Protestant Church in the Netherlands

Last updated
Protestant Church in the Netherlands
Protestant Church in the Netherlands.svg
Classification Protestant
Orientation United church
Polity Mixture of presbyterian and congregationalist
Associations
Origin1 May 2004
Netherlands
Merger of
Separations(newly organized denominations; refused to participate in the merger)
Congregations1,487
Members1.5 million (8.6% of the population) [1]
Official website www.protestantsekerk.nl OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

The Protestant Church in the Netherlands (Dutch : de Protestantse Kerk in Nederland, abbreviated PKN) is the largest Protestant denomination in the Netherlands, being both Calvinist and Lutheran.

Contents

It was founded on 1 May 2004 as the merger of the vast majority of the Dutch Reformed Church, the vast majority of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. [2] [3] The merger was the culmination of an organizational process started in 1961. Several orthodox Reformed and liberal churches did not merge into the new church.

The Protestant Church in the Netherlands (PKN) forms the country's second largest Christian denomination after the Catholic Church, with approximately 1.5 million members as per the church official statistics or some 8.6% of the population in 2021. [1] It is the traditional faith of the Dutch Royal Family a remnant of historical dominance of the Dutch Reformed Church, the main predecessor of the Protestant Church.

Doctrine and practice

Westerkerk in Amsterdam Westerkerk Amsterdam 20041002.jpg
Westerkerk in Amsterdam

The doctrine of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands is expressed in its creeds. In addition to holding the Apostles', the Nicene, and the Athanasian creeds of the universal Church, it also holds to the confessions of its predecessor bodies. From the Lutheran tradition are the unaltered Augsburg Confession and Luther's Catechism, and from the Calvinist tradition are the Heidelberg and Genevan Catechisms along with the Belgic Confession with the Canons of Dordt. The Church also acknowledges the Theological Declaration of Barmen and the Leuenberg Agreement. [4] Ordination of women and blessings of same-sex marriages are allowed. [5]

The PKN contains both liberal and conservative movements, although the liberal Remonstrants left talks when they could not agree with the unaltered adoption of the Canons of Dordt. Local congregations have far-reaching powers concerning "controversial" matters (such as admittance to holy communion or whether women are admitted as members of the congregation's consistory).

Organization

The polity of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands is a hybrid of presbyterian and congregationalist church governance. Church governance is organised along local, regional, and national lines. At the local level is the congregation. An individual congregation is led by a church council made of the minister along with elders and deacons elected by the congregation. At the regional level were 75 classical assemblies whose members are chosen by the church councils. As of May 1, 2018, these 75 classical assemblies are reorganized into 11 larger ones. At the national level is the General Synod which directs areas of common interest, such as theological education, ministry training and ecumenical cooperation. [6]

The PKN has four different types of congregations:

  1. Protestant congregations: local congregations from different church bodies that have merged
  2. Dutch Reformed congregations
  3. Reformed congregations (congregations of the former Reformed Churches in the Netherlands)
  4. Lutheran congregations (congregations of the former Evangelical-Lutheran Church)

Lutherans are a minority (about 1 percent) of the PKN's membership. To ensure that Lutherans are represented in the Church, the Lutheran congregations have their own synod. The Lutheran Synod also has representatives in the General Synod. [6]

Statistical details

The Protestant Church in the Netherlands issues yearly reports regarding its membership and finances. [7]

Its make-up by former affiliation of its congregations was as follows in 2017:

Members of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands by type of congregation (2017) [7]
Former affiliation of the congregation% of members in the Protestant Church in the Netherlands
no former affiliation, merged, or simply identifying as Protestant (Protestants)57.357.3
 
former Dutch Reformed Church (Hervormd)33.633.6
 
former Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Gereformeerd)8.68.6
 
former Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Luthers)0.50.5
 

Trend shows that since 2011 identification with former denominations has been falling in favor of simply identifying as "Protestant".

Secularization

Secularization, or the decline in religiosity, first became noticeable after 1960 in the Protestant rural areas of Friesland and Groningen. Then, it spread to Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and the other large cities in the west. Finally, the southern Catholic areas showed religious declines. Research in 2007 concluded that 42% of the members of the PKN were non-theists. [8] Furthermore, in the PKN and several other smaller denominations of the Netherlands, one in six clergy were either agnostic or atheist. [9] [10] A Dutch minister of the PKN, Klaas Hendrikse once described God as "a word for experience, or human experience" and said that Jesus may have never existed. [9] [11]

A countervailing trend is produced by a religious revival in the Dutch Bible Belt. [12] [13]

Separations

History of the churches in the Netherlands Ontstaansgeschiedenis van kerken in Nederland.jpg
History of the churches in the Netherlands

Only those congregations belonging to the former Reformed Churches in the Netherlands have the legal right to secede from the PKN without losing its property and church during a transition period of 10 years. Seven congregations have so far decided to form the Continued Reformed Churches in the Netherlands. [2] Two congregations have joined one of the other smaller Calvinist churches in the Netherlands. Some minorities within congregations that joined the PKN decided to leave the church and associated themselves individually with one of the other Reformed churches.

