The synod Dordrecht (1573) stated that every Dutch Protestant
church had to have a church seal. Like every civilian municipality
a lot of clerical congregations had their own seal. Having
a seal was important: the seal told something about the church,
about the history of parish or something about a theme like
"Peace". Mostly an image inside the seal was accompanied
with a fitting predicate or bible text. In past centuries
official documents were often ratified with the print of a
seal in wax to confirm the authenticity. In these days church
seal are still used as a logo on paper or envelops. And, a
modern church with an own website, uses often the seal on
the website.
Village Oudewater
On some church seals we can see God's name written as
the Tetragrammaton. On the seal we love to show, the seal
of the Reformed Church Oudewater in the Netherlands, Gods
name is written in the text. There is written "Jehova
nostra arx fortissima", meaning 'Jehova is our stronghold'.
The seal is used since 1745.
