Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk
| Dutch Reformed Church | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Abbreviation | NGK |
| Classification | Protestant |
| Orientation | Reformed |
| Polity | Presbyterian |
| Region |
South Africa, Namibia, Swaziland, parts of Botswana, Zimbabwe, Angola and Zambia |
| Branched from | Dutch Reformed Church of the Netherlands |
| Congregations | 1,158 |
| Members | 1,074,765 |
| Ministers | 1,602 |
| Official website | www.ngkerk.org.za |
The Dutch Reformed Church (Afrikaans: Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk, abbreviated NGK) is a Reformed Christian denomination in South Africa. It also has a presence in neighbouring countries, such as Namibia, Swaziland, and parts of Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia. It claims 1.1 million members and 1,602 ordained ministers in 1,158 congregations.
The Nederduits in the denomination's Afrikaans name refers to the old nomenclature for the Dutch language, formerly written as Nederduitsch in Dutch. This not to be confused with the literal translation Low German, which is a dialect in the north of Germany. It is therefore correctly referred to as the "Dutch Reformed Church" in South Africa.
Originating in the 17th century from the Dutch Reformed Church of the Netherlands, the NGK is the largest denomination within . Along with the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa (NHK) and the Reformed Churches in South Africa, it is considered one of the three sister churches of South Africa.
When the Dutch East India Company sent Jan van Riebeeck to start a Dutch settlement at the Cape of Good Hope in 1652, most of the company's employees were members of the Dutch Reformed Church. At first there were no ordained ministers from the Netherlands but only a sick comforter. In 1665, Johan van Arckel arrived in the Cape Colony and became its first minister. A consistory was formed but was still subject to the control of the classis of Amsterdam.
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