WOLFENDHAL CHURCH

The Wolfendhal Church is the oldest Protestant Church in use in Sri Lanka. It celebrates its 253rd anniversary this year. The name of the church derived from the place name Wolfendhal. Christianity was introduced into The Netherlands between 700 and 750 AD. Later at the time of the renaissance in Europe, the teachings of the French theologian, Jean Calvin (1509-1564) greatly influenced Christianity in The Netherlands. The Dutch as a dynamic nation preferred the freedom and realistic outlook of Calvinism that orthodox Christianity. The teachings of Calvin influenced the Dutch as a trading nation with a ‘love of gain’. Prof. C.R. Boxer asserts that Calvinism was the main driving force in the Dutch commercial expansion and cultural flowering which were marked features of the 17th-century scene.