French Protestants in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands you will find 14 protestant churches where French is spoken during the service. These churches, referred to as Waalse Kerken or Eglises Wallonnes, are a living symbol of the Dutch hospitality for fugitives. The founders of these churches (in the 16th century) where originally Belgium protestants on the run for the catholic Spanish occupation. In the 17th century the second ‘wave’ of fugitives came from France after the revocation of the freedom of religion by the French king Louis XIV. From the very beginning these churches became part of the Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk. Because of the use of the French language many contacts are maintained with other French speaking communities throughout the world. The main part of this site is in French and Dutch due to the use of these two languages in the Waalse Kerk.
 

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