The convictions of the 16th-century Protestant Reformation were first embraced in the Netherlands in 1548 as growing numbers of Reformed believers began to associate and assemble for public worship in the Northern provinces of De Nederlanden (The Low Countries).
The Reformers embraced the doctrines championed by Martin Luther (1483-1546) and systematized by John Calvin (1509-1564), but were forced underground by the reign of Philip II, King of Spain (1527-1598) and inquisition of his deputy, Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba (1507-1582). Despite the cruelty of the tribunals and blood councils of Alba against the Reformers, the persecuted congregations grew, supported by a swelling nationalist movement that sought the liberation of the Netherlands from Spain.
The early Reformed churches were blessed with gifted and competent leaders, including Guido de Brès (1522-1567), author of the Belgic Confession (1561), as well as Zacharias Ursinus (1534-1583) and Caspar Olevianus (1536-1587), formulators of the Heidelberg Catechism (1563). Both treatises would gain confessional status to which most Reformed churches still subscribe.
With continuous growth, the Reformed churches in the Low Countries began to develop an institutional structure. On the heels of the Walloon and Flemish Synods of Armentières in 1563 and Antwerp in 1566, a number of Calvinist Reformers first met in captivity at the Convent of Wezel in 1568, where a tentative church order was drawn up. The meeting at Wezel led to the Synod of Emden in 1571, which many regard as the first official assembly of the Reformed churches in the Netherlands and formation of the Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk (Dutch Reformed Church).
The early Dutch reformers appealed to precedent, adopting the Ecclesiastical Ordinances (1541) of John Calvin as a blueprint for ecclesiastical polity, as well as Belgic Confession, translated into Dutch in 1562, as a statement of faith. Wezel and Emden established the principles and practices of Reformed church government, giving credence to the Reformed churches in the Netherlands as an independent ecclesiastical body devoted to the principles of Calvinism, the Protestant Reformation and historic Christian faith.
Notable leaders of the early Reformed churches in the Netherlands included pastors, Johannes à Lasco (1499-1560), Maarten Micron (1523-1559) and Gaspar van der Heyden (1530-1586), as well as liturgists, Pieter Datheen (1531-1588) and Philips van Marnix, Lord of Sint-Aldegonde (1538-1598). Despite political upheaval and the threat of civil war, the Reformed churches remained unified in faith and doctrine for the next forty years.
Following a bold nationalistic uprising in 1572, the Netherlands gained political independence from Spain. Enjoying newfound liberties, the Reformed churches hosted another synod in Dordrecht in 1574. A year later, a theological school was established in Leiden. A gesture of goodwill from Prince William of Orange (1533–1584), the seminary was an accolade to the citizens of Leiden for their courageous defence of the city during the Spanish occupation. The theological school was later granted the motto Praesidium Libertatis or Bastion of Liberty. The seminary exists today as the University of Leiden. Ensuing synods were held, again in Dordrecht in 1578, Middelburg in 1581 and The Hague in 1586.
As the nation secured peace and embraced political autonomy in the 17th century, the Reformed churches in the Netherlands experienced ecclesiastical strife. Ordained in 1588 and appointed Professor of Theology at the University of Leiden in 1603, theologian and pastor, Jacobus Arminius (1560-1609) and his followers began to dispute a number of key tenets of the doctrines of grace. The controversy centred on the reconciliation of the sovereignty of God and free will of humanity. Arminius found favour with a number of colleagues at Leiden, including his successor, Conrad Vorstius (1569-1622), but was opposed by other divines, including Franciscus Gomarus (1563–1641) and Johannes Bogerman (1570-1637). The followers of Arminius, known as the Remonstrants, increasingly pressed their grievances, leading toward an inevitable confrontation.
The contentions of Arminius and the Remonstrants preoccupied the Netherlands, moving the country toward the brink of civil war. The controversy intensified in 1610 when the Remonstrants issued a formal protest, authored by Johannes Uytenbogaert (1557–1644), and certified by forty-three signatories, entitled, De Vijf Artikelen van Remonstrantie (The Five Articles of the Remonstrants).
The Reformed churches responded by calling a National Synod, convened in Dordrecht with the approval of the Staten van Holland (States of Holland) and Staten Generaal (Parliament of the Dutch Republic).
The historic assembly met into 1619 in Dordrecht, addressing each article of the protest of the Remonstrants. The council reached a protracted consensus - the teachings of Jacobus Arminius were denounced and Remonstrants expelled. A definitive moment in the historical development of the Reformed churches in the Netherlands, the five points of the Remonstrants were decisively refuted, the error of human autonomy in the redemption from sin and conditional nature of salvation rejected. The response of the assembly to the five articles of the Remonstrants resulted in the formulation of the five points of Calvinism and publication of the Canons of Dort (1618-1619), an historic document not only setting out the doctrinal distinctives of the Reformed churches, but, as a theological treatise, assuming confessional status.
