Protestant Church in the Netherlands
Encyclopedia
The Protestant Church in the Netherlands is the largest Protestant Christian denomination
in the Netherlands
. With 2,000 congregations and a membership of some 1.8 million (or 10.8 % of the Dutch population, 2009), it is the second largest church in the Netherlands after the Roman Catholic Church.
It was founded 1 May 2004 as a merger of the Dutch Reformed Church
, the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands
and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands
. The merger was the culmination of an organizational process begun in 1961. The Church incorporates both Reformed and Lutheran theological orientations.
The doctrine of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands is expressed in its creeds. In addition to holding the Apostle's
, the Nicene
and the Athanasian Creed
s 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
. From the Reformed, 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
.
The PKN contains both liberal and conservative movements. Local congregations have far-reaching powers concerning "controversial" matters (such as whether or not women are admitted as members of the congregation's consistory
or admittance to holy communion).
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 deacon
s elected by the congregation. At the regional level are the 57 classical assemblies whose members are chosen by the church councils. At the national level is the General Synod
which directs areas of common interest, such as theological education, ministry training and ecumenical co-operation.
The PKN has four different types of congregations:
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.
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. They disagree with the pluralism of the merged church which maintains, as they see it, contradicting Reformed and Lutheran confessions. This group also considers same-sex marriages and female clergy unbiblical.
non-profit Sabeel
in Jerusalem, which promotes the Kairos Palestine document and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions
campaign against Israel. In addition, Kerk in Actie works together with Interchurch Organisation for Development Cooperation also involved in controversial anti-Israel activities.
In a meeting with 8 Jewish and 8 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.
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. With 2,000 congregations and a membership of some 1.8 million (or 10.8 % of the Dutch population, 2009), it is the second largest church in the Netherlands after the Roman Catholic Church.
It was founded 1 May 2004 as a merger of the Dutch Reformed Church
Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
, the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands
Reformed Churches in the Netherlands
The Reformed Churches in the Netherlands was the second largest Protestant church in the Netherlands until it merged into the Protestant Church in the Netherlands in 2004.-History:...
and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands was a denomination in the Netherlands which under that name existed from 1818 to 2004...
. The merger was the culmination of an organizational process begun in 1961. The Church incorporates both Reformed and Lutheran theological orientations.
Doctrine and practice
Apostles' Creed
The Apostles' Creed , sometimes titled Symbol of the Apostles, is an early statement of Christian belief, a creed or "symbol"...
, the Nicene
Nicene Creed
The Nicene Creed is the creed or profession of faith that is most widely used in Christian liturgy. It is called Nicene because, in its original form, it was adopted in the city of Nicaea by the first ecumenical council, which met there in the year 325.The Nicene Creed has been normative to the...
and the Athanasian Creed
Athanasian Creed
The Athanasian Creed is a Christian statement of belief, focusing on Trinitarian doctrine and Christology. The Latin name of the creed, Quicumque vult, is taken from the opening words, "Whosoever wishes." The Athanasian Creed has been used by Christian churches since the sixth century...
s of the universal church
Universal church
The phrase universal church can refer to:* Catholic Church* Ecumenism* Unitarian Universalism* Universalism* Universal Church of the Kingdom of God...
, it also holds to the confessions of its predecessor bodies. From the Lutheran tradition are the unaltered Augsburg Confession
Augsburg Confession
The Augsburg Confession, also known as the "Augustana" from its Latin name, Confessio Augustana, is the primary confession of faith of the Lutheran Church and one of the most important documents of the Lutheran reformation...
and Luther's Catechism
Luther's Large Catechism
Luther's Large Catechism consisted of works written by Martin Luther and compiled Christian canonical texts, published in April of 1529. This book was addressed particularly to clergymen to aid them in teaching their congregations...
. From the Reformed, the Heidelberg
Heidelberg Catechism
The Heidelberg Catechism is a Protestant confessional document taking the form of a series of questions and answers, for use in teaching Reformed Christian doctrine...
and Genevan Catechisms along with the Belgic Confession
Belgic Confession
The Confession of Faith, popularly known as the Belgic Confession, is a doctrinal standard document to which many of the Reformed churches subscribe. The Confession forms part of the Reformed Three Forms of Unity...
with the Canons of Dordt. The Church also acknowledges the Theological Declaration of Barmen and the Leuenberg Agreement
Leuenberg Agreement
Leuenberg Agreement is an ecumenical document adopted in 1973 by major European Lutheran and Reformed churches at the Swiss conference centre Leuenberg . Under this agreement the churches agree on a common understanding of the Gospel, including elementary agreement on important doctrines including...
.
The PKN contains both liberal and conservative movements. Local congregations have far-reaching powers concerning "controversial" matters (such as whether or not women are admitted as members of the congregation's consistory
Consistory
-Antiquity:Originally, the Latin word consistorium meant simply 'sitting together', just as the Greek synedrion ....
or admittance to holy communion).
Organization
The polity of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands is a hybrid of presbyterianPresbyterian polity
Presbyterian polity is a method of church governance typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session or consistory, though other terms, such as church board, may apply...
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
Elder (Christianity)
An elder in Christianity is a person valued for his wisdom who accordingly holds a particular position of responsibility in a Christian group. In some Christian traditions an elder is a clergy person who usually serves a local church or churches and who has been ordained to a ministry of Word,...
and deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
s elected by the congregation. At the regional level are the 57 classical assemblies whose members are chosen by the church councils. At the national level is the General Synod
Synod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
which directs areas of common interest, such as theological education, ministry training and ecumenical co-operation.
The PKN has four different types of congregations:
- Protestant congregations: local congregations from different church bodies that have merged
- Dutch Reformed congregations
- Reformed congregations (congregations of the former Reformed Churches in the Netherlands)
- 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.
Separations
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. Two congregations have joined one of the other smaller Reformed 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
Restored Reformed Church
The Restored Reformed Church is a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It was founded on May 1, 2004, by a minority of the Reformed Bond inside the Dutch Reformed Church who opposed that church's merger with two other Protestant churches into the Protestant Church in the Netherlands...
. Estimations of their membership vary from 35,000 up to 70,000 people in about 120 local congregations. They disagree with the pluralism of the merged church which maintains, as they see it, contradicting Reformed and Lutheran confessions. This group also considers same-sex marriages and female clergy unbiblical.
Involvement in the Middle East
A PKN supported organization, Kerk in Actie, employs an individual to represent them in Israel who works at the Palestinian ChristianPalestinian Christian
Palestinian Christians are Arabic-speaking Christians descended from the people of the geographical area of Palestine. Within Palestine, there are churches and believers from many Christian denominations, including Oriental Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholic , Protestant, and others...
non-profit Sabeel
Sabeel
Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center is a Christian liberation theology organization based in Jerusalem. It was founded by Palestinian Anglican priest, Rev. Naim Ateek, the former Canon of St...
in Jerusalem, which promotes the Kairos Palestine document and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions refers to a campaign first initiated on 9 July 2005 by 171 Palestinian non-governmental organizations in support of the Palestinian cause ".....
campaign against Israel. In addition, Kerk in Actie works together with Interchurch Organisation for Development Cooperation also involved in controversial anti-Israel activities.
In a meeting with 8 Jewish and 8 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.