{"id":23267,"date":"2026-10-02T15:00:36","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T13:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/?page_id=23267"},"modified":"2026-10-02T08:41:37","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T06:41:37","slug":"geschiedenis-nederlandse-evangelische-kerken","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/studies\/geschiedenis-nederlandse-evangelische-kerken\/","title":{"rendered":"Why are there so many Evangelical churches in the Netherlands?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"iframe-container\"><iframe style=\"background: url('https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/images\/studies\/One-faith-a-hundred-churches-Why-Dutch-Evangelicals-differ-so-much.jpg') no-repeat center center \/ cover;\" id=\"lbry-iframe\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"\" allowfullscreen frameBorder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/div> \n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p> <style> .fallback-yt { cursor: pointer; } <\/style>\n\n<button class=\"fallback-yt tooltip\" title=\"Click here to watch via another stream\" onclick=\"document.getElementById('lbry-iframe').src='https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/'\">YouTube<\/button>\n<button class=\"fallback-yt tooltip\" title=\"Click here to watch via another stream\" onclick=\"document.getElementById('lbry-iframe').src='https:\/\/odysee.com\/$\/embed\/@apologeet:3\/'\">Odysee<\/button>\n\n<h1 class=\"title\">The differences between the Dutch Baptists, Free Evangelical Churches, Pentecostal churches, Full Gospel churches and other evangelical churches <\/h1> \n\n<p class=\"\">Imagine this: in one church they sing quiet songs and the sermon is an hour-long, in-depth Bible study. Two streets away there is a band with smoke machines, hands are raised in worship, and people are praying for healing. Yet both churches call themselves &#8216;evangelical&#8217;. How can a movement that believes the same Gospel be so incredibly diverse?<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">One church is Baptist. Another is Pentecostal. A third is a Free Evangelical Church. Then there are the Plymouth Brethren (or brethren for short), Full Gospel churches, Vineyard, Calvary Chapel and all kinds of independent evangelical churches. And that is without even mentioning evangelical churches that are part of a larger denomination.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">So how does it all work? They all believe in the Bible, don&#8217;t they? They all believe in Jesus Christ, don&#8217;t they? They all believe in conversion, being born again and salvation by grace, don&#8217;t they? <b>So why are there so many evangelical churches? <\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">It is actually a very interesting question.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Because when you study the history of the evangelical movement, you discover that these churches did not simply appear out of nowhere. There is a long history behind them.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">A history of the Reformation. Of the Anabaptists. Of Pietism. Of revivals. Of John Wesley and Methodism. Of the Baptists. Of free churches. Of the Holiness Movement. And eventually of the Pentecostal and charismatic movements. And once you understand that history, the evangelical landscape of today suddenly becomes much less complicated.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">So let us start at the beginning.<\/p>\n\n<h3>First: what do they all have in common?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">Before we look at the differences, we need to make one thing very clear. Evangelical Christians have an enormous amount in common. The word <b>evangelical <\/b>comes from the Greek word <i> euangelion <\/i> . It means: <b>good news &mdash; Gospel. <\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Today, evangelical usually refers to a broad Protestant movement that places a strong emphasis on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">This usually includes a number of convictions. The Bible has authority. Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the only Saviour. His death on the cross and His resurrection are central. Humanity is sinful and needs salvation. A person must personally put their faith in Christ. Conversion and being born again are important. Evangelism and mission have an important place. And the church is not simply made up of people who happen to have been born into a particular church.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Personal faith is important.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">So it is not simply: <b>&ldquo;I am a Christian because my parents are Christians.&rdquo;<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But rather: <b>&ldquo;I have personally placed my trust in Jesus Christ.&rdquo;<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">That personal character of faith is one of the most important characteristics of evangelicalism.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But that is also where the problem begins. Because <b>evangelical is not a denomination. <\/b>It is a broad movement. And within that movement there are significant differences. A Baptist and a Pentecostal Christian can both be evangelical. But they may have very different views on baptism. A Free Evangelical Church and a Vineyard church can both be evangelical. But their worship and their understanding of the Holy Spirit may differ considerably. And that is why we need to go back to history.<\/p>\n\n<h3>The Reformation<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">As I wrote in my previous article about the Reformed churches, the history of the evangelical movement developed differently. We begin in the sixteenth century. The Reformation. Martin Luther challenged important aspects of the Roman Catholic Church. Later, the Reformed Reformation also developed, influenced among others by John Calvin. The Reformation emphasised the authority of the Bible. Justification by faith. The grace of God. And the saving work of Christ.