The main difference between the two sects seems to me to be in the leadership roles and church government because theologically they are virtually one. What I found interesting is that many in the Congregationalist churches (Puritan) came over to the Presbyterian churches in many places and soon America grew to be a "Presbyterian" place for quite some time but now Presbyterianism in America seems to be on the wan. Edward Otte -----Original Message----- From: dutch-colonies-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:dutch-colonies-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of NYHuguenot@aol.com Sent: Friday, March 09, 2007 11:43 AM To: dutch-colonies@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [DUTCH-COLONIES] Dutch Reformed & Presbyterian For those unaware of what the Reformed church is: It includes the Reformed churches of the Netherlands, Switzerland, France, Germany and Hungary. The Reformed churches of the British Isles are called Presbyterian since they preferred to call themselves after the polity which has Teaching and Ruling Elders all of whom have parity with all Reformed Elders. There is also a large Reformed presence in the Ukraine which is undergoing a growth mode. It's central church in Kiev is being restored after much hard use by the Communists. A number of Reformed denominations are setting up seminaries for the training of pastors. There is also a small movement working in Poland to build up the Reformed church there after it's decimation during the Counter-reformation. Bob <BR><BR><BR>**************************************<BR> AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at http://www.aol.com. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to DUTCH-COLONIES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Although this would relate more to ethnic English rather than ethnic Dutch churches, most of the English "Puritan" or Congregationalist churches on Long Island which were established in the mid-17th century became "Presbyterian" by the early 18th century. This would involve the congregations at, among other places: Southold, Southampton, East Hampton, Brookhaven [now Setauket], Smithtown, Huntington, Oyster Bay, Hempstead, & Jamaica. There was a move to re-establish "Congregationalist" churches in the mid-18th century and a number of Congregationalist [now U. C. C.] congregations were established in eastern Suffolk County, especially on the North Fork [present Towns of Southold & Riverhead]. I would think there was very little theological differences in the 17th and 18th and early/mid 19th centuries between the Dutch Reformed, the Presbyterian, and the Congregationalist. The differences were more ethnic and language or the forms of church polity and government. Today there would be some very major differences between various modern-day groups that have developed from this "Calvinist" core ... from very liberal to very conservative in theology, politics, and such. The Dutch Church at Oyster Bay was the most "easterly" of the Dutch churches in Queens County during the 18th century. My Van Velsor line was at one time connected to this church until they drifted off into English-speaking Methodism. From my readings of the local newspaper in the late 19th century, I don't see any major differences from what the Dutch church in Oyster Bay - at Wolver Hollow, now Brookville [Town of Oyster Bay, Nassau County] - was doing from what the local Presbyterian [or for that matter the local Methodist] churches were doing. Families seemed to move in and out of various denominations. Naturally, the Methodists grew from the Church of England [Anglican or Episcopalian] so they do have a different "root" than the various Calvinist groups. David David Roberts Hollywood, MD ----- Original Message ----- From: "Edward Otte" <edotte@optonline.net> To: <dutch-colonies@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, March 09, 2007 11:56 AM Subject: Re: [DUTCH-COLONIES] Dutch Reformed & Presbyterian > The main difference between the two sects seems to me to be in the > leadership roles and church government because theologically they are > virtually one. What I found interesting is that many in the > Congregationalist churches (Puritan) came over to the Presbyterian churches > in many places and soon America grew to be a "Presbyterian" place for quite > some time but now Presbyterianism in America seems to be on the wan. > > Edward Otte > > -----Original Message----- > From: dutch-colonies-bounces@rootsweb.com > [mailto:dutch-colonies-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of NYHuguenot@aol.com > Sent: Friday, March 09, 2007 11:43 AM > To: dutch-colonies@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [DUTCH-COLONIES] Dutch Reformed & Presbyterian > > For those unaware of what the Reformed church is: It includes the Reformed > churches of the Netherlands, Switzerland, France, Germany and Hungary. The > Reformed churches of the British Isles are called Presbyterian since they > preferred to call themselves after the polity which has Teaching and Ruling > Elders > all of whom have parity with all Reformed Elders. > > There is also a large Reformed presence in the Ukraine which is undergoing > a > growth mode. It's central church in Kiev is being restored after much hard > use by the Communists. A number of Reformed denominations are setting up > seminaries for the training of pastors. There is also a small movement > working in > Poland to build up the Reformed church there after it's decimation during > the > Counter-reformation. > > > Bob