Protestant Church in the Netherlands

The Protestant Church in the Netherlands ( hook size: Protestantse Kerk in Nederland, PKN ) is a union founded on 1 May 2004 three churches. It is the moderate- Calvinist, the strict - Calvinist and the small Lutheran church in the Netherlands. The PKN is with nearly 1.8 million members ( or 10.8 % ) is the second largest church in the Netherlands ( the Catholic Church with 25 % share of the population, the largest ) and the by far largest Protestant Church in the Netherlands. Its headquarters is located in Utrecht.

History

At the founding of PKN was primarily a matter of overcoming the division of Calvinism. In the 19th century it had initially been an Nederlands Hervormde kerk -, ​​who also belongs to the royal family. From it then the devout Gereformeerde split from kerk. Both the Dutch word Hervormd as " reformed " also mean the foreign word Gereformeerd and refer to the same Calvinist roots. However, the Gereformeerden afraid that will not let prevail as generally applicable doctrine in the country in a liberal -expanding world of orthodox Calvinism. The devout were then the initiators of the " pillarisation ", the Dutch particularism.

Since 1961 there was the movement of seeds away op ( " Together on the Way " ) to bring the two Calvinist directions and other churches ( in some communities even Catholics ) closer together and, for example to use the building. This approximation process culminated on May 1, 2004 in the PKN with 2.4 million members

  • The Dutch Reformed Church ( Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk, NHK, moderate- Calvinist ) then with 1.8 million members;
  • The Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland ( GKN, strict - Calvinist ) with 600,000 members; and
  • The Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands ( Evangelical Lutherse Kerk in het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden, Lutheran) with 14,000 members.

Since 2004, the number of members has decreased to 1.789 million or 10.8 % of total population ( 2009).

Organization

The PKN comprises four different types of member communities:

  • Protestant congregations are local congregations of various church bodies are fused,
  • Gereformeerde congregations,
  • Reformed churches ( congregations of the former Reformed Churches in the Netherlands ),
  • Lutheran congregations ( congregations of the former Evangelical Lutheran Church ).

Lutheran churches have the peculiarity that they are joined together in an independent Lutheran Synod, which has an autonomous status within the PKN. The Lutheran Synod autonomous sends representatives to the PKN Synod. The same applies to the Evangelical Church in altreformierte Lower Saxony, which works closely with the PKN.

The church has more than 1,800 congregations and 1.944 million members (12% of the Dutch population as at 31 December 2005). According to the Roman Catholic Church (4 million members), the PKN is the second largest church in membership of the Netherlands. The large loss of members compared to 2004 ( aggregated 2.4 million members ) can partly be explained from a new, narrower definition ( Birth members are not included), partly from leaving the church, partly from spin-offs and partly also from the consequences of aging.

In the PKN there is a wide range of theological movements of liberal to conservative beliefs strictly. The ordination of women and ordination of homosexual priest is allowed in the PKN, as well as the blessing of same-sex couples.

Spin-offs

As early as 1993, the liberal Reformed Remonstrant Brotherhood ( Remonstrantse Broederschap ) had withdrawn from the seed op away. With the merger of both 2004 some moderate and some conservative groups did not agree. The moderates have split from their church and formed the " Restored Dutch Reformed Church" ( Hervormde Kerk Hersteld, HHK ). It is one of an estimated 55.0000 members. The seven stricter communities that have split off, are united in the Fort seeded Reformed Church in the Netherlands ( Voortgezette Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland, VGKiN ), together with estimated about 3,000 church members.

Ecumenism

The PCN is a member of the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Communion of Reformed Churches and the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe.

In 2013, the Protestant church was a common ecumenical hymnal ( Liedboek - zingen s bidden in huis en kerk ) along with other Protestant Churches in the Netherlands ( Remonstrants, Mennonites / Taufgesinnte, Liberals and others) out.

Amsterdam Continued Reformed Churches in the Netherlands
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