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But not everyone who joined the Reformation thought exactly the same way. Some people even believed that Luther and Calvin had not gone far enough. According to them, it was not enough to reform the doctrine of the church. The <b>church itself <\/b>also needed to be reorganised. And that is where an important second movement emerged.<\/p>\n\n<h3>The Radical Reformation<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">We call this movement the <b>Radical Reformation <\/b>.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">One well-known group within it were the Anabaptists. Among other things, they came to believe that baptism should be connected with personal faith. After all, a baby cannot yet consciously profess faith. So why baptise a baby? According to the Anabaptists, a person should first come to faith and then be baptised.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">That may not sound particularly revolutionary today. But in the sixteenth century it was enormously radical. Almost everyone was baptised as a child. As a result, the Anabaptists faced opposition not only from the Roman Catholic Church. Protestant authorities were often strongly opposed to them as well. The Anabaptists also emphasised a church made up of people who consciously wanted to follow Jesus. Christian faith was meant to be visible in everyday life. This included an emphasis on discipleship, community and a life that reflected the Gospel. Later, the wider Anabaptist tradition gave rise to groups such as the Mennonites.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But we need to make an important distinction here. You cannot simply say: <b>&ldquo;The Baptists came directly from the Anabaptists.&rdquo;<\/b> The history is more complicated. There are several historical lines. But there are clear similarities. Particularly the conviction that baptism is connected with personal faith. And the idea that the church consists of people who consciously follow Christ. And these ideas later became important for the Baptists.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But meanwhile, something else was happening.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Faith becomes personal<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, <b>Pietism <\/b>developed within Protestantism. And if you want to understand the evangelical movement, you really need to understand Pietism. Because Pietism asks an uncomfortable question. You can know the right doctrine. You can be orthodox. You can attend church. You can know the Bible. But: <b>are you actually living with God? <\/b>That is the question.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Pietism therefore places a strong emphasis on personal faith. On prayer. On reading the Bible. On holiness. On conversion. And on actually living out the faith.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Not simply: <b>&ldquo;I believe that Jesus Christ is the Saviour.&rdquo;<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But: <b>&ldquo;Do I personally trust in Christ?&rdquo;<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Not simply: <b>&ldquo;The Bible says that God is gracious.&rdquo;<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But: <b>&ldquo;Do I personally know God&#8217;s grace?&rdquo;<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">That emphasis on personal faith and a transformed life would later become enormously important for evangelicalism.<\/p>\n\n<h3>John Wesley and Methodism<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">Then, in the eighteenth century, we come to a man who would have an enormous influence: <b>John Wesley. <\/b>Wesley was a minister in the Church of England. But he increasingly emphasised that the Christian faith was not simply a matter of church and doctrine. It had to be visible in the way people lived. He travelled around preaching. Not only in church buildings. Also outdoors. To large crowds of people. And he organised small groups in which Christians helped one another to genuinely live as followers of Christ.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Here we see once again a number of elements that would later become characteristic of the evangelical movement: <b>conversion, evangelism, discipleship and holiness. <\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Methodism then spread rapidly. It became particularly influential in America. And that brings us to another important development.<\/p>\n\n<h3>The Great Revivals<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, various major revival movements took place. In Britain. In America. And eventually throughout the world. Preachers called people to repentance. People were challenged regarding their personal faith. Prayer meetings emerged. Bible study groups. Sunday schools. Mission organisations. Bible societies. Evangelistic associations.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">And something that had been less central in some older church traditions suddenly became completely normal: <b>the personal decision to follow Christ. <\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">That does not mean that all evangelical Christians believe that a person can save themselves. Quite the opposite. The grace of God remains central. But there is a strong emphasis on the fact that the Gospel must actually be received.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">And that brings us to the Baptists.