The Collegiate Church Charter Tercentennial

Three hundred years ago, on May 11, 1696, King William III of England issued a charter to the Dutch Collegiate Church in New Amsterdam. By this charter the Reformed Dutch Church in New York, now known as the Collegiate Church, Was incorporated under the name of "The Minister, Elders and Deacons of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of the City of New York."

This charter granted it many rights, including most importantly the right of freedom to exist as a Church, separate from the "official" Church of England. That important right, contrary to the style of the times, was a major philosophically and conceptual breakthrough which survives today.

Many other rights were granted in this Charter, dealing with choices of church governance, civil corporate rights (the ability unilaterally to buy and sell property, for example), and similar matters. These rights have been preserved under the United States Constitution and New York State law and survives today.