Some congregations and members in the Dutch Reformed Church did not agree with the merger and have separated. They have organized themselves in the Restored Reformed Church. Estimations of their membership vary from 35,000 up to 70,000 people in about 120 local congregations. [14] They disagree with the pluralism of the merged church which maintains, as they see it, contradicting Calvinist and Lutheran confessions. This group also considers same-sex marriages and female clergy unbiblical.

Chart of splits and mergers of the Dutch Reformed churches

Splits and mergers of the Dutch Reformed churches
NHK (1571)
Remonstrants (1619)
Seceders (1834)
CGK (1869)
NGK (Dolerende) (1886)
GKN (1892)
GerGem (1907)
GKV (1944)
GGiN (1953)
NRC (1967)
GGiN (unconnected) (1980)
NVK (2003)
HHK (2004) VGKN (2004)
ELKKN
PKN (2004)
NGK (2023)

Involvement in the Middle East

In a meeting of eight Jewish and eight Protestant Dutch leaders in Israel in May 2011, a statement of cooperation was issued, indicating, for the most part, that the Protestant Church recognizes the issues involved with the Palestinian Christians and that this is sometimes at odds with support for the State of Israel, but standing up for the rights of the Palestinians does not detract from the emphasis on the safety of the State of Israel and vice versa. [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Continental Reformed Protestantism</span> Reformed church originating in continental Europe

Continental Reformed Protestantism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that traces its origin in the continental Europe. Prominent subgroups are the Dutch Reformed, the Swiss Reformed, the French Huguenots), the Hungarian Reformed, and the Waldensian Church in Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heidelberg Catechism</span> Christian Reformed confessional document

The Heidelberg Catechism (1563), one of the Three Forms of Unity, is a Protestant confessional document taking the form of a series of questions and answers, for use in teaching Calvinist Christian doctrine. It was published in 1563 in Heidelberg, Germany. Its original title translates to Catechism, or Christian Instruction, according to the Usages of the Churches and Schools of the Electoral Palatinate. Commissioned by the prince-elector of the Electoral Palatinate, it is sometimes referred to as the "Palatinate Catechism." It has been translated into many languages and is regarded as one of the most influential of the Reformed catechisms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian Reformed Church in North America</span> Protestant Christian denomination

The Christian Reformed Church in North America is a Protestant Calvinist Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. Having roots in the Dutch Reformed Church of the Netherlands, the Christian Reformed Church was founded by Dutch immigrants in 1857 and is theologically Calvinist.

The Dutch Reformed Church was the largest Christian denomination in the Netherlands from the onset of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century until 1930. It was the original denomination of the Dutch royal family and the foremost Protestant denomination until 2004. It was the larger of the two major Reformed denominations, after the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands was founded in 1892. It spread to the United States, South Africa, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Brazil, and various other world regions through Dutch colonization. Allegiance to the Dutch Reformed Church was a common feature among Dutch immigrant communities around the world and became a crucial part of Afrikaner nationalism in South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reformed Church in the United States</span> Reformed Christian denomination in the United States

The Reformed Church in the United States (RCUS) is a Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. The present RCUS is a conservative, Calvinist denomination. It affirms the principles of the Reformation: Sola scriptura, Solus Christus, Sola gratia, Sola fide, and Soli Deo gloria. The RCUS has membership concentrated in the Midwest and California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evangelical and Reformed Church</span> Protestant Christian denomination in the United States

The Evangelical and Reformed Church (E&R) was a Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. It was formed in 1934 by the merger of the Reformed Church in the United States (RCUS) with the Evangelical Synod of North America (ESNA). A minority within the RCUS remained out of the merger in order to continue the name Reformed Church in the United States. In 1957, the Evangelical and Reformed Church merged with the majority of the Congregational Christian Churches (CC) to form the United Church of Christ (UCC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reformed Churches in the Netherlands</span> Former Protestant church that merged in 2004

The Reformed Churches in the Netherlands was the second largest Protestant church in the Netherlands and one of the two major Calvinist denominations along with the Dutch Reformed Church since 1892 until being merged into the Protestant Church in the Netherlands (PKN) in 2004. The PKN is the continuation of the Dutch Reformed Church, the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protestant Theological University</span>

Protestant Theological University is a theological university with locations in two Dutch cities: Amsterdam and Groningen. The Protestant Theological University primarily caters for ministerial education and as such is one of three institutes recognised by the PKN, but it is also possible to study general (Calvinist) theology without wishing to become a minister.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Netherlands Reformed Congregations</span> Conservative Calvinist denomination

The Netherlands Reformed Congregations is a conservative Calvinist denomination with congregations in Canada, the United States and Bolivia. It is affiliated with the Reformed Congregations in the Netherlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evangelical Synod of North America</span> Former protestant denomination in the United States