<\/p>\n\n<h3>The Baptists<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">The Baptists developed primarily in England during the seventeenth century. They strongly emphasise the church of believers. A Christian does not automatically become a Christian simply because they were born into a Christian family. Personal faith in Christ is central. Therefore, Baptists traditionally baptise people who personally profess their faith. And this is usually done by immersion. But Baptists do not simply have a different view of baptism. The local church also has an important place. The church is responsible for its own life. And the priesthood of all believers is strongly emphasised. The minister is not the only person responsible for the spiritual life of the church. Every believer has a role. Evangelism and mission also have an important place.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But there is something interesting.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">If you say today: <b>&ldquo;I am a Baptist,&rdquo;<\/b> you still do not necessarily know exactly what that person believes about everything. There are Baptists who think very much along Reformed lines. There are Baptists who are more Arminian. There are Baptists who are very cautious about spiritual gifts. And there are Baptists who are charismatic. So here too: <b>a church name does not always tell the whole story. <\/b><\/p>\n\n<h3>Free Evangelical Churches<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">Then we come to another important Dutch tradition: the <b>Free Evangelical Churches <\/b>.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">And here too, the name can cause confusion. The word &#8220;free&#8221; does not mean: <b>liberal. <\/b>It refers to the character of the church. Free churches developed outside the traditional state-church structure. There was a strong emphasis on the Gospel, personal faith, the Bible and evangelism. The independence of the local church also became important.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But a Free Evangelical Church is not simply a Baptist church. Nor is it automatically a Pentecostal church. It is a distinct historical tradition.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">And that is something we need to remember throughout this history. Different evangelical movements can share the same convictions without having the same historical origins.<\/p>\n\n<h3>The Plymouth Brethren<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">Then there is another group that is less familiar to many people in the Netherlands: the <b>Plymouth Brethren.<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">This movement is connected with the nineteenth-century Plymouth Brethren. Here we see a strong criticism of traditional church structures. Why would you need a complicated church hierarchy? Why should every service necessarily be led by a single minister? Why should only certain people be allowed to carry out a spiritual ministry?<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">The Brethren therefore strongly emphasise the local church, the priesthood of all believers, the Bible and the working of the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">As a result, a meeting of an Assembly can look quite different from a traditional church service. But there are different streams within this movement as well. So even here, not everything is the same.<\/p>\n\n<h3>The Holiness Movement<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">And now we come to a development that we need to understand in order to understand the Pentecostal movement. The <b>Holiness Movement <\/b>. This developed particularly in the nineteenth century and was strongly influenced by Methodism.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">John Wesley had spoken strongly about holiness. But within the Holiness Movement there grew a conviction that Christians could experience a deeper work of God in their lives. Some spoke of a second work of grace. The idea was that God could sanctify and equip a believer in a special way. And from this came an increasing expectation of the special working of the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">And now we are getting very close to the birth of the Pentecostal movement.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Until the beginning of the twentieth century, the emphasis had mainly been on personal conversion and holiness. But in 1906 something happened in Los Angeles that would turn the evangelical world upside down.<\/p>\n\n<h3>The Pentecostal movement<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">At the beginning of the twentieth century, something new emerged. Christians once again began to place strong emphasis on what we read in the book of Acts:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Speaking in tongues. Prophecy. Healing. Spiritual gifts. And a special empowering by the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">As mentioned, an important moment took place in Los Angeles in 1906. The famous revival at <b>Azusa Street <\/b>began there. Under the leadership of William Seymour, people gathered together. They prayed. They spoke about the Holy Spirit. There were testimonies of healing. And speaking in tongues became particularly prominent. People from different countries visited the meetings and took these convictions back home with them. In this way, the Pentecostal movement spread rapidly throughout the world. Including to the Netherlands.<\/p>\n\n<h3>What makes Pentecostalism different?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">You might now say: <b>&ldquo;But aren&#8217;t Pentecostal Christians evangelical Christians?&rdquo;<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Yes. In many respects, very much so. They believe in the Bible. In Jesus Christ. In conversion. In being born again. In the cross. In the resurrection. In evangelism.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But they place a much stronger emphasis on the present-day work of the Holy Spirit. This can include room for speaking in tongues, prophecy, healing, words of knowledge and other spiritual gifts. The <b>baptism with the Holy Spirit <\/b>is also often discussed.