A return to Scriptural orthodoxy, the historic assembly also settled and ordered the doctrinal, spiritual and ecclesiastical life of the Reformed churches in the Netherlands, confirming the 1566 Dutch-language translation of the Genevan Psalter by Pieter Datheen (1531-1588) and authorizing a standard Bible translation, De Statenvertaling (The Translation of the States), as well as addressing control of the church by the state and investigating a number of overseas mission opportunities. The Canons, with the Belgic Confession (1561) and Heidelberg Catechism (1563), complete what is known today as the Three Forms of Unity, the threefold creedal confession of faith of the Reformed churches.
Following the synod, the Remonstrants established a separate body called the Remonstrantse Broederschap (Remonstrant Brotherhood).
The Reformed churches, meanwhile, pressed on with mended vision and purpose. New initiatives and opportunities presented themselves as distant shores in North America, Africa and Asia beckoned.
With a renewed mandate from Dordrecht, Calvinism was officially recognized as the state religion in the Netherlands and with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, the Reformed churches were extended special privileges. The Reformed churches also experienced new growth in 1685 when a large number of Huguenots fled religious persecution in France. The refugees joined the Reformed churches, maintaining a French-speaking faction called the Églises Wallonnes or Waalse Kerken (Walloon Churches).
The decades following Dordt were characterized by few organizational challenges or controversies, aside from a key doctrinal exchange between Gisbertus Voetius (1589-1676) and Johannes Cocceius (1603-1669) at Leiden, and depositions of Balthasar Bekker (1634-1698), Herman Alexander Roëll (1653–1718) and Johannes Vlak (1635-1690) from Classis Walcheren.
The small low-lying nation experienced renewed political upheaval with the arrival of French Revolutionary armies and Batavia Revolution in 1795. The revolt forced a separation of church and state in the Netherlands, stripping the Reformed churches of special state privileges. In 1796 the practice of paying stipends to Reformed ministers ended.
Following the conclusion of the revolution and retreat of Napoléon Bonaparte (1769–1821), the church and Dutch state were again reunited. Yet in the context of the return of political stability, discontent was mounting within many Reformed congregations. A new threat faced the church with the advent of 18th-century Rationalism and higher criticism of Scripture. In response to what many concerned office bearers and church members saw as spiritual deadness in the pulpit and pew, a renewal movement began to gain momentum, sweeping across the newly established United Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1813. The revival became known as Het Réeveil (The Renewal), blossoming under the leadership of polemicists and poets, Willem Bilderdijk (1756-1831), Nicholas Schotsman (1754-1822) and Isaäc da Costa (1798-1860).
The movement faced resistance, however, when in 1816 William I (1772–1843), King of the United Netherlands, imposed a new hierarchical, collegial system on the Reformed churches. The Monarch introduced a new church order called Het Algemeen Regelement (The General Regulations), usurping the ecclesiastical authority of the Reformed churches. The Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk was consolidated, granted official state status and renamed the Nederlandsche Hervormde Kerk (Dutch Reformed Church).
The new regulations and other government-imposed practices antagonized local clergy and grassroots parishioners and a number of dissidents began to voice opposition. Concern over theological liberalism and resistance to the control of the church by the state climaxed in 1834 with De Afscheiding (The Separation), or Secession of 1834.
The secession originated with the suspension of Dutch minister, Hendrik de Cock (1801-1842), Pastor of the Dutch Reformed Church in Ulrum, Groningen, the Netherlands, from the Dutch Reformed Church, Friday, December 13, 1833, contesting the doctrinal direction of the state church.
The ensuing controversy led to the withdrawal of the Dutch Reformed Church in Ulrum, Monday, October 13, 1834, from the Dutch Reformed Church, and declaration of the Akte van Afscheiding van het Nederlandsch Hervormd Kerkgenootschap (Act of Secession), Tuesday, October 14, 1834.
The secession led to the establishment of the Gereformeerde Kerk onder het Kruis in Nederland (Reformed Church under the Cross in the Netherlands) and Christelijk Afgescheidene Gereformeerde Kerk in Nederland (Christian Separated Reformed Church in the Netherlands) at the Algemeene Synode der Gereformeerde Kerk onder het Kruis in Nederland (Annual Synod the Reformed Church under the Cross in the Netherlands), held Wednesday, March 2, to Saturday, March 12, 1836, in Amsterdam, North Holland, the Netherlands, subsequently the Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerk in Nederland (Christian Reformed Church in the Netherlands) and Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland (Christian Reformed Churches in the Netherlands).
