Kuyper acted as advisor and consultant at the first of the four provisional synods of the Dutch Reformed Churches (doleerende) that preceded the union with the Christian Reformed Church. The first part of the synod was held from June 25–29, 1888 and the second part from January 16–23, 1889. At the June 25 session, Kuyper and F.L. Rutgers turned in a report in the name of the Preliminary Advisory Commission that charted a course for entering into union negotiations with the Christian Reformed Church. The course of action indicated by the report was unanimously adopted by the synod.

At the June 27 session, the commission that the Synodical Convention had appointed to negotiate with the editors of De Heraut (see 1887.32) presented their report. The report consisted of the agreement reached at Amsterdam on September 16, 1887 between the commission and Kuyper. De Heraut became the official organ for the Dutch Reformed Churches (doleerende) on October 1, 1888. The rights and the duties of the editors were laid out in ten points and the synod confirmed the agreement. During the same session the synod decided to drop the word doleerende from the name of the church.