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">This therefore creates a new dividing line within the evangelical landscape.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Not: <b>do they believe in the Holy Spirit or not? <\/b>Every orthodox Christian believes in the Holy Spirit, after all.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But: <b>how does the Holy Spirit work today? <\/b>Are the particular spiritual gifts still present?<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">And if so: how should we use them?<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Opinions differ on these questions.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Full Gospel<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">Various movements subsequently emerged from the Pentecostal world. One familiar term is: <b>Full Gospel. <\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">The idea behind this name is that the whole Gospel should be proclaimed. Not only forgiveness of sins. But also the work of the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">This is why subjects such as conversion, being born again, healing, deliverance, spiritual gifts, prayer and the Second Coming often receive an important place.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But here too, we need to be careful. <b>Full Gospel is not a single, uniform denomination. <\/b>Different churches may use the same name while differing considerably in their theology and practice.<\/p>\n\n<h3>The Charismatic Movement<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">And then something remarkable happens. The Pentecostal movement does not remain outside the traditional churches. From the 1960s onwards, charismatic gifts also began to appear within existing churches.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Within the Roman Catholic Church. Within Anglican churches. Within Protestant churches. Within Baptist churches. And within other evangelical churches.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">People speak about tongues. Prophecy. Healing. The work of the Holy Spirit. But they do not necessarily leave their existing church. Historically, that is an important distinction.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">The classical Pentecostal movement largely emerged as a new church movement. The charismatic movement developed to a significant extent <b>within existing churches <\/b>. Today, however, the boundaries are much more blurred.<\/p>\n\n<h3>But then we get a new generation of evangelical churches<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">From the second half of the twentieth century onwards, there was enormous growth in independent evangelical churches. And perhaps you recognise that landscape.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">A church is called: <b>Evangelical Church. <\/b>Or: <b>Christian Church. <\/b>Or: <b>Bible Church. <\/b>Or: <b>Evangelical Centre. <\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">And if you ask: <b>&ldquo;Which denomination do you belong to?&rdquo;<\/b> you may sometimes get the answer: <b>&ldquo;None.&rdquo;<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">And that is precisely an important characteristic of part of the modern evangelical movement. The independent local church. A group of Christians who start a church together. With their own elders. A minister or pastor. Their own building. Their own vision. And sometimes connected to a larger network. But sometimes not at all.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Vineyard, Calvary Chapel and other movements<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">Various new movements then came to the Netherlands from Britain and especially from America. One example is <b>Vineyard <\/b>. Evangelical preaching and charismatic practice are brought together there. There is a strong emphasis on worship. Evangelism. Prayer for healing. And the work of the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Another movement is <b>Calvary Chapel <\/b>. Traditionally, there is a strong emphasis on Bible teaching, evangelism and church planting.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">There are also movements such as <b>Foursquare <\/b>, <b>Assemblies of God <\/b>and <b>Newfrontiers <\/b>.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">And then there are countless churches that are not part of an international movement.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">So if you visit an evangelical church today, it is really not enough simply to know that the word &#8220;evangelical&#8221; is written on the building. You need to ask: <b>What evangelical tradition lies behind this church? <\/b><\/p>\n\n<h3>And then there is the evangelical movement within other churches<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">And now it becomes even more interesting. Because evangelical does not always mean: <b>an independent evangelical church. <\/b>There are also evangelical Christians within existing Protestant churches. Within the PKN, for example. Within other Reformed churches. And within all kinds of other church traditions.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">So you may meet someone who says: <b>&ldquo;I am evangelical.&rdquo;<\/b> But they may simply be a member of a church that does not call itself an &#8220;evangelical church&#8221; at all.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">That is why evangelical is ultimately much more of a <b>movement <\/b>than a church name.<\/p>\n\n<h3>So why are there so many?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">And now we come back to the original question. Why are there so many different evangelical churches?