Notable leaders of the secession churches included Simon van Velzen (1809-1896), Antonie Brummelkamp (1811-1888), Albertus van Raalte (1811-1876) and Hendrik Scholte (1805-1868).
Dissident pastor, Lambertus Ledeboer (1808-1863), led an additional group out of the Dutch Reformed Church when he was suspended by the state church in 1841.
Unwilling to affiliate with the Reformed Church under the Cross in the Netherlands or Christian Separated Reformed Church in the Netherlands, the departure of Ledeboer resulted in the formation of the Ledeboeriaanse Gemeenten (Ledeboer Congregations).
The Dutch government relented to mounting pressure within the state church, transferring ecclesiastical authority back to the National Synod in 1843.
Yet the secession movement continued to grow, a number of secessionists, at the counsel of Antonie Brummelkamp, seeking an ecclesiastical future across the Atlantic Ocean.
Afscheiding dissidents crossed over to North American shores when, in 1846, Albertus van Raalte left the Netherlands and immigrated to the United States of America, establishing, along with his followers, the colony of Holland, Michigan.
In 1847, Hendrik Scholte followed, establishing the colony of Pella, Iowa.
The secessionist migration across the Atlantic marked the beginning of the Afscheiding presence in North America, leading to the formation of the Hollandsche Gereformeerde Kerk (Holland Reformed Church) and subsequently the Christian Reformed Church in North America.
The reformulated constitution of 1848 transferred power from the Dutch Monarchy to the legislature, affirming religious freedom in the Netherlands. As Liberalism and religious pluralism began to flourish, the ties between church and state loosened, although the Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk officially remained under state control. In 1852, the church order of the Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk was once again revised. The Dutch government relinquished most of its rights and responsibilities over the Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk, granting the Dutch State Church further independence. By 1862, the Dutch government had phased out the Ministry of Religion.
The Reformed Church under the Cross in the Netherlands and Christian Separated Reformed Church in the Netherlands united at the Algemeene Synode der Christelijk Afgescheidene Gereformeerde Kerk in Nederland (Annual Synod of the Christian Separated Reformed Church in the Netherlands), held Wednesday, June 16, to Wednesday, June 23, 1869, in Middelburg, Zeeland, the Netherlands, leading to the formation of the Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerk in Nederland (Christian Reformed Church in the Netherlands).
Growing concern regarding the theological direction of the Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk in 1864 led to the formation of a new entity within the Dutch State Church, the Confessionele Vereniging (Confessional Association). Led by religious historian and statesman, Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer (1808-1876), the Confessionele Vereniging was a precursor to the second major exodus from the Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk, known as De Doleantie' (The Grieving), in 1886.
Troubled by the theological direction of the Dutch State Church and inspired by the call of Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer for renewal, theologian, statesman and future Prime Minister, Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920), led a new group out of the Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk in 1886, resulting in the formation of the Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk dolerende (Dutch Reformed Church grieving).
Seeking union with the original secession churches of 1834, Abraham Kuyper orchestrated an ecclesiastical accord, resulting in the union of the Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk dolerende and Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerk in Nederland at the Synod of Amsterdam in 1892. The newly established federation of churches adopted the name, Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland (Reformed Churches in the Netherlands).
Three congregations in Noordeloos, Zierikee and Teuge declined to participate in the union and remained separate, retaining the name Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerk in Nederland. A number of Afgescheiden churches subsequently bowed out of the Union of 1892, affiliating with the Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerk in Nederland.
In 1905, in an attempt to appease competing doctrinal claims, the General Synod of the Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland adopted the Conclusions of Utrecht (a conciliatory statement on the relationship between baptism and regeneration) and modified the Belgic Confession (by deleting passages from Article 36 which entrust the government with the task of suppressing all false religions and destroying the reign of the Antichrist).
In 1906 orthodox congregations within the Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk separated from the Confessionele Vereniging and formed the Gereformeerde Bond (Reformed Alliance).
In 1907 church leader and statesman, Gerrit Hendrik Kersten (1882-1948), united twenty-three Ledeboeriaanse Gemeenten and thirteen Gereformeerde Gemeenten onder het Kruis (Reformed Congregations under the Cross), resulting in the formation of the Gereformeerde Gemeenten (Reformed Congregations).
The Gereformeerde Gemeenten established close ties with like-minded independent Reformed congregations across the Atlantic which would eventually lead to the formation of the Netherlands Reformed Congregations in North America.
A number of independent congregations in the Netherlands accepted the invitation of Gerrit Hendrik Kersten to consider union, but eventually, under the leadership of pastor and church leader, Laurens Boone (1860-1935), remained independent, resulting in the formation of the Oud Gereformeerde Gemeenten (Old Reformed Congregations).
