The first Protestants
In the 16th century, a large number of christians split from the then Roman Catholic Church. We call this the Reformation. These people are known by the collective name 'Protestants', but they usually called themselves differently. In France and Germany, for example, they were called 'evangelicals' and in the Netherlands 'reformed' or 'reformed'. The Dutch Reformed churches held an important meeting in Dordrecht in 1618, where all kinds of agreements were made with each other.
Emphasis on personal experience
The 17th and 18th centuries saw new developments. More emphasis came on the personal experience of faith. We also call this movement the Later Reformation. This indicates that the movement wanted to stand in the tradition of the 16th-century Reformation, but give it a focus. The Christian Reformed churches were also influenced by this movement.
Government gets a grip on church
In the 19th century, the large Dutch Reformed church was increasingly influenced by movements critical of the Bible. The government also tried to get a grip on the church. Thus, regulations were imposed on the church to replace the agreements made by the churches in 1618. This was the beginning of the Dutch Reformed Church, still the largest Protestant church in the Netherlands (now part of the Protestant Church Netherlands).
A number of churches are separating
These developments provoked much protest. This led to a number of churches separating from the Dutch Reformed Church in 1834. This movement started in Ulrum, Groningen, led by preacher Hendrik de Cock. It consisted of all kinds of groups of churches. Two of these were the Christelijke Afgescheiden Gemeenten and the Gereformeerde Kerk onder het kruis. These two groups united in 1869 and henceforth called themselves Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerk in Nederland.
Influence of Dr Abraham Kuyper
In 1886 came the so-called Doleantie, led by the statesman-preacher Abraham Kuyper. He wanted to restore the Dutch Reformed Church from within. However, he met with little understanding within that church, so his action ended in a second secession of a new group of churches. On the part of the Christian Reformed Church, there was sympathy for this movement at first. However, there were also certain objections, especially to some of the views of the influential Dr Kuyper.
A small proportion remain independent
When Kuyper pushed through his new secession in 1892, many Christian Reformed churches went with him. These churches were then called the Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland. On 1 May 2004, these churches, together with the older Dutch Reformed Church, merged into the Protestant Church in the Netherlands. In 1892, a small part of the Christian Reformed churches did not want to join Kuyper's movement and remained independent. They did not see their objections answered and so they continued the Christian Reformed Church in the Netherlands.
Education
The Theological College was founded in 1894 and has been located in Apeldoorn at Wilhelminapark, close to the city centre, since 1919. The spacious mansion in which the course began has since been expanded into a modern building complex. In the 1980s, the course was granted university status, so the official name is now: Apeldoorn Theological University (TUA).
Association of local churches
In 1947, the Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerk in the Netherlands changed its name to Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerken, to express that it was a union of all kinds of local churches and not about one big church. After 1892, the Christian Reformed churches increasingly developed independently, while membership grew steadily to about 75,000 around 1985. Then a slight decline began. In January 2024, the churches have 67,629 members. There are 180 local churches affiliated to the Christian Reformed Churches.
Preserving unity
It is with gratitude that we report that the Christian Reformed Churches have been preserved from church schism, even though some pastors and congregations have incidentally left it. It is not always easy to preserve the bond of unity, as there are sometimes differences in religious beliefs between local churches. This can lead to tensions. There are also certain theological developments that cause unrest from time to time. However, there is still unity; a unity defined by the Bible and the adopted confession.