<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">The answer is really this: <b>because evangelical Christians agree on many things, but not on everything. <\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Take baptism. The Baptist says: <b>&ldquo;First faith, then baptism.&rdquo;<\/b> A classical Reformed evangelical Christian might say: <b>&ldquo;The children of believers also belong to the covenant and are therefore baptised.&rdquo;<\/b> That is a fundamental difference.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Then take election. Evangelical Christians differ on that as well. Some are strongly Calvinistic. Others are Arminian. Others are somewhere in between.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">And then there is the Holy Spirit. Some evangelical churches are <b>cessationist <\/b>. This means that they believe certain particular apostolic gifts no longer function in the same way as they did in the early church. Others are <b>continuationist,<\/b> meaning that they believe the spiritual gifts are still active. And within the Pentecostal movement, this is given its own particular expression.<\/p>\n\n<h3>One Gospel, but different emphases<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">So when you place all these churches alongside one another, you actually see something like a family. A large evangelical family. One branch comes from the Baptists. Another from free evangelical movements. Another from the Assemblies of Brethren. Another from Methodism and the Holiness Movement. From these came the Pentecostal movement. And then the charismatic movement. And from these, all kinds of new evangelical churches have emerged.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">So it is not a straight line. It is more like a tree. Some branches are very close to one another. Others have grown quite far apart. But they have a lot in common at the roots.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Where are the main differences?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">If you want to understand the evangelical landscape, I would particularly look at a few subjects.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>One: baptism. <\/b>Infant baptism or believers&#8217; baptism? And what does baptism mean?<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>Two: election. <\/b>How do we understand God&#8217;s electing grace? And how does it relate to human responsibility?<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>Three: being born again and conversion. <\/b>What exactly happens when someone comes to faith?<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>Four: the Holy Spirit. <\/b>What place does the Spirit have in the life of the believer?<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>Five: spiritual gifts. <\/b>Are speaking in tongues, prophecy and healing still active today?<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>Six: the church. <\/b>How should a church be led? By a minister? By elders? By the congregation? Or by a combination of these?<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>Seven: worship. <\/b>How much room should there be for spontaneous worship, prayer and spiritual gifts? And how does that relate to Bible teaching and preaching? And then there are all kinds of other subjects. The view of Israel. The end times. The rapture. The millennium. The role of women in church leadership. The relationship between church and society. And so on.<\/p>\n\n<h3>But are they all different religions?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">No. That would be a huge exaggeration. If a Baptist and a Pentecostal Christian have different views on baptism and spiritual gifts, that does not mean that they belong to completely different religions.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">There are differences. Sometimes important differences. But there is also an enormous common foundation.<\/p>\n\n  <ul class=\"a\">\n\n<li>The Bible.<\/li>\n\n<li>The Trinity.<\/li>\n\n<li>Jesus Christ.<\/li>\n\n<li>His death on the cross.<\/li>\n\n<li>His bodily resurrection.<\/li>\n\n<li>Human sin.<\/li>\n\n<li>The necessity of grace.<\/li>\n\n<li>Faith and repentance.<\/li>\n\n<li>The Holy Spirit.<\/li>\n\n<li>The church.<\/li>\n\n<li>They all believe in the second coming of Christ <\/li>\n \n<\/ul>\n  \n<p class=\"\">So we need to avoid two mistakes.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">The first mistake is: <b>&ldquo;All evangelical churches are the same.&rdquo;<\/b> That is not true.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">The second mistake is: <b>&ldquo;They all believe something completely different.&rdquo;<\/b> That is <i>also<\/i> not true.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">The reality lies somewhere in between.<\/p>\n\n<h3>And what about experiential faith?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">\n\nAnd here we come back to something from my previous article, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/faq\/deze-maakt-je-geen-christen\/\">These things do not make you a Christian.<\/a> In that article we already looked in detail at the tension between covenant, baptism and being born again within the Reformed tradition. We also looked at what is known as experiential Christianity. If you have not read it yet, I would certainly recommend doing so.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But if you have already read that article, you may now be thinking: <b>&ldquo;Hang on a minute. Doesn&#8217;t this actually sound <\/b><b> very <\/b><b> experiential as well?&rdquo;<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">And that is true. The emphasis on personal faith, conversion, being born again and the work of the Holy Spirit is not exclusive to evangelicalism. We find that emphasis in the Reformed tradition as well.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">The difference often lies in the way these themes are worked out.