In 1922 pastor and church leader, Cornelis de Jonge (1854-1945), united an additional group of independent Reformed congregations, resulting in the formation of the Federatie van Oud Gereformeerde Gemeenten (Federation of Old Reformed Congregations).
Despite the ongoing consolidation of independent Reformed congregations in the Netherlands, the Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland remained the largest communion of Reformed churches outside the Nederlands Hervormde Kerk. Renewed controversy in the first few decades of the 20th century, however, would cast a pall over the union championed by Abraham Kuyper in 1892.
A progressive alliance holding to an allegorical view of the first three chapters of Genesis withdrew from the Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland in 1926, leading to the formation of the Gereformeerde Kerken in Hersteld Verband (Reformed Churches in Restored Union). The Gereformeerde Kerken in Hersteld Verband eventually united with the Nederlands Hervormde Kerk in 1946.
Ongoing doctrinal struggles within the Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland regarding the particular views of Abraham Kuyper on covenant theology and baptism and subsequent synodical battles climaxed in 1944, leading to the deposition of pastor and seminarian, Klaas Schilder (1890-1952).
Known as De Vrijmaking (The Liberation), the deposition resulted in the formation of the Gereformeerde Kerken vrijgemaakt (Reformed Churches in the Netherlands).
In 1947, the Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerk in Nederland, independent since the Secession of 1834, adopted the name, Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland (Christian Reformed Churches in the Netherlands). In the same year, two congregations left the Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland, resulting in the formation of the Christelijke Gereformeerde Gemeenten in Nederland (Christian Reformed Congregations in the Netherlands).
In 1948, the Federatie van Oud Gereformeerde Gemeenten united with the Oud Gereformeerde Gemeenten, resulting in the formation of the Oud Gereformeerde Gemeenten in Nederland (Old Reformed Congregations in the Netherlands).
The Christelijke Gereformeerde Gemeenten in Nederland united with the Oud Gereformeerde Gemeenten in Nederland in 1952.
The Gereformeerde Gemeenten experienced a division in 1953 when pastor and seminarian, Cornelis Steenblok (1894-1966), was dismissed as an instructor from the Theologische School van de Gereformeerde Gemeenten (Theological College of the Reformed Congregations) in Rotterdam for his view of the limited offer of the Gospel. Steenblok established a new federation, resulting in the formation of the Gereformeerde Gemeenten in Nederland (Reformed Congregations in the Netherlands).
The Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk and Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland initiated discussions regarding a proposed union in 1958, setting in motion a process of reconciliation between the Dutch State Church and secession churches founded by Abraham Kuyper.
A renewed controversy within the Gereformeerde Kerken vrijgemaakt in 1969 resulted in the formation of the Nederlands Gereformeerde Kerken (Netherlands Reformed Churches).
In 1970, orthodox congregations within the Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland formed the Confessioneel Gereformeerd Beraad (Confessional Reformed Conference).
The Gereformeerde Gemeenten in Nederland experienced a division in 1980, resulting in the formation of the Gereformeerde Gemeenten in Nederland buiten verband (Reformed Congregations in the Netherlands unaffiliated).
In 1995, evangelical congregations within the Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland formed the Evangelisch Werkverband (Evangelical Working Alliance).
The conclusion of long and protracted negotiations, the Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk and Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland united with the Evangelisch-Lutherse Kerk in het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden (Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands) in 2004, resulting in the formation of the Protestantse Kerk in Nederland (Protestant Church in the Netherlands).
A number of congregations abstained from the union, resulting in the formation of the Hersteld Hervormde Kerk (Restored Reformed Church) and Voortgezette Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland (Continued Reformed Churches in the Netherlands).
The Oud Gereformeerde Gemeenten in Nederland experienced a division in 2007, resulting in the formation of the Oud Gereformeerde Gemeenten in Nederland buiten verband (Old Reformed Congregations in the Netherlands unaffiliated) and Vrije Oud Gereformeerde Gemeenten (Free Old Reformed Congregations).
A controversy in the Gereformeerde Kerken vrijgemaakt resulted in the formation in 2003 of De Gereformeerde Kerken (hersteld) (The Reformed Churches restored), and in 2010, of the Gereformeerde Kerk dolerend (Reformed Church dissenting). The Gereformeerde Kerk (dolerend) united with De Gereformeerde Kerken (hersteld) in 2012.
In 2009, a number of congregations seceded from both the Gereformeerde Kerken vrijgemaakt and De Gereformeerde Kerken (hersteld), resulting in the formation of the Gereformeerde Kerken Nederland (Reformed Churches Netherlands).
The Gereformeerde Kerken vrijgemaakt and Nederlands Gereformeerde Kerken reunited in 2023, resulting in the formation of the Nederlandse Gereformeerde Kerken (Dutch Reformed Churches).
Three congregations in Urk, Capelle aan den IJssel-Noord and Vroomshoop declined to participate in the union and remain separate.
The Reformers embraced the doctrines championed by Martin Luther (1483-1546) and systematized by John Calvin (1509-1564), but were forced underground by the reign of Philip II, King of Spain (1527-1598) and inquisition of his deputy, Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba (1507-1582). Despite the cruelty of the tribunals and blood councils of Alba against the Reformers, the persecuted congregations grew, supported by a swelling nationalist movement that sought the liberation of the Netherlands from Spain.
The early Reformed churches were blessed with gifted and competent leaders, including Guido de Brès (1522-1567), author of the Belgic Confession (1561), as well as Zacharias Ursinus (1534-1583) and Caspar Olevianus (1536-1587), formulators of the Heidelberg Catechism (1563). Both treatises would gain confessional status to which most Reformed churches still subscribe.
With continuous growth, the Reformed churches in the Low Countries began to develop an institutional structure. On the heels of the Walloon and Flemish Synods of Armentières in 1563 and Antwerp in 1566, a number of Calvinist Reformers first met in captivity at the Convent of Wezel in 1568, where a tentative church order was drawn up. The meeting at Wezel led to the Synod of Emden in 1571, which many regard as the first official assembly of the Reformed churches in the Netherlands and formation of the Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk (Dutch Reformed Church).
The early Dutch reformers appealed to precedent, adopting the Ecclesiastical Ordinances (1541) of John Calvin as a blueprint for ecclesiastical polity, as well as Belgic Confession, translated into Dutch in 1562, as a statement of faith. Wezel and Emden established the principles and practices of Reformed church government, giving credence to the Reformed churches in the Netherlands as an independent ecclesiastical body devoted to the principles of Calvinism, the Protestant Reformation and historic Christian faith.
Notable leaders of the early Reformed churches in the Netherlands included pastors, Johannes à Lasco (1499-1560), Maarten Micron (1523-1559) and Gaspar van der Heyden (1530-1586), as well as liturgists, Pieter Datheen (1531-1588) and Philips van Marnix, Lord of Sint-Aldegonde (1538-1598). Despite political upheaval and the threat of civil war, the Reformed churches remained unified in faith and doctrine for the next forty years.
Following a bold nationalistic uprising in 1572, the Netherlands gained political independence from Spain. Enjoying newfound liberties, the Reformed churches hosted another synod in Dordrecht in 1574. A year later, a theological school was established in Leiden. A gesture of goodwill from Prince William of Orange (1533–1584), the seminary was an accolade to the citizens of Leiden for their courageous defence of the city during the Spanish occupation. The theological school was later granted the motto Praesidium Libertatis or Bastion of Liberty. The seminary exists today as the University of Leiden. Ensuing synods were held, again in Dordrecht in 1578, Middelburg in 1581 and The Hague in 1586.
As the nation secured peace and embraced political autonomy in the 17th century, the Reformed churches in the Netherlands experienced ecclesiastical strife. Ordained in 1588 and appointed Professor of Theology at the University of Leiden in 1603, theologian and pastor, Jacobus Arminius (1560-1609) and his followers began to dispute a number of key tenets of the doctrines of grace. The controversy centred on the reconciliation of the sovereignty of God and free will of humanity. Arminius found favour with a number of colleagues at Leiden, including his successor, Conrad Vorstius (1569-1622), but was opposed by other divines, including Franciscus Gomarus (1563–1641) and Johannes Bogerman (1570-1637). The followers of Arminius, known as the Remonstrants, increasingly pressed their grievances, leading toward an inevitable confrontation.
The contentions of Arminius and the Remonstrants preoccupied the Netherlands, moving the country toward the brink of civil war. The controversy intensified in 1610 when the Remonstrants issued a formal protest, authored by Johannes Uytenbogaert (1557–1644), and certified by forty-three signatories, entitled, De Vijf Artikelen van Remonstrantie (The Five Articles of the Remonstrants).
The Reformed churches responded by calling a National Synod, convened in Dordrecht with the approval of the Staten van Holland (States of Holland) and Staten Generaal (Parliament of the Dutch Republic).
The historic assembly met into 1619 in Dordrecht, addressing each article of the protest of the Remonstrants. The council reached a protracted consensus - the teachings of Jacobus Arminius were denounced and Remonstrants expelled. A definitive moment in the historical development of the Reformed churches in the Netherlands, the five points of the Remonstrants were decisively refuted, the error of human autonomy in the redemption from sin and conditional nature of salvation rejected. The response of the assembly to the five articles of the Remonstrants resulted in the formulation of the five points of Calvinism and publication of the Canons of Dort (1618-1619), an historic document not only setting out the doctrinal distinctives of the Reformed churches, but, as a theological treatise, assuming confessional status.
A return to Scriptural orthodoxy, the historic assembly also settled and ordered the doctrinal, spiritual and ecclesiastical life of the Reformed churches in the Netherlands, confirming the 1566 Dutch-language translation of the Genevan Psalter by Pieter Datheen (1531-1588) and authorizing a standard Bible translation, De Statenvertaling (The Translation of the States), as well as addressing control of the church by the state and investigating a number of overseas mission opportunities. The Canons, with the Belgic Confession (1561) and Heidelberg Catechism (1563), complete what is known today as the Three Forms of Unity, the threefold creedal confession of faith of the Reformed churches.
Following the synod, the Remonstrants established a separate body called the Remonstrantse Broederschap (Remonstrant Brotherhood).
The Reformed churches, meanwhile, pressed on with mended vision and purpose. New initiatives and opportunities presented themselves as distant shores in North America, Africa and Asia beckoned.
With a renewed mandate from Dordrecht, Calvinism was officially recognized as the state religion in the Netherlands and with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, the Reformed churches were extended special privileges. The Reformed churches also experienced new growth in 1685 when a large number of Huguenots fled religious persecution in France. The refugees joined the Reformed churches, maintaining a French-speaking faction called the Églises Wallonnes or Waalse Kerken (Walloon Churches).
The decades following Dordt were characterized by few organizational challenges or controversies, aside from a key doctrinal exchange between Gisbertus Voetius (1589-1676) and Johannes Cocceius (1603-1669) at Leiden, and depositions of Balthasar Bekker (1634-1698), Herman Alexander Roëll (1653–1718) and Johannes Vlak (1635-1690) from Classis Walcheren.
The small low-lying nation experienced renewed political upheaval with the arrival of French Revolutionary armies and Batavia Revolution in 1795. The revolt forced a separation of church and state in the Netherlands, stripping the Reformed churches of special state privileges. In 1796 the practice of paying stipends to Reformed ministers ended.
Following the conclusion of the revolution and retreat of Napoléon Bonaparte (1769–1821), the church and Dutch state were again reunited. Yet in the context of the return of political stability, discontent was mounting within many Reformed congregations. A new threat faced the church with the advent of 18th-century Rationalism and higher criticism of Scripture. In response to what many concerned office bearers and church members saw as spiritual deadness in the pulpit and pew, a renewal movement began to gain momentum, sweeping across the newly established United Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1813. The revival became known as Het Réeveil (The Renewal), blossoming under the leadership of polemicists and poets, Willem Bilderdijk (1756-1831), Nicholas Schotsman (1754-1822) and Isaäc da Costa (1798-1860).
The movement faced resistance, however, when in 1816 William I (1772–1843), King of the United Netherlands, imposed a new hierarchical, collegial system on the Reformed churches. The Monarch introduced a new church order called Het Algemeen Regelement (The General Regulations), usurping the ecclesiastical authority of the Reformed churches. The Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk was consolidated, granted official state status and renamed the Nederlandsche Hervormde Kerk (Dutch Reformed Church).
The new regulations and other government-imposed practices antagonized local clergy and grassroots parishioners and a number of dissidents began to voice opposition. Concern over theological liberalism and resistance to the control of the church by the state climaxed in 1834 with De Afscheiding (The Separation), or Secession of 1834.
The secession originated with the suspension of Dutch minister, Hendrik de Cock (1801-1842), Pastor of the Dutch Reformed Church in Ulrum, Groningen, the Netherlands, from the Dutch Reformed Church, Friday, December 13, 1833, contesting the doctrinal direction of the state church.
The ensuing controversy led to the withdrawal of the Dutch Reformed Church in Ulrum, Monday, October 13, 1834, from the Dutch Reformed Church, and declaration of the Akte van Afscheiding van het Nederlandsch Hervormd Kerkgenootschap (Act of Secession), Tuesday, October 14, 1834.
The secession led to the establishment of the Gereformeerde Kerk onder het Kruis in Nederland (Reformed Church under the Cross in the Netherlands) and Christelijk Afgescheidene Gereformeerde Kerk in Nederland (Christian Separated Reformed Church in the Netherlands) at the Algemeene Synode der Gereformeerde Kerk onder het Kruis in Nederland (Annual Synod the Reformed Church under the Cross in the Netherlands), held Wednesday, March 2, to Saturday, March 12, 1836, in Amsterdam, North Holland, the Netherlands, subsequently the Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerk in Nederland (Christian Reformed Church in the Netherlands) and Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland (Christian Reformed Churches in the Netherlands).
Notable leaders of the secession churches included Simon van Velzen (1809-1896), Antonie Brummelkamp (1811-1888), Albertus van Raalte (1811-1876) and Hendrik Scholte (1805-1868).
Dissident pastor, Lambertus Ledeboer (1808-1863), led an additional group out of the Dutch Reformed Church when he was suspended by the state church in 1841.
Unwilling to affiliate with the Reformed Church under the Cross in the Netherlands or Christian Separated Reformed Church in the Netherlands, the departure of Ledeboer resulted in the formation of the Ledeboeriaanse Gemeenten (Ledeboer Congregations).
The Dutch government relented to mounting pressure within the state church, transferring ecclesiastical authority back to the National Synod in 1843.
Yet the secession movement continued to grow, a number of secessionists, at the counsel of Antonie Brummelkamp, seeking an ecclesiastical future across the Atlantic Ocean.
Afscheiding dissidents crossed over to North American shores when, in 1846, Albertus van Raalte left the Netherlands and immigrated to the United States of America, establishing, along with his followers, the colony of Holland, Michigan.
In 1847, Hendrik Scholte followed, establishing the colony of Pella, Iowa.
The secessionist migration across the Atlantic marked the beginning of the Afscheiding presence in North America, leading to the formation of the Hollandsche Gereformeerde Kerk (Holland Reformed Church) and subsequently the Christian Reformed Church in North America.
The reformulated constitution of 1848 transferred power from the Dutch Monarchy to the legislature, affirming religious freedom in the Netherlands. As Liberalism and religious pluralism began to flourish, the ties between church and state loosened, although the Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk officially remained under state control. In 1852, the church order of the Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk was once again revised. The Dutch government relinquished most of its rights and responsibilities over the Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk, granting the Dutch State Church further independence. By 1862, the Dutch government had phased out the Ministry of Religion.
The Reformed Church under the Cross in the Netherlands and Christian Separated Reformed Church in the Netherlands united at the Algemeene Synode der Christelijk Afgescheidene Gereformeerde Kerk in Nederland (Annual Synod of the Christian Separated Reformed Church in the Netherlands), held Wednesday, June 16, to Wednesday, June 23, 1869, in Middelburg, Zeeland, the Netherlands, leading to the formation of the Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerk in Nederland (Christian Reformed Church in the Netherlands).
Growing concern regarding the theological direction of the Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk in 1864 led to the formation of a new entity within the Dutch State Church, the Confessionele Vereniging (Confessional Association). Led by religious historian and statesman, Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer (1808-1876), the Confessionele Vereniging was a precursor to the second major exodus from the Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk, known as De Doleantie' (The Grieving), in 1886.
Troubled by the theological direction of the Dutch State Church and inspired by the call of Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer for renewal, theologian, statesman and future Prime Minister, Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920), led a new group out of the Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk in 1886, resulting in the formation of the Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk dolerende (Dutch Reformed Church grieving).
Seeking union with the original secession churches of 1834, Abraham Kuyper orchestrated an ecclesiastical accord, resulting in the union of the Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk dolerende and Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerk in Nederland at the Synod of Amsterdam in 1892. The newly established federation of churches adopted the name, Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland (Reformed Churches in the Netherlands).
Three congregations in Noordeloos, Zierikee and Teuge declined to participate in the union and remained separate, retaining the name Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerk in Nederland. A number of Afgescheiden churches subsequently bowed out of the Union of 1892, affiliating with the Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerk in Nederland.
In 1905, in an attempt to appease competing doctrinal claims, the General Synod of the Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland adopted the Conclusions of Utrecht (a conciliatory statement on the relationship between baptism and regeneration) and modified the Belgic Confession (by deleting passages from Article 36 which entrust the government with the task of suppressing all false religions and destroying the reign of the Antichrist).
In 1906 orthodox congregations within the Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk separated from the Confessionele Vereniging and formed the Gereformeerde Bond (Reformed Alliance).
In 1907 church leader and statesman, Gerrit Hendrik Kersten (1882-1948), united twenty-three Ledeboeriaanse Gemeenten and thirteen Gereformeerde Gemeenten onder het Kruis (Reformed Congregations under the Cross), resulting in the formation of the Gereformeerde Gemeenten (Reformed Congregations).
The Gereformeerde Gemeenten established close ties with like-minded independent Reformed congregations across the Atlantic which would eventually lead to the formation of the Netherlands Reformed Congregations in North America.
A number of independent congregations in the Netherlands accepted the invitation of Gerrit Hendrik Kersten to consider union, but eventually, under the leadership of pastor and church leader, Laurens Boone (1860-1935), remained independent, resulting in the formation of the Oud Gereformeerde Gemeenten (Old Reformed Congregations).
In 1922 pastor and church leader, Cornelis de Jonge (1854-1945), united an additional group of independent Reformed congregations, resulting in the formation of the Federatie van Oud Gereformeerde Gemeenten (Federation of Old Reformed Congregations).
Despite the ongoing consolidation of independent Reformed congregations in the Netherlands, the Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland remained the largest communion of Reformed churches outside the Nederlands Hervormde Kerk. Renewed controversy in the first few decades of the 20th century, however, would cast a pall over the union championed by Abraham Kuyper in 1892.
A progressive alliance holding to an allegorical view of the first three chapters of Genesis withdrew from the Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland in 1926, leading to the formation of the Gereformeerde Kerken in Hersteld Verband (Reformed Churches in Restored Union). The Gereformeerde Kerken in Hersteld Verband eventually united with the Nederlands Hervormde Kerk in 1946.
Ongoing doctrinal struggles within the Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland regarding the particular views of Abraham Kuyper on covenant theology and baptism and subsequent synodical battles climaxed in 1944, leading to the deposition of pastor and seminarian, Klaas Schilder (1890-1952).
Known as De Vrijmaking (The Liberation), the deposition resulted in the formation of the Gereformeerde Kerken vrijgemaakt (Reformed Churches in the Netherlands).
In 1947, the Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerk in Nederland, independent since the Secession of 1834, adopted the name, Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland (Christian Reformed Churches in the Netherlands). In the same year, two congregations left the Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland, resulting in the formation of the Christelijke Gereformeerde Gemeenten in Nederland (Christian Reformed Congregations in the Netherlands).
In 1948, the Federatie van Oud Gereformeerde Gemeenten united with the Oud Gereformeerde Gemeenten, resulting in the formation of the Oud Gereformeerde Gemeenten in Nederland (Old Reformed Congregations in the Netherlands).
The Christelijke Gereformeerde Gemeenten in Nederland united with the Oud Gereformeerde Gemeenten in Nederland in 1952.
The Gereformeerde Gemeenten experienced a division in 1953 when pastor and seminarian, Cornelis Steenblok (1894-1966), was dismissed as an instructor from the Theologische School van de Gereformeerde Gemeenten (Theological College of the Reformed Congregations) in Rotterdam for his view of the limited offer of the Gospel. Steenblok established a new federation, resulting in the formation of the Gereformeerde Gemeenten in Nederland (Reformed Congregations in the Netherlands).
The Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk and Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland initiated discussions regarding a proposed union in 1958, setting in motion a process of reconciliation between the Dutch State Church and secession churches founded by Abraham Kuyper.
A renewed controversy within the Gereformeerde Kerken vrijgemaakt in 1969 resulted in the formation of the Nederlands Gereformeerde Kerken (Netherlands Reformed Churches).
In 1970, orthodox congregations within the Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland formed the Confessioneel Gereformeerd Beraad (Confessional Reformed Conference).
The Gereformeerde Gemeenten in Nederland experienced a division in 1980, resulting in the formation of the Gereformeerde Gemeenten in Nederland buiten verband (Reformed Congregations in the Netherlands unaffiliated).
In 1995, evangelical congregations within the Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland formed the Evangelisch Werkverband (Evangelical Working Alliance).
The conclusion of long and protracted negotiations, the Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk and Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland united with the Evangelisch-Lutherse Kerk in het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden (Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands) in 2004, resulting in the formation of the Protestantse Kerk in Nederland (Protestant Church in the Netherlands).
A number of congregations abstained from the union, resulting in the formation of the Hersteld Hervormde Kerk (Restored Reformed Church) and Voortgezette Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland (Continued Reformed Churches in the Netherlands).
The Oud Gereformeerde Gemeenten in Nederland experienced a division in 2007, resulting in the formation of the Oud Gereformeerde Gemeenten in Nederland buiten verband (Old Reformed Congregations in the Netherlands unaffiliated) and Vrije Oud Gereformeerde Gemeenten (Free Old Reformed Congregations).
A controversy in the Gereformeerde Kerken vrijgemaakt resulted in the formation in 2003 of De Gereformeerde Kerken (hersteld) (The Reformed Churches restored), and in 2010, of the Gereformeerde Kerk dolerend (Reformed Church dissenting). The Gereformeerde Kerk (dolerend) united with De Gereformeerde Kerken (hersteld) in 2012.
In 2009, a number of congregations seceded from both the Gereformeerde Kerken vrijgemaakt and De Gereformeerde Kerken (hersteld), resulting in the formation of the Gereformeerde Kerken Nederland (Reformed Churches Netherlands).
The Gereformeerde Kerken vrijgemaakt and Nederlands Gereformeerde Kerken reunited in 2023, resulting in the formation of the Nederlandse Gereformeerde Kerken (Dutch Reformed Churches).
Three congregations in Urk, Capelle aan den IJssel-Noord and Vroomshoop declined to participate in the union and remain separate.
Comments
Post a Comment