Sunday 2 February 2025

After the service of Scripture and Table, there is coffee and time for a chat. This is so every Sunday in De Duif (the Dove). But today there is more to it. For years, the first Sunday in February has been the day when members of De Duif community can democratically elect 'their' pastors for the coming year. In January, the community nominated potential pastors in a round of nominations. A new candidate pastor can then hold a recital in January, a kind of introduction.

While this pastor election has been a tradition for many years, it has not always been so. Until 1974, De Duif was a Roman Catholic church. Declining church attendance forced the diocese to undertake a major reorganisation. Rather unexpectedly, the curtain also fell on the well-attended Duif. The last church service took place on 6 January 1974.

The night of 12-13 January 1974

The parishioners don't put up with this. Led by members of a hastily formed action group, they squatted the church! A unique event in Dutch church history. On Sunday 13 January there will be another service as usual, with a priest. So too on the Sundays after, until now. That priest has disappeared, though. Not overnight, of course. Gradually, De Duif community is developing into a self-governing ecumenical basic community. The priests that supported the squatting of the church have been invaluable in this: they have been at the cradle of the burgeoning realisation that a faith community can very well choose pastors from within its own circle.

Elected pastors

Today, there are eight elected pastors each year. They come from De Duif community and preside over celebrations. These are prepared in an online liturgy meeting open to all. The Christian tradition is central, but there is room for input from other spiritual and religious traditions. The central question is: how do we best live our lives?