The parishes are federate or united parishes, but there are many independent Lutheran, “hervormde” and “gereformeerde” parishes as well. Although organised differently, they all belong to the Protestant Church in the Netherlands (PCN) and take their bearings from the PCN church order. The credos of the three united churches are incorporated into the church order.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church has always been a minority church and even in the PCN as a whole the Lutherans only represent one percent of the church, i.e. about 15,000 Lutherans distributed over 60 Lutheran parishes with about 40 pastors for parish work or with a special assignment. During the structuring of the PCN, people looked to it, that the Lutheran parishes were accounted for. Next to the General Synod there is a Lutheran Synod, which represents the concerns of the Lutherans and their parishes. Also, the care for the subserving attitude of the Evangelical-Lutheran tradition and dogma in the whole Protestant Church is entrusted to the Lutheran Synod. The Lutheran Synod’s board of directors is also a national committee of the Lutheran World Federation.

The Lutheran Synod is assisted by many consulting committees in the areas of theology, liturgy, church music, women’s and youth work as well as parish organisation.

The whole pastoral training happens at the Universities of Utrecht, Leiden, and Kampen. The Evangelical-Lutheran Seminary is conducted by two Lutheran professors and has its office at the University of Utrecht.


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