Proponent (Dutch churches)

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A proponent in the Protestant Church of the Netherlands (PKN) and among the Remonstrants is a trained theologian with the authority to preach who can be called by a congregation. The proponent differs from the candidate , a student who is already allowed to preach but is not yet eligible for a job. With the new church order of the PKN, the term proponent has returned after having been out of use for a long time.

Originally, a proponent was a trained theologian in the Reformed Church of the Netherlands , who met the requirements for the pastorate . One student became a proponent by successfully taking the exam before the regional church authority. In the 17th and 18th centuries, in order to gain access to it, he had to present certificates and qualifications from his professors. In the 19th century he had to take the candidate exam. Then slowly the term candidate instead of proponent prevailed; the Remonstrants always kept to the term proponent in their Agreement.

It was also possible to register for the exam based on special skills. Especially at the beginning of the 17th century, these predicants came up frequently because there was a lack of academically trained theologians. Later they came up less and less.

A proponent could be appointed a preacher by a church community. He has to take another exam at the PKN and its predecessor churches, this time in front of the congregation that is to call him.