The Evangelical Synod of North America, before 1927 German Evangelical Synod of North America, in German (Deutsche) Evangelische Synode von Nord-Amerika, was a Protestant Christian denomination in the United States existing from the mid-19th century until its 1934 merger with the Reformed Church in the United States to form the Evangelical and Reformed Church. This church merged with the Congregational Christian Churches in 1957 to create the United Church of Christ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian Reformed Churches</span>

The Christian Reformed Churches in the Netherlands is a Protestant church in the Netherlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religion in the Netherlands</span>

Religion in the Netherlands was dominated by Christianity between the 10th and 20th centuries. In the late 19th century, roughly 60% of the population was Calvinist and 35% was Catholic. Since then, there has been a significant decline in both Catholic and Protestant Christianity, with Protestantism declining to such a degree that Catholicism became the foremost form of the Christian religion. The majority of the Dutch population is secular. Relatively sizable Muslim and Hindu minorities also exist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Communion of Reformed Churches</span> International Christian organization

The World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) is the largest association of Reformed (Calvinist) churches in the world. It has 230 member denominations in 108 countries, together claiming an estimated 80 million people, thus being the fourth-largest Christian communion in the world after the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Anglican Communion. This ecumenical Christian body was formed in June 2010 by the union of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and the Reformed Ecumenical Council (REC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated)</span> Orthodox-protestant church

The Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated) (Dutch: Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland (vrijgemaakt)) was an orthodox Calvinist federation of churches. This church body arose in 1944 out of the so-called Liberation (Vrijmaking) from the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, when many pastors and members refused to go along with the General Synod's demand to hold to "presumed regeneration of infants" at their baptism. Klaas Schilder played an important role in the Liberation. There are currently 270 affiliated local congregations with a total of about 120,000 members in 2016.

The Netherlands Reformed Churches was a conservative Reformed Protestant Christian denomination in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The denomination was formed in 1967 following a schism within the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Restored Reformed Church</span> Calvinist denomination in the Netherlands

The Restored Reformed Church is a Calvinist denomination in the Netherlands. It was founded in 2004, from congregations which made up the orthodox-reformed wing of the Dutch Reformed Church; they had previously been part of groups named Het Gekrookte Riet and the still existing Gereformeerde Bond within the Dutch Reformed Church. The Church has grown steadily since its founding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reformed Congregations</span> Conservative Calvinist church

The Reformed Congregations is a conservative Reformed church with 152 congregations in the Netherlands, 1 in Randburg, South Africa and 1 congregation in Carterton, New Zealand. The denomination has approximately 107,299 members as of 1 January 2015. It is Calvinist in theology. It is affiliated with the North American Netherlands Reformed Congregations.

The Reformed Association in the Protestant Church in the Netherlands is a confessional orthodox Calvinist group and movement within the Protestant Church in the Netherlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afrikaans Protestant Church</span> South African denomination

The Afrikaanse Protestantse Kerk, also known as AP Kerk, is a South African conservative Reformed Church federation with about 35,000 adherents. The federation consists of 210-240 congregations, mostly in South Africa, although the APK also includes 7 congregations in Namibia and one in London, England.

References

  1. 1 2 "Over de Protestantse Kerk". Protestantse Kerk in Nederland. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  2. 1 2 GoDutch.com, "Three-way PKN Union Drastically Changes Dutch Denominational Landscape: Two Groups of Merger Opponents Stay Out", May 24, 2004. Accessed July 13, 2010.
  3. "strijd met de onkerk".
  4. Church Order of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands Archived 2011-07-19 at the Wayback Machine . Article I, p. 1. Accessed July 13, 2010.
  5. Christian Post: Protestant Church in Netherlands to Grant Blessings to Gay Couples, 2007
  6. 1 2 Organisation of the PKN Archived 2011-07-19 at the Wayback Machine . Accessed July 14, 2010.
  7. 1 2 "PKN Statistische Jaarbrief 2017".
  8. Meester, Ronald; Dekker, G. God in Nederland (1996-2006). ISBN   9789025957407.
  9. 1 2 Pigott, Robert (5 August 2011). "Dutch rethink Christianity for a doubtful world". BBC News. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
  10. Video on YouTube
  11. Video on YouTube
  12. Knippenberg, Hans (1998). "Secularization in the Netherlands in its historical and geographical dimensions". GeoJournal. 45 (3): 209–220. doi:10.1023/A:1006973011455. ISSN   0343-2521. S2CID   142623867.
  13. Sobotka, Tomáš; Adigüzel, Feray (2002), Religiosity and spatial demographic differences in the Netherlands, hdl:11385/169984
  14. "Official website Restored Reformed Church". Archived from the original on 2010-10-23. Retrieved 2011-09-06.
  15. "Encounter and dialogue". Archived from the original on 2011-11-18. Retrieved 2011-08-14.