Towards 2040 The future of the church is not our responsibility By Rev Dr René de Reuver, General Secretary of Protestant Church in the Netherlands (PKN)
church lives from grace, from God’s gifts. ‘We “ The are not called to save the church – God himself will take care of that’
T
he beginning of 2020 marks the start of a new decade. A time to look back and look ahead. Also, as a church. How have we been, personally and as local congregation and what are the developments of the church as a whole? Where do we want to go to, what do we hope for? What do we pray for? What visions do we have for the coming decades? In the first twenty years of this century, a lot has happened for the former Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, the Dutch Reformed Church and the Evangelical-Lutheran Church. 2004 is the year these churches united. December 11, 2003 was an important day for these churches. All three synods decided independently to merge on that day. After this, members of the synods from the three churches came together in the Domkerk in Utrecht, in the presence of Queen Beatrix, to thank God for this choice to continue together. For many this was a day of joy, but for some, especially members of the Dutch Reformed Church, it also was a day of sadness because of the schisms that happened as a consequence, sometimes even across families. Merger The finalisation of the tiring merger process changed the outlook of the church. The Protestant Church in the Netherlands created a missionary department and a youth movement. A missionary movement started. Many congregations started to think about a movement outwards, trying to make contact with people who are not familiar with the Christian faith or became estranged from it. Local congregations started to pioneer, city communities focused on young people and ministers went searching for new ways of being church. Other congregations felt strengthened in their efforts to improve the quality of life in their village or city district, in their diaconal efforts, in organising missionary courses such as Alpha or in Bible study groups. During this process pioneering spots evolved: new ways of being church for people who are not or are no longer involved in a church. Always as part of – not in competition with – a local congregation, which supports the initiative financially and prayerfully. Now, fifteen years after 2004, some of these spots have grown into small, independent congregations (‘kerngemeenten’) within the Protestant Church.
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INSiGHT | June 2020
