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The Netherlands Reformed Churches (Nederlands Gereformeerde Kerken) are a church of reformed signature. We are one of the smaller denominations in Holland. We number 92 churches with 79 ministers serving them. There are 31.000 members, 20.000 of them being professing members. The heart beat of church life is to be found in the local churches. Every Sunday we gather as local congregations to worship. There we listen to the preaching of the Word of God and partake of the Sacraments. There we sing together in praise of God; there we pray for each other and for the world.

The relations between our churches are worked out in an Agreement of Ecclesiastical Community. It includes information on the standards of our faith.

We were part of the Reformed Churches (Liberated), the Gereformeerde Kerken (Vrijgemaakt), but in the years 1967 - 1969 there was an ecclesiastical conflict that we deeply regret. There was a dispute on the meaning of Heidelberg Catechism, the Lord's Day 22 and on the doctrine of the church (is it allowed to have dialogue with other churches?), The result was that ministers were suspended, congregations and classes were expelled if they were considered not to be strict enough.

Today, we try to do nothing more than to present the picture that already characterized the first christian congregation: "And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayers" (Acts 2:42).

We try to establish and maintain good ecclesiastical relations with all churches of reformed profession that are really faithfull to the Gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord. In Holland, we have contacts with the Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerken. On a local level these contacts are very close in several places, but on national level things are more difficult. The same can be said about the Gereformeerde Kerken (Vrijgemaakt) that we originated from. The local contacts with them, however, are few for the moment.

Our official contacts abroad are with:

• the Vrijgemaakte Kerken of East Sumba,
• the Christian Reformed Church in Canada and Noord-Amerika,
• the Eglises Réformées Evangéliques Indépendantes in France,
• the Reformed Churches in Australië,
• the Reformed Church of Japan,
• Die Gereformeerde Kerk in Suid-Afrika

Moreover there are good contacts with the Reformed Churches in New-Zealand and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in North America.

The Netherlands Reformed Churches have a "Committee for Contact and Dialogue with other Churches", appointed by the National Assembly. Foreign Secretary of this committee is , Breckelenkampstraat 33, 1333 SK  Almere, The Netherlands, tel: +31(36)5490845.