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">A Reformed minister from the experiential tradition may strongly ask: <b>&ldquo;Do you know the work of God&#8217;s grace in your heart?&rdquo;<\/b> An evangelical minister may ask more readily: <b>&ldquo;Have you placed your trust in Jesus Christ?&rdquo;<\/b> At times these questions may sound almost identical. But the theological background can be very different.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">And that is precisely why it is interesting to place these traditions alongside one another.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Where do I stand?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">And perhaps it is only fair now to say where I stand myself.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">I strongly identify with a number of fundamental convictions that can be found in both the Reformed and evangelical traditions.<\/p> <ul class=\"a\">\n\n<li>I believe that humanity is sinful by nature and cannot bring itself to God by its own strength.<\/p>\n\n<li>I believe that we are completely dependent on God&#8217;s grace.<\/p>\n\n<li>I believe that the Holy Spirit must convict us, draw us and bring us to faith.<\/p>\n\n<li>And I believe that God is completely sovereign in the work of salvation.<\/p> <\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"\">But when it comes to <b>election <\/b>my conviction differs from classical Calvinist teaching. I do not believe that before the foundation of the world God personally chose a particular part of humanity to be saved and not the rest.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">I believe that God&#8217;s election is <b>in Christ <\/b>and that God has purposed humanity to be saved through Christ. In other words: God&#8217;s desire to save and His invitation are not limited to a pre-selected group of people. <b>Everyone is called. Everyone may come to Christ. <\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But that does not mean that everyone actually comes. Humanity is naturally not oriented towards God. That is why the work of the Holy Spirit is so important. The Spirit convicts people of sin, righteousness and judgement. He draws people to Christ. And He makes it possible for someone to respond positively to God&#8217;s grace.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But I do not believe that this grace is <b>irresistible <\/b>. A person can resist God&#8217;s call. That does not mean that people can choose their salvation by themselves. Quite the opposite. <b>Without God&#8217;s Spirit, no one comes to Christ. <\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But when the Holy Spirit convicts someone and draws them towards Christ, there remains a genuine human responsibility. A person can accept God&#8217;s grace. But a person can also reject that grace.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">For many people, that emphasis on personal conversion and election raises the question: &#8216;But how can I know for certain that I am saved?&#8217; I have written a more extensive article about that before: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/studies\/geloofstwijfel\/\"> FAITH DOUBT: Am I really saved? <\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<h4 class=\"\"> The Holy Spirit is still working today<\/h4>\n\n<p class=\"\">And that brings me to another point on which I identify with aspects of the evangelical and Pentecostal traditions. I believe that the <b>Holy Spirit is still genuinely at work today <\/b>. I do not believe that the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit was limited to the first generation of Christians. After what I have seen over the years in the Netherlands, and also here on the mission field in Madagascar, I cannot come to any other conclusion than that God&#8217;s Spirit is still doing these things today.<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"a\">\n\n<li>I believe that God can still perform miracles today.<\/p>\n\n<li>I believe that we may pray for healing.<\/p>\n\n<li>I believe that God can guide people in extraordinary ways.<\/p>\n\n<li>I also believe that deliverance from demons still takes place.<\/p>\n\n<li>And I believe that the spiritual gifts spoken of by Paul can still function today. This includes, for example, prophecy, speaking in tongues, words of knowledge and other gifts that the Holy Spirit gives to believers.<\/li> \n\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"\">But that does not mean that we should immediately accept every extraordinary experience or every claim of a miracle as coming from God. Precisely because we believe in the work of the Holy Spirit, we must also take seriously what the Bible says about <b>testing <\/b>spiritual manifestations. Not every spirit is from God. Not every prophecy is necessarily true. And we cannot simply declare every healing attributed to God to be a miracle from God.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Therefore, for me, the Bible remains the standard. Spiritual experiences must never be placed above God&#8217;s Word. The question is not simply: <b>&#8220;Did I experience something extraordinary?&#8221; <\/b>But also: <b>&#8220;Is what is happening here consistent with God&#8217;s Word, and does it genuinely point to Christ?&#8221; <\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Therefore, on the one hand, I want to leave room for the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit, while on the other hand I do not want to accept every charismatic claim uncritically.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">I therefore do not believe that we have to choose between: <b>a Christianity in which only reason and the Bible remain, <\/b>or: <b>a Christianity in which every spiritual experience automatically comes from God. <\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">I believe we need both. <b>The Bible as the standard. <\/b>And the living work of the Holy Spirit. God is no less God today than He was in the time of the apostles. And the Holy Spirit is no less the Holy Spirit today. Therefore, I also want to leave room for God&#8217;s supernatural work.