Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated)
The Reformed Churches in the Netherlands ( Released) ( Dutch: Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland ( vrijgemaakt ) ) is a Dutch, Calvinist Protestant Church Fellowship in 1944 after the so-called "liberation" ( vrijmaking ) from the former Reformed Churches in the Netherlands ( Gereformeerde Kerken originated in Nederland).
As of October 2006 there were 270 local municipalities with a total of 125 905 members. This makes it the second largest Protestant church in the Netherlands, according to the Protestant Church in the Netherlands.
The church association is a member of the International Conference of Reformed Churches.
Name of church
After the liberation of the newly formed church insisted on continuing the old name Reformed Church in the Netherlands. For practical reasons it was necessary, however, to distinguish themselves from the mother church, so that the addition of "liberated" and is still owned unofficially. The old Reformed Church was indicated by the " liberated " with the name " synodal church ", which is alluded to more binding to the rejected of the Liberated synodal violence. An older, alternative suggestion for the Liberated was " Reformed Churches ( while still keeping with Article 31 )" or simply " Article 31 Church ". Even after the establishment of the " synodal " Reformed Church in 2004 newly established Protestant Church in the Netherlands lead the liberated even further, the term " exempt ".
Organization and Administration
The Reformed Churches ( liberated ) are applied presbyterian, that is, the supreme power always lies with the individual, local communities. These communities are of a church council (or Church Council, Presbytery ) manages, composed of the pastor ( dominee ) and the church elders. The municipalities also have deacons who are the church council in more practical matters aside. Church elders and deacons are elected by the members for limited terms of office.
Nationally, the Reformed Churches ( liberated ) in three layers organized: A group of local churches are organized together in a Classis. Decisions taken by the local communities can be appealed to the Classis appeal. Different classes together form a regional synod. The highest organ is the National or generals Synod, which meets every third year.
The Reformed Churches ( liberated ) have their own seminar, the Theological University in Kampen ( Broederweg ).
Doctrine and practice
The Reformed Churches ( liberated ) are an Orthodox neocalvinistische Protestant church community. She keeps herself in the infallibility thesis of the Bible, the Nicene Creed (actually Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed ), the Apostles' Creed, the Athanasian Creed, and the so-called " three forms of unity " that is, the Heidelberg Catechism, the Dutch Creed (also called Confessio Belgica known) and the Canons of Dort.
Cooperation
There is a growing collaboration with two other orthodox Reformed Churches, the Christian Reformed Churches ( Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerken, CGC ) and the Dutch Reformed Church (Nederlands Gereformeerde Kerken, NGK, not to be confused with the Dutch Reformed Church or Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk, NHK ). Internationally, inter alia, the Church with the Evangelical Reformed Churches of the Westminster Confession of Switzerland ERKWB in contact.