the Remonstrant Church
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Statement of principle and profession of faith the Remonstrant Church arose partly from resistance to uniformity in matters of faith. 
The Remonstrants wanted a church in which there would be room for a variety of views. They were not against a creed as such; what they were against was the tyrannical use of it. This goes against the Bible itself, and against conscience. For this reason the Remonstrant confessions of 1621 and 1940 were more of the nature of declarations and professions of faith. They were not a weapon for condemning others, but beacons and signposts.
In this same vein, the Remonstrant Church accepted a new confession in its general assembly of June 10, 2006 (see the text). The introduction of this confession says that, according to the remonstrant view, no confession is indisputable. It has no other intention than 'to point out the road carefully and lovingly'.
The Remonstrant Chrurch is today based on the statement of principle of 1928, which sets out what motivates it and what it seeks. The statement can be viewed as a charter under which we unite in a voluntary religious community. People who want to become members of the Remonstrant Chrurch are asked to certify their agreement with this statement of principle. In addition, they can draw up a personal profession of faith by writing their own statement or creed.

The Bible

 For Remonstrants the Bible is a special and inspiring collection of testimonies, stories and epistles. It is the witness of people about the experiencing of presence and absence of God in their lives and in the world. It is special, because these stories can still guide us towards an understanding of the way God and humanity can be joined with one another. The history of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the words of the prophets, the story of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, all have recognizable points of relevance for our own day.

Baptism

 In the Remonstrant Church there is baptism for children and baptism for adults. Baptism is seen as the sign by which the message of God's creative and recreative power is revealed to the individual in the community of faith. For Remonstrants the baptism of children is the acknowledgment by congregation and parents that they know that, from the moment of birth, their children are safe in God's grace. The Remonstrant Church does not however regard the children baptized in its congregations as members.

The Lord's Supper

 In most Remonstrant congregations the Lord's Supper is celebrated several times a year: the sharing of bread and wine, the celebration of the community of faith and as a remembrance of the life, death and resurrection of Christ. Unlike in other churches, participation in the Lord's Supper has traditionally been open to anyone 'who sincerely wishes to take part in this supper in communion with Christ".

Confession 2006

 New Confession of the Remonstrant Church, 2006

Introduction

It is in giving their consent to the statement of principle that Remonstrants are bound together. This short statement articulates that the Remonstrant Church is a community of faith which, rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ and true to its principle of freedom and tolerance, seeks to worship and serve God.

Alongside this statement the Remonstrants have at certain times in their history (1621 and 1940) expressed the faith they share in a confessional statement. For Remonstrants it is self-evident that no confession has indisputable authority.

The purpose can be no other than “to point the way and enlighten in prudence and in love” (thus formulated in the preface to the confession of 1621, quoted in 1940). In this spirit and with this intention in mind the Convention of Remonstrant ministers drew up the following confession in 2006.

Confession 2006

We are aware and we affirm

that we do not find our peace in the certainty of what we confess,
but in wonder of what befalls us and what we are given;

that we do not find our destination in indifference and greed,
but in vigilance and in connection with all that lives;

that our existence is not fulfilled by who we are and what we possess,
but by what is infinitely greater than we can contain.

Guided by this awareness, we believe in God's Spirit
who transcends all that divides people
and inspires them to what is holy and good,
that in singing and in silence,
in prayer and in work,
they worship and serve God.

We believe in Jesus, a Spirit-filled human,
the face of God, seeing us and disturbing us.
He loved humanity and was crucified
but he lives, beyond his own and our death.
He is our holy example of wisdom and courage
and he brings God's eternal love close to us.

We believe in God, the Eternal,
who is love unfathomed, the ground of being,
who shows us the way of freedom and justice
and beckons us to a future of peace.

We believe that 
weak and fallible though we are,
we are called to be church,
connected to Christ and all who believe,
in the sign of hope.

For we believe in the future of God and the world,
in a divine patience that gives time
to live and to die and to rise,
in the kingdom that is and will come,
where God will be for eternity: all in all.

To God be the glory and honour
in time and eternity. 

Amen
 
 
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voor het laatst bijgewerkt: 29/05/2007