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">If God heals someone today, I do not want to say beforehand that this is impossible. If God guides someone in an extraordinary way, I do not want to rule that out beforehand. If someone receives a spiritual gift, I do not want to deny that possibility in advance. But I always want to test it against God&#8217;s Word. Because ultimately, it is not about the miracle. It is about <b>God <\/b>. And not about the gift. But about <b>the Giver<\/b>.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Some Christians are cautious when it comes to testing these things.  Especially when it comes to the manifestations and work of the Holy Spirit, some  n  are afraid of making the wrong judgement or committing the &#8216;unforgivable sin&#8217;. If you struggle with this, also read my article about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/studies\/de-onvergeeflijke-zonde\/\">THE UNFORGIVABLE SIN: What Jesus &eacute;cht meant <\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<h4 class=\"\">God&#8217;s sovereignty and the work of the Spirit<\/h4>\n\n<p class=\"\">And this is where several parts of my theology come together. God is sovereign. Humanity is responsible. The Holy Spirit convicts and draws. God&#8217;s grace can be resisted. And at the same time, the Holy Spirit is still genuinely and supernaturally at work in the church today.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">I therefore do not see my position as a choice between: <b>&#8220;Reformed&#8221; <\/b>or <b>&#8220;Pentecostal.&#8221; <\/b>I recognise elements of both traditions in my own convictions.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">I share with the Reformed tradition a deep conviction about God&#8217;s grace, the seriousness of sin and the necessity of the work of the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But I cannot accept the classical Calvinist view that, before the foundation of the world, God chose particular individuals for salvation and that God&#8217;s grace towards them is ultimately irresistible.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">And I share with the evangelical and Pentecostal traditions the conviction that the Gospel should be proclaimed to everyone and that the Holy Spirit is still active and working supernaturally today.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But here too, I want to continue testing everything against Scripture.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">For me, these strands ultimately come together in one conviction:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"a\">\n\n<li><b>God works. <\/b><\/li>\n\n<li>He works through His Word.<\/li>\n\n<li>He works through His Spirit.<\/li>\n\n<li>He works through the church.<\/li>\n\n<li>He works through people who proclaim the Gospel.<\/li>\n\n<li>And sometimes He works in ways that we can only describe as miraculous.<\/li> \n\n<\/ul>\n\n&lt;\n\np class=&#8221;&#8221;>Therefore, I do not want to limit God&#8217;s supernatural work to what I myself can explain. But neither do I want to automatically attribute everything that appears supernatural to God. <b>Open to the work of the Spirit, but under the authority of the Word. <\/b>I think that is a good summary of where I stand.<\/li>\n\n<h3>So: why are there so many evangelical churches?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">And so we can answer our original question. Why are there so many? Not because everyone simply wanted to start their own church. At least, that is certainly not the whole story. It is a history of movements. Of revivals. Of theological discussions. Of different views on baptism. Of different views on election. Of different views on the Holy Spirit. Of different ideas about how a church should be organised. And, of course, sometimes of human conflicts and church divisions.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But when you know that history, you see that the evangelical landscape is not simply a collection of isolated churches. There are clear lines running through it. The Reformation. The Radical Reformation. Pietism. Methodism. The revival movements. The Baptists. The Free Evangelical Churches. The Assemblies of Brethren. The Holiness Movement. The Pentecostal movement. The charismatic movement. And then the modern evangelical movement.<\/p>\n\n<h3>One evangelical family?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">Perhaps the best way to describe the evangelical landscape, then, is as one large family. And, as in any family, there are similarities. But there are also differences. One is Baptist. Another is Pentecostal. Another is Free Evangelical. Another is charismatic. And yet another simply calls themselves Christian and has no particular need for a church label.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But ultimately, the most important question is not: <b>&ldquo;What label is on the church building?&rdquo;<\/b> The most important question is: <b>&ldquo;What do these people believe about Jesus Christ and His Gospel?&rdquo;<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Because two churches with the same name can differ considerably from one another. And two churches with different names can actually have a great deal in common.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">So when you meet someone who says: <b>&ldquo;I am evangelical.&rdquo;<\/b> ask them: <b>&ldquo;What exactly do you mean by evangelical?&rdquo;<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">You may discover that there is a whole story behind that one word.