and is about to die”, stuck with Brother Andrew as he travelled around Communist Europe in the 1950s. He realized the tremendous need of these isolated and marginalized Christians. Over the years he visited Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Hungary, East Germany, Bulgaria, Rumania and Russia.

Driving the now famous bright blue Volkswagen Beetle across Europe, he smuggled hundreds of illegal Bibles across borders to encourage and strengthen the church whose access to Bibles and right to religious expression were being squeezed by the authorities. In each country Brother Andrew once again heard what he had first heard in Poland – that the church felt isolated and alone and that his presence there meant everything to them.

The first time Brother Andrew smuggled Bibles over a border he said, “Lord, in my luggage I have scripture that I want to take to our children across the border. When you were on earth you made blind eyes see. Now I pray you make seeing eyes blind.”

Brother Andrew was never caught.

If you would like to honour Brother Andrew by making a special memorial gift to continue his life goal of strengthening persecuted Christians, you may do so here

After the fall of Communism, Brother Andrew turned his attention to the growing Islamist violence toward Christians across the Middle East, Persian Gulf, Northern Africa and Southeast Asia, preaching against retaliation.

Pastor Hanna Massad, pastor at Gaza Baptist church and founder of Christian Mission to Gaza, once said, “When Gaza was under siege, we found Brother Andrew in our midst seeking to encourage the persecuted church in Gaza. When no Christians were willing to speak to the leaders of Hamas in Gaza, Brother Andrew was the first person to do this without compromising his faith. I heard him say to one of the leaders in Hamas that everyone needs to know Christ. He said that if we did not go to them with Christ’s love they would come at us with their weapons. He gained the right to speak to them because of his genuine care and love for all people.”

Johan Companjen, founding president of Open Doors, said, “When I think of Brother Andrew two things come to mind. One, he was a pioneer, always looking for new and unique things. Second, he was a prophet. Many times, he shared thoughts and ideas that we could not ‘place’. But years later we discovered that he was way ahead of us. Brother Andrew always liked to do unique, often impossible things. If a project was possible he was not interested. ‘Everybody can do that,’ he would say. However, when he heard the word impossible he was very excited.”

Tributes and Condolences

Brother Andrew’s life impacted many people around the world. He will be missed and his absence will be felt strongly by his family. Join with others across the globe and share words of comfort and encouragement by signing the digital book of condolences and tributes.

If you would like to honour Brother Andrew by making a special memorial gift to continue his life goal of strengthening persecuted Christians, you may do so here