List of Reformed churches

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Calvinism
John Calvin

Background
Christianity
St. Augustine
The Reformation

Distinctives
Calvin's Institutes
Five Solas
Five Points (TULIP)
Regulative principle
Confessions of faith

Influences
 Theodore Beza
Synod of Dort
Puritan theology
Jonathan Edwards
Princeton theologians
Karl Barth

Churches
Reformed
Presbyterian
Congregationalist
Reformed Baptist

Peoples
Afrikaner Calvinists
Huguenots
Pilgrims
Puritans

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The Reformed churches are a group of Christian Protestant denominations historically related by a similar Calvinist system of doctrine.

Contents

[edit] Continental Reformed churches

The Reformed branch of Protestantism was started in Zurich by Huldrych Zwingli and spread within a few years to Basle (Johannes Oecolampadius), 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. The French-speaking cities Neuchatel, Geneva and Lausanne changed to the Reformation ten years later under William Farel and John Calvin coming from France. The Zwingli and Calvin branches had each their theological distinctions, but in 1549 under the lead of Bullinger and Calvin they came to a common agreement in the Consensus Tigurinus (Zurich Consent), 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.
There is an English-speaking reformed church in Lausanne, Switzerland, called Lausanne Free Church. See under external links.
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.
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 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 the final revocation of toleration in 1685 (Edict of Fontainebleau). 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
The German Reformed Church (Reformierte Kirche) forms, together with the German Lutheran Church, the Evangelic Church of Germany, which is the - formerly - established Protestant Church, forming, together with Catholicism, Germany's "mainstream" religion. The German Reformed Church is unusual because it does not trace its changes back to Zwingli or Calvin, but rather to Philipp Melanchthon, Luther's best friend and closest ally. Only after his death, his successors in the "Philippist" cause were attacked of Crypto-Calvinism and mercilessly persecuted and partially killed, by the extremist Lutherans, from whom Luther had previously distanced himself, in several states, especially Saxony. Other states, such as Hesse, were openly Philippist and Reformed. Only during the time of Calvin himself did genuinely Calvinist influences enter German Reformer faith; even today, it is more Philippist than Calvinist. In the German Empire, further on some states were Lutheran, some Reformed. Both confessions were united by the King of Prussia in 1848, but this was not followed in most other states. The German Reformed Church's finest hour was perhaps during Nazi times, because, while by far not all Reformed clergy and members were opposed to the Nazis, the Bekennende Kirche resistance against the Nazis was dominated by the Reformed Church - partially, it has been said, because of its much less hierarchy- and state-centered perspectives than the Lutherans.
Today, there are four kinds of German Protestantism, all under one national umbrella, but differentiated by region (usually smaller than the states):
1. Lutheran
2. Reformed
3. Administration-United - in these churches, the Parish is either Lutheran or Reformed, and so is the congregation and the Pastor, but the administration is the same for all
4. Consensus-United - there is no difference even on the Parish level
In Germany today, roughly 25 million (about less than one-third) of Germans are Protestant. Of these, about 10 million are Reformed.
  • Reformed churches in the Netherlands
The Dutch Reformed churches have suffered numerous splits and unions. Currently existing denominations are:
This network of churches recover the reformed tradition of Italian Reformers like Pietro Martire Vermigli, Girolamo Zanchi et al.
Originally founded by Peter Waldo in the 12th century, the Waldensian church adopted the Reformed doctrines under the influence of William Farel.

[edit] Australia and New Zealand

(see also List of Presbyterian Denominations in Australia)

[edit] 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.

[edit] United States of America and Canada

See also: Reformed Churches in North America
The PCA is the second largest Presbyterian denomination in the United States, after the PCUSA. Its motto is: "Faithful to the Scriptures, True to the Reformed Faith and Obedient to the Great Commission of Jesus Christ."
The Presbyterian Church in Canada, formed in June 1875, as a union of 4 Presbyterian groups in the Dominion of Canