Christian Reformed Churches

The Christian Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Dutch: Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland) is a Protestant church in the Netherlands.

Christian Reformed Church in Lutjegast
For other church bodies of this name, see Christian Reformed Churches of Australia and Christian Reformed Church in North America.
Christian Reformed Churches in the Netherlands
ClassificationProtestant
TheologyEvangelical Calvinist
PolityPresbyterian
AssociationsInternational Conference of Reformed Churches
RegionNetherlands
Origin1869
Netherlands
Separated fromDutch Reformed Church
SeparationsReformed Churches in the Netherlands (1892)
Reformed Congregations (1907)
Congregations180 (2014)
Members73,692 (2014)[1]

History

The original name of the church was Christian Reformed Church in the Netherlands (Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerk in Nederland, CGKN). The church was formed in 1869 by the merger of two churches, the Reformed Churches under the Cross and the Separated Christian Congregations, both separated from the Dutch Reformed Church in 1834; an event known as the Afscheiding. Most of the CGKN merged into the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands in 1892; a small part remained independent, and carried this name until it was renamed in 1947 to Christian Reformed Churches.

At the first Synod eight congregations were represented. A Theological Seminary was opened in The Hague and later was moved to Apeldoorn in 1919. Since then the churches grew steadily till 1985, when membership was 75,000, and today membership fluctuates around this number. It has 11 classes. The church withdrew from the Reformed Ecumenical Council in 1989, and joined the International Conference of Reformed Churches in 1995.[2][3]

It has a theological institute in Apeldoorn, the Theological University of Apeldoorn. It offers the Bachelor of Theology and the Master of Divinity.

Developments
CGK members in the Netherlands per capita in 2008

Several congregations for example in Rotterdam and in Zwartsluis dissolved or merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated) like in Doesburg. In 2012, many Christian Reformed missions were constituted as full-fledged congregations. On 1nJanuary 2013, the denomination had 33 more members than in their previous years.

Theology

The church subscribe to the infallibility of the Bible, to the Nicene Creed, the Apostles' Creed, the Athanasian Creed and the Three Forms of Unity (the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession and the Canons of Dort).

Statistics

In January 2012, the church has 74,286 members in 181 churches. In recent years membership was steady. In the next year in early 2013 membership grew by more than 30.

Interchurch relations

The Christian Reformed Churches in the Netherlands seek cooperation with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated) and with other Dutch Reformed Churches. It supports missions in Thailand, and Sulawesi, Indonesia, the Toraja Mamasa Church was founded by missionaries of the Christian Reformed denomination.[4] Complete correspondence:

Limited Correspondence:

See also

References
  1. "CGK lijdt grootste ledenverlies ooit - Nederlands Dagblad". Archived from the original on 2014-04-13. Retrieved 2014-06-17.
  2. "CGK | Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerken".
  3. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2012-07-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "Zondag".
  5. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2012-07-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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