Minutes of the resumed meeting of the Dordrecht Classis on 10 June 2026
On Wednesday 10 June 2026, the Dordrecht Classis met to continue the spring meeting that had begun on 25 March 2026. A significant portion of the agenda was taken up by reports on (special) church visitations. In Breda, on the advice of the visitators, the church council has engaged the Interdenominational Dispute Resolution Committee (ICG). The classis expressed the hope that this step may contribute to the unity and solidarity of the congregation in its mission upwards, within, and outwards.
At its meeting on 25 March, the assembly had decided to conduct a special church visitation of the congregations participating in the so-called ‘general assembly’ of churches in the Rijnsburg area. These were Dordrecht-Centrum, Sliedrecht-Bethel and Werkendam. Representatives from these three congregations were present at the meeting on 25 March. Dordrecht-Centrum and Werkendam had indicated in writing that they were leaving the Dordrecht classis. Sliedrecht-Bethel did not make such a declaration. None of the three churches wished to receive the visitation, whilst Dordrecht-Centrum and Werkendam also ceased to participate in the continued meeting.
The visitators reported on their work and the correspondence exchanged. With regard to Dordrecht-Centrum, the classis noted with sadness that the Christian Reformed Church of Dordrecht-Centrum has left the Dordrecht classis of the Christian Reformed Churches in the Netherlands. As this step may have significant consequences which the classis cannot currently foresee, the meeting also decided to send a request to the synod asking it to clarify what consequences leaving a classis has for rights and obligations within the church association. With regard to Werkendam, the question arose as to whether there might have been a misunderstanding regarding the purpose and intention of the visitation, or whether the classis is correct in its observation that Werkendam has also left the classis. With regard to Sliedrecht Beth-El, too, the question arose as to whether there had been a misunderstanding regarding the purpose and intention of the visitation. Both of these churches are therefore once again asked to receive the visitators, so that there may be an opportunity to listen to one another and to clarify the questions that have arisen. The classis expresses the hope that the bond will be restored and that the sense of unity within the classis may be re-established
Rev. Cees-Jan Smits, Chair
Rev. Robbert Jansen, secretary
Rev. Arrie Mak, assessor
