Reformed churches

Reformed churches

The Reformed churches are a group of Protestant denominations historically related by a similar Zwinglian or Calvinist system of doctrine but organizationally independent. Each of the nations in which the Reformed movement was established had originally its own church government. Several of these local churches have expanded to worldwide denominations and most have experienced splits into multiple denominations. Commitment to teaching the original Calvinism usually continues to be reflected in their official definitions of doctrine, but in some cases is no longer necessarily typical of these churches. A 1999 survey found 746 Reformed denominations worldwide.

Table of contents

1 Form of Doctrine
2 Form of Government
3 Continental Reformed churches
4 Reformed churches in Britain and Ireland
5 Reformed churches in the United States of America and Canada (and Old World counterparts)
6 Reformed churches in Korea
7 Reformed churches in Nigeria (and founding counterparts)
8 International organizations of Reformed churches
9 External link
10 See also

Form of Doctrine

Reformed doctrine is expressed in various creeds. A few creeds are shared by many denominations. Different denominations use different creeds, usually based on historical reasons. Some of the common creeds are (with year of writing):

Scots Confession (1560),
Three forms of Unity
- Heidelberg Catechism (1563),
- Belgic Confession (1566),
- Canons of Dordt (1619),
Second Helvetic Confession (1566)
Westminster Standards
- Westminster Confession of Faith (1646)
- Westminster Shorter Catechism (1649).
- Westminster Larger Catechism (1649)

The Three forms of unity are common among Reformed churches with origins in the European continent. The Westminster Standards have a similarly common use, among Reformed churches with origins in the British Isles. More recent confessions and creeds are shared by fewer denominations.

Form of Government

Contrary to Lutheran, Anglican or Methodist churches with episcopal structures, Reformed churches have mainly three forms of church government:

Presbyterian, e.g. Presbyterians
Synodal, e.g. Swiss Reformed Churches
Congregational, e.g. Congregationalist Churches

A sub-family of the Reformed churches, called Reformed Baptist churches, adhere to modified Reformed confessions, and have Baptist views of the sacraments and of church government.

Continental Reformed churches

Swiss Reformed Churches

The Reformed branch of Protestantism was started in Zurich by Huldrych Zwingli and spread within a few years to Basle (Johannes Oekolampadius), Berne (Berchtold Haller and Niklaus Manuel), St. Gall (Joachim Vadian), to cities in Southern Germany and via Alsace (Martin Bucer) to France. After the early death of Zwingli 1531, his work was continued by Heinrich Bullinger, the author of the Second Helvetic Confession and Heidelberg Catechism. The French-speaking cities Neuchatel, Geneva and Lausanne changed to the Reformation ten years later later under William Farel and John Calvin coming from France. The Zwingli and Calvin branches had each their theological distinctions, but got 1549 under the lead of Bullinger and Calvin to a common agreement in the Consensus Tigurinus, and 1566 in the Second Helvetic Confession. Organizationally, the Reformed Churches in Switzerland remained separate units until today (the Reformed Church of the Canton Zurich, the Reformed Church of the Canton Berne, etc.), the German part more in the Zwingli tradition, in the French part more in the Calvin tradition. They are governed synodically and their relation to the respective canton (in Switzerland, there are no church-state regulations on country-level) ranges from independent to close collaboration, depending on historical developments. A distinctive of the Swiss Reformed churches in Zwingli tradition is their historically almost symbiotic link to the state (cantons) which is only loosening gradually in the present.

Hungarian Reformed Church

The largest branch of the Reformed movement, and the only one of the national Reformed churches to survive without division since the Reformation to the present time. The Hungarian Reformed Church has adopted the Heidelberg Catechism and the Second Helvetic Confession as a definition of their teaching, together the Ecumenical creeds of the Christian Church: Athanasian Creed, Nicene Creed, Chalcedon, and the common creed ("Apostles' Creed"). Regional churches may also adopt the Canons of Dordt, and in Transylvania Luther's Small Catechism is adopted.

