38. State of the Reformed Churches in the Countryside around Dordrecht, 24 April 1582

The ministers [at the classis] were asked in turn about the condition of their church and from the ministers’ reply is found respectively:-
that at Ridderkerk there are as yet no deacons, but the collection for the poor is carried out by others from the village;
that at Westmaas the Catechism [of Heidelberg] is not preached [and] that the consistory there even disapproved of it;
that at Zwijndrecht there are two deacons, one from the congregation and one from the village; that the Catechism is not always preached there because he [the minister] often deputises for the morning sermon in the town [Dordrecht];
that at Rijsoord and Hendrik-Ido Ambacht there is as yet no congregation and that no collection for the poor takes place at Hendrik-Ido Ambacht;
that at Bleskensgraaf and Molenaarsgraaf there is neither congregation, school, nor diaconate;
that at Mijnsheerenland there is as yet no congregation, but that there are hopes of holding the Lord’s Supper by Whitsun, that two of the inhabitants collect alms, that there is a school and the Catechism is preached;
that at Heinenoord there is as yet no congregation, but there is hope; that the Catechism is not preached, [but] that there is a school and collection for the poor takes place;
that at Barendrecht there is a congregation, that the schout collects alms, that there is a school;
that at Sliedrecht and Wijngaarden there is no congregation, that alms are collected at Wijngaarden, but not as yet at Sliedrecht, that neither place has a school.

Source : Classicale Acta 1573-1620 Particuliere synode Zuid-Holland. I: Classis Dordrecht 1573-1600 ed. J.P. van Dooren (The Hague, 1980) 112-13.