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Conclusion<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">And perhaps that is ultimately why I find this history so interesting. Because when you look only at the current Dutch church landscape, it can sometimes seem like an enormous tangle.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Baptists. Free Evangelicals. Pentecostal churches. Full Gospel. Assemblies of Brethren. Vineyard. Calvary Chapel. Evangelical Churches. And dozens of other forms.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But when you know the history, you suddenly see the lines. You see where certain ideas came from. Why some churches baptise children while others baptise only believers. Why some churches speak strongly about election while others emphasise the free response of the individual. Why one church gives prophecy and speaking in tongues an important place while another is very cautious about them. And why some churches have a very traditional church service while others gather in a much freer and more spontaneous way.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">The evangelical landscape did not simply appear out of nowhere. It has grown out of centuries of church history. And that is why I think we should be cautious about making quick judgements: <b>&ldquo;That church is right and that church is wrong.&rdquo;<\/b> Sometimes differences really are important. Sometimes they are primarily differences of emphasis. But if Christians want to understand one another, we first need to know: <b>why do they believe what they believe? <\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">And perhaps that is also one of the most important lessons of church history. Not that we ultimately find the perfect denomination. But that we learn to distinguish between what is truly at the heart of the Gospel and what belongs to our different traditions, customs and interpretations.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Because ultimately, the Christian faith is not about having the right label. It is about Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>And perhaps that is a much more important question than: <\/b><i> &ldquo;Which evangelical church do you belong to?&rdquo; <\/i>Namely: <b>&ldquo;Do you belong to Christ?&rdquo;<\/b><\/p>\n\n<h3 id=\"evangelische-stamboom\">DOWNLOAD THE DUTCH EVANGELICAL FAMILY TREE HERE<\/h3>\n\n<div style=\"display: flex; justify-content: center; gap: 30px; text-align: center;\">\n<div style=\"display: block; padding-right: 10px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.apologeet.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/documents\/Stamboom-van-de-evangelische-kerken-in-Nederland.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.apologeet.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/documents\/Stamboom-van-de-evangelische-kerken-in-Nederland.jpg?resize=300%2C169&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"De stamboom van de gereformeerde kerken in Nederland\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" class=\"iframe-shadow alignleft size-medium wp-image-23077\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><p class=\"\"><b>DOWNLOAD:<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/download\/23323\/?tmstv=1790689146\" >JPG<\/a>  |  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/download\/23327\/?tmstv=1790689265\" >PDF<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n\n<div style=\"display: block; padding-left: 10px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.apologeet.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/documents\/De-evangelische-kerken-in-Nederland-\u2013-historische-stamboom.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.apologeet.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/documents\/De-evangelische-kerken-in-Nederland-\u2013-historische-stamboom.jpg?resize=300%2C169&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"De gereformeerde kerken in Nederland \u2013 historische stamboom\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" class=\"iframe-shadow alignright size-medium wp-image-23075\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><p class=\"\"><b>DOWNLOAD:<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/download\/23331\/?tmstv=1790689377\" >JPG<\/a>  |  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/download\/23337\/?tmstv=1790689436\" >PDF<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<br class=\"clear\">\n\n<p class=\"\"><hr><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Baptist, Free Evangelical, Pentecostal, Full Gospel, Brethren, charismatic or independent evangelical: the evangelical landscape in the Netherlands is remarkably diverse. Yet these churches have a great deal in common. The Bible is regarded as authoritative, Jesus Christ is at the centre, conversion and personal faith are important, and the Gospel is to be proclaimed. So how is it that there are so many different evangelical churches and movements?","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23277,"parent":1147,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"spay_email":""},"categories":[225,307],"tags":[367,303,268,259,365],"folder":[305,102],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/23267"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23267"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/23267\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23354,"href":"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/23267\/revisions\/23354"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1147"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23277"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23267"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23267"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23267"},{"taxonomy":"folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/folder?post=23267"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}