Reformed churches in the Netherlands (exempt)
The Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (liberated) (Dutch: Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland (vrijgemaakt) ) are a Dutch, Calvinist - Protestant church community, which in 1944 after the so-called "liberation" ( vrijmaking ) from the former Reformed churches in the Netherlands ( Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland ). The decisive impetus was provided by the theologian and resistance fighter Klaas Schilder (1890–1952), whose appeal Acte van vrijmaking of wederkeer (Certificate of Liberation and Return) was read out on August 11, 1944 in the Evangelical Lutheran Burgwalkerk in The Hague .
At the beginning of 2017 there were 270 local churches with a total of 118,406 members. This makes it the second largest Reformed Church in the Netherlands, after the Protestant Church in the Netherlands .
The church association is a member of the International Conference of Reformed Churches .
Name of the church
After the liberation, the new church insisted on continuing the old name Reformed Church in the Netherlands . For practical reasons, however, it was necessary to distinguish oneself from the mother church, so that the addition “liberated” has since been made unofficially. The old Reformed Church was indicated by the "liberated" with the designation "synodal church", which alludes to the continued connection to the synodal power rejected by the liberated. An older, alternative suggestion for the liberated was "Reformed Churches (retaining Article 31)" or simply "Article 31 Church". Even after the “synodal” Reformed Church was accepted into the Protestant Church of the Netherlands , which was newly founded in 2004 , the liberated continue to use the term “liberated”.
Organization and administration
The Reformed Churches (liberated) are Presbyterian , that is, the highest authority always lies with the individual, local congregations. These communities are administered by a church council (or church council, presbytery ), which is composed of the pastor ( dominee ) and the church elders. The congregations also have deacons who assist the church council in more practical matters. Church elders and deacons are elected by members for limited terms.
Nationwide, the Reformed Churches (liberated) are organized in three layers: A group of local congregations are organized together in a classis . Appeals can be lodged with the Classis against decisions of the local communities. Different classes together form a regional synod. The highest organ is the National or General Synod, which meets every third year.
The Reformed Churches (liberated) have their own seminary , the Theological University in Kampen (Broederweg).
Doctrine and Faith Practice
The Reformed Churches (liberated) are an Orthodox, neocalvinist , Protestant church fellowship . It adheres to the infallibility thesis of the Bible , the Nicene Confession of Faith (actually Nicäno-Constantinopolitanum ), the Apostolic Creed , the Athanasian Creed and the so-called “three forms of unity”, i.e. the Heidelberg Catechism , the Dutch Creed (also called Confessio Belgica known) and the doctrinal rules of Dordrecht .
collaboration
There is a growing collaboration with two other Orthodox Reformed churches, the Christian Reformed Churches ( Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerken , CGK) and the Dutch Reformed Churches ( Nederlands Gereformeerde Kerken , NGK; not to be confused with the Dutch Reformed Church or Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk , NHK). Internationally the church stands u. a. in contact with the Evangelical Reformed Churches Westminster Confession of Switzerland (ERKWB).
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Jaap Kamphuis: De Acte van 11 augustus 1944: Manifest van Vrijmaking . In: Detmer Deddens, Melis te Velde (Red.): Vrijmaking, Wederkeer. Vijftig jaar Vrijmaking brought in beeld, 1944–1994 . De Vuurbaak, Barneveld 1994, ISBN 90-5560-004-0 , pp. 93-107.
- ↑ Albert-Jan Regterschot: Handboek SHI: Houvast Kerk in ontwikkeling zoekt . In: Reformatorisch Dagblad , February 24, 2017, accessed on March 19, 2019.
- ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from July 17, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (accessed on: August 23, 2012).
- ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original from July 15, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (accessed on: June 25, 2012).
