Protestant Church in the Netherlands
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The Protestant Church in the Netherlands (Protestantse Kerk in Nederland, PKN) is an organisation created on 1 May 2004 from the merger of the Dutch Reformed Church (Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk, NHK), the Reformed Church in the Netherlands (Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland, GKN) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Evangelisch-Lutherse Kerk in het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden). Since 1961 the churches have been going through an organizational process to this end.
Some parishes and members in the Dutch Reformed Church do not agree with the merger and have separated. One of the reasons is that they are against same-sex marriages. They have organized in the "Restored Dutch Reformed Church", "Hersteld Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk" (HNHK). They are not allowed to use churches of the PKN and are having their church services in emergency locations such as schools. Also, the PKN objects against the name.
There is disagreement on whether a parish of the current Dutch Reformed Church, as such can decide not to join the PKN, while keeping the church building and other properties, or that only individual members can quit and start or join another church. For a parish of the current Reformed Church in the Netherlands the former is possible, now and during a transition period of 10 years. Seven parishes have decided not to join the PKN and have formed the Continued Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, Voortgezette Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland (vGKN).
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External links
- Website Protestant Church of the Netherlands (http://www.unitingprotestantchurches.nl/)
- http://www.godutch.com/windmill/newsItem.asp?id=571
- HNHK (http://www.hersteldhervormdekerk.nl/) (in Dutch)
- vGKN (http://www.voortzettinggkn.nl/) (in Dutch)