About Trinity
Welcome to Trinity Baptist International Church
In 1984 six families answered the call to begin an English-speaking, bible-based, church in the Den Haag area. Forty-four people attended the first service in a rented building in Wassenaar later that year with different preachers each week.
Who we are
Trinity International Church is a safe, welcoming, community of Christ-followers who uphold a high view of Scripture, celebrate unity in diversity and participate fully in the abiding Christian life as described in the Bible. We are united by the principle that in the essentials there should be unity, in all else there should be charity.
Our Mission
At Trinity Baptist International Church, we exist to glorify God by worshiping Him wholeheartedly, equipping believers for spiritual growth, fostering a loving and caring community, and proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ—starting in our neighborhoods and reaching the world.
Our Vision
Empowered by God’s wisdom and strength, Trinity Baptist International Church serves as an English-speaking, international ministry in the greater Den Haag area, inspiring spiritual renewal. We are fully committed to Christ’s lordship, biblical teaching, and active participation from every member. Our vision is to reach people from all backgrounds, guide them toward spiritual maturity, and send them out to advance God’s kingdom worldwide.
Meet the Pastor
Pastor Dan Axtell has been married to his wife, Nicole, since 1994. The son of Jerry Axtell, Founding Pastor of New Hope Christian Fellowship, Dan was raised in a pastoral home where the seeds of ministry were planted early and deeply in his life.
In 1988, he began serving as a youth pastor in his father’s church and was actively involved in ministry leadership through Young Life. After marrying Nicole, Dan attended Dallas Theological Seminary, earning a ThM in Pastoral Ministry.
In 1999, Dan became the first Associate Pastor of Trinity Baptist International Church in the Netherlands. He and Nicole often describe those four years as “the best four years of our lives.” In 2003, they returned to California, where Dan briefly served at First Baptist Church of Sacramento before founding Restoration Life Church — “a new church in the old part of the city.” For twenty years, Dan and Nicole faithfully led and served Restoration Life.
In January 2025, God called them back to the Netherlands to serve Trinity Church for a 90-day interim assignment during a critical season. What began as a short-term commitment became a clear calling. In October 2025, Pastor Dan returned as the permanent Senior Pastor. After 23 years away, he and Nicole are grateful to be back and serving once again in the Netherlands.
During their years in California, they finished raising their four children. Today, their family has grown to include two sons-in-law and two granddaughters, all living in the United States.
Meet the Elders
Elder Board
Trinity's brief history
In 1984 six families answered the call to begin an English-speaking, bible-based, church in the Den Haag area. Forty-four people attended the first service in a rented building in Wassenaar later that year with different preachers each week. These were active military, missionaries or retired pastors and elders. Stephen and Gwen Smith were chosen by a Pastor Search Committee and responded to the call.
Soon, the church was growing. Early outreach events included women’s gatherings, retreats and an annual Thanksgiving Banquet held in the Duinrell Amusement Park. By 1987 we were able to purchase a church building on Bloemcamplaan in Wassenaar where the congregation continued to grow to over 200 people.
Trinity hired a youth pastor and enjoyed worshipping together with more than 25 different nationalities represented. By 1999 the church had outgrown its building even with rented space at the school and two services each Sunday.
Trinity Church was known for its vibrant biblical teaching, missions, outreach and community and enjoyed a strong reputation as a healthy place for the nations to gather in worship. After years of struggling to fit in the overflowing Bloemcamplaan building, a new, larger, building was located in Leidschendam.
In the fall of 1999 it became the new home of Trinity International Church under the leadership of Pastor John Johnson and remains our church home today.
Throughout its forty-plus yeas of ministry Trinity International Church has baptized hundreds of people, shared the gospel to our neighbors and brought hope to many nations around the world. We have hosted prayer meetings, bible studies, fellowship gatherings and retreats. God has blessed our church and allowed us to be a sending body with thousands of former members spread throughout the world. We continue to serve and God continues to provide. By His grace, we will see thousands more baptized, trained and sent to share Jesus with the world.