Christelijk Gereformeerde Kerk

The Christian Reformed Churches came into being in 1892 as a continuation of the Christian Reformed Church, which arose in 1869 from the merger of the Christian breakaway congregations and the Reformed Churches under the Cross. Almost the entire Christian Reformed Church of 1869 merged in 1892 with the Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk (Dutch Reformed Church) to become the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, except for three congregations and a few members. The pastors F.P.L.C. van Lingen (1832-1913) and J. Wisse (1843-1921) were the main spokesmen in the circle of objectors against this union. They considered the principles of the Secession of 1834 and the Divestment of 1886 to be fundamentally at odds with each other. They also felt that the local congregations were insufficiently involved in the unification process, which they considered contrary to Presbyterian Church law. Not the least of their objections concerned the doctrine of regeneration and baptism which they claimed was defended by certain ministers in the circle of the errant churches. This refers to the doctrine of presumed rebirth, mainly associated with Dr. Abraham Kuyper. At the first synod, in 1893, eight congregations were represented. By 1894, however, a theological school could be opened, initially in The Hague and from 1919 in Apeldoorn.