Reformed Church of France

In France, the Reformed protestants were called Huguenots. The Reformed Church of France survived under persecution from 1559 until the Edict of Nantes (1598), the effect of which was to establish regions in which Protestants could live unmolested. These areas became centers of political resistance under which the Reformed church was protected until until 1628, when La Rochelle, the protestant center of resistance to Louis XIII, was overrun by a French army blockade. After the protestant resistance failed, the Reformed Church of France reorganized, and was guaranteed toleration under the Edict of Nantes until final revocation of toleration in 1685. The periods of persecution scattered French Reformed refugees to England, Germany, Switzerland, Africa and America. A free (meaning, not state controlled) synod of the Reformed Church emerged in 1848 and survives in small numbers to the present time. The French refugees established French Reformed churches in the latin countries and in America.

The first Reformed churches in France produced the Gallic Confession and French Reformed confession of faith, which served as models for the Belgic Confession of Faith (1563).

German Reformed Church

Toleration for the Reformed churches in Germany was established under the Peace of Westphalia, in 1648, but political difficulties at the end of the 17th century almost eliminated them. In the 19th century, by state mandate the Reformed churches were combined with the Lutherans to form an Evangelical Union in Prussia.

Reformed churches in the Netherlands

The Dutch Reformed churches have suffered numerous splits and unions. Currently existing denominations are:

Reformed Church in the Netherlands (NHK)
Christian Reformed Churches of the Netherlands (CGKN)
Reformed Church in the Netherlands (GKN)
Reformed Churches of the Netherlands (Liberated)
Reformed Congregations (GG)
Reformed Congregrations in the Netherlands (GGN)
Waldensian Church (Italy)

Originally founded by Petrus Waldes in the 12th century, the Waldensian church adopted the Reformed doctrines under the influence of William Farel.

Reformed churches in Britain and Ireland

The churches with presbyterian traditions in the United Kingdom have the Westminster Confession of Faith as one of their important confessional documents.

United Reformed Church in the United Kingdom is the result of the union of Presbyterian and Congregational churches.
The Presbyterian churches in Scotland
include the Church of Scotland, the established church in Scotland
and smaller denominations such as the Free Church of Scotland and the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland serves the whole of the island.

In addition to these, there are also other churches with smaller flocks, notably in Northern Ireland.

Reformed churches in the United States of America and Canada (and Old World counterparts)

Associate Reformed Presbyterians (Scot-Irish Presbyterians)

Canadian and American Reformed Churches (Dutch Reformed - Liberated)

Christian Presbyterian Church

Christian Reformed Church in North America (Dutch Reformed - GKN)

The CRC is a conservative/evangelical denomination founded by Dutch immigrants in the nineteenth century in West Michigan.

Free Reformed Churches in North America - (Dutch Reformed - CGKN)

Heritage Netherlands Reformed Church

Netherlands Reformed Church - (Dutch Reformed - CGKN)

Orthodox Christian Reformed Church (Dutch Reformed - GKN)

Presbyterian Church of Canada

The Presbyterian Church of Canada split from a larger group of the same name that voted to join the United Church of Canada in 1925

Presbyterian Church (USA) (Anglo-Scot Presbyterians and Congregationalists)

Protestant Reformed Church (Dutch Reformed - GKN)

One of the most conservative Reformed/Calvinist denominations in the world, the PRC separated from the CRC in the 1920s in a schism over the issue of common grace.

Reformed Church in the United States (German Reformed)

Reformed Church in America (Dutch Reformed - NHK)

The RCA is a liberal/evangelical denomination formed by Dutch immigrants during colonial times.

Reformed Congregations of North America

Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (Scottish Covenanters)

United Reformed Churches in North America (Dutch Reformed - GKN)

United Church of Canada (Presbyterians, Methodists, Congregationalists)

United Church of Christ (Independents, Lutheran, German Reformed) a congregational union of various union churches

Most Presbyterian churches adhere to the Westminster Confession of Faith, but the Presbyterian Church (USA), in order to embrace the historical expressions of the whole Reformed tradition as found in the United States, has adopted a Book of Confessions. The BOC contains the Nicene Creed, Apostle's Creed, Scots Confession, Heidelberg Catechism, Second Helvetic Confession, Westminster Confession of Faith, Westminster Shorter Catechism, Westminster Larger Catechism, Theological Declaration of Barmen, Confession of 1967, and A Brief Statement of Faith - PCUSA.

The Presbyterian Church (USA) has split a number of times in its history. Many of these historic splits have been resolved. From the continuing branch churches, some have split in turn. Only some of the continuing branches from the main bodies are listed here, with the year of their separation.