Uitdaging
Uitdaging is a Dutch Christian magazine and news medium covering evangelical Christianity in the Netherlands and Flanders, published since 1970.
Last updated September 29, 2026
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Overview
Uitdaging is a Dutch Christian magazine and news medium that reports on developments within evangelical Christianity, particularly in the Netherlands and Flanders. In addition to news, the publication offers background articles, interviews and a number of regular columns, including culture and book pages. It began in 1970 as a news bulletin of the Dutch branch of Campus Crusade for Christ, the Institute for Evangelism, later the Agapè foundation. In 1980 Leo Habets and Johan Bos turned it into a monthly newspaper, and circulation grew to more than 30,000 around the year 2000, partly because the paper was distributed free of charge. After Uitdaging became a subscription newspaper in 2003, circulation fell to 9,600. On 1 September 2003 the magazine was taken over by EB Media (since 2009 Inspirit Media). The main reason for the takeover was that the Agapè foundation saw equipping for evangelism as its core task, while Uitdaging had increasingly developed into a journalistic medium that sometimes took positions against persons or organisations with which Agapè was friendly or cooperated, leading to tensions. A well-known column came from the anonymous columnist 'Roeper', who often sharply opposed developments, organisations and persons within evangelical Netherlands; the column appeared on the front page from 1999. In 2004 it was announced that Roeper would be succeeded by Andries Knevel as columnist, but after reader protests he was retained, though no longer on the front page. In January 2011 Uitdaging was taken over by Maximum Life. The content was from then on filled by the editorial team of the news magazine Manna-Vandaag and the magazines were merged. The man behind Maximum Life was Leo Habets, who had set up Uitdaging as a monthly newspaper. Because it again became a news medium rather than a magazine, circulation, which had fallen sharply again from 2007, rose once more, as did advertising income. From 1 October 2011 Uitdaging was again a free newspaper that people could have sent to them. At the end of October 2012 editor-in-chief Eric Leijenaar died at the age of 59 from cardiac arrest. In early 2013 Habets transferred the rights to Uitdaging to publisher Inspire Media. That company ran into financial difficulties, and in February 2015 director Chris Ouweneel announced he was stopping, with the rights to the title automatically returning to Habets. He gave the magazine a restart, and in September 2015 the first edition of the new Uitdaging appeared. In September 2018 Habets announced that Uitdaging would stop, with financial problems the main reason; Habets had also been diagnosed in 2017 with metastatic colon cancer, causing the magazine to appear very irregularly. Habets died in early January 2019. Despite the announced end, Uitdaging made yet another restart, again with free subscriptions. The publishers were Siebren Verburg and Klaas Spijker. Because they no longer considered the publishing model, in which the magazine remained entirely dependent on donations and advertising income, sufficient to keep publishing, they divested the title and transferred it to Wijnand Voogdt, who has been publisher of Uitdaging since 1 December 2022. The magazine continues to appear, with recent editions such as Uitdaging 449 (November 2025) and Uitdaging 450 available to browse online, and free subscriptions to the paper edition.
History
Uitdaging began in 1970 as a news bulletin of the Dutch branch of Campus Crusade for Christ, the Institute for Evangelism, later the Agapè foundation. In 1980 Leo Habets and Johan Bos turned it into a monthly newspaper. Circulation grew to more than 30,000 around the year 2000, partly because the paper was distributed free of charge. After Uitdaging became a subscription newspaper in 2003, circulation fell to 9,600. On 1 September 2003 the magazine was taken over by EB Media (since 2009 Inspirit Media). The main reason for the takeover was that the Agapè foundation saw equipping for evangelism as its core task, while Uitdaging had increasingly developed into a journalistic medium that sometimes took positions against persons or organisations with which Agapè was friendly or cooperated, leading to tensions. A well-known column came from the anonymous columnist 'Roeper', who often sharply opposed developments, organisations and persons within evangelical Netherlands; the column appeared on the front page from 1999. In 2004 it was announced that Roeper would be succeeded by Andries Knevel as columnist, but after reader protests he was retained, though no longer on the front page. In January 2011 Uitdaging was taken over by Maximum Life. The content was from then on filled by the editorial team of the news magazine Manna-Vandaag and the magazines were merged. The man behind Maximum Life was Leo Habets, who had set up Uitdaging as a monthly newspaper. Because it again became a news medium rather than a magazine, circulation, which had fallen sharply again from 2007, rose once more, as did advertising income. From 1 October 2011 Uitdaging was again a free newspaper that people could have sent to them. At the end of October 2012 editor-in-chief Eric Leijenaar died at the age of 59 from cardiac arrest. In early 2013 Habets transferred the rights to Uitdaging to publisher Inspire Media. That company ran into financial difficulties, and in February 2015 director Chris Ouweneel announced he was stopping, with the rights to the title automatically returning to Habets. He gave the magazine a restart, and in September 2015 the first edition of the new Uitdaging appeared. In September 2018 Habets announced that Uitdaging would stop, with financial problems the main reason; Habets had also been diagnosed in 2017 with metastatic colon cancer, causing the magazine to appear very irregularly. Habets died in early January 2019. Despite the announced end, Uitdaging made yet another restart, again with free subscriptions. The publishers were Siebren Verburg and Klaas Spijker. Because they no longer considered the publishing model, in which the magazine remained entirely dependent on donations and advertising income, sufficient to keep publishing, they divested the title and transferred it to Wijnand Voogdt, who has been publisher of Uitdaging since 1 December 2022. The magazine continues to appear, with recent editions such as Uitdaging 449 (November 2025) and Uitdaging 450 available to browse online, and free subscriptions to the paper edition.
- 2025
Uitdaging 449 (November 2025) and Uitdaging 450 are available to browse online; free print subscriptions continue.
- 2022
Verburg and Spijker divest the title and transfer it to Wijnand Voogdt, who becomes publisher on 1 December.
- 2019
Habets dies in early January. Despite the announced end, Uitdaging makes another restart with free subscriptions; publishers are Siebren Verburg and Klaas Spijker.
- 2018
In September Habets announces that Uitdaging will stop, mainly due to financial problems.
- 2017
Habets is diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer, causing the magazine to appear very irregularly.
- 2015
In February director Chris Ouweneel announces he is stopping; rights return to Habets, who gives the magazine a restart. In September the first edition of the new Uitdaging appears.
- 2013
Early in the year Habets transfers the rights to Uitdaging to publisher Inspire Media.
- 2012
At the end of October editor-in-chief Eric Leijenaar dies at the age of 59 from cardiac arrest.
- 2011
In January Uitdaging is taken over by Maximum Life; content is filled by the editorial team of Manna-Vandaag and the magazines are merged. From 1 October it is again a free newspaper.
- 2004
It is announced that Roeper will be succeeded by Andries Knevel as columnist, but after reader protests Roeper is retained, no longer on the front page.
Products and positioning
A Dutch Christian news medium covering evangelical Christianity in the Netherlands and Flanders, distributed free of charge and funded by donations and advertising.
Uitdaging magazine (print)
A Dutch Christian magazine and news medium covering evangelical Christianity in the Netherlands and Flanders, with news, background articles, interviews and regular columns including culture and book pages.
Uitdaging online editions
Recent and earlier editions can be browsed online via the website.
Free print subscription
Readers can subscribe free of charge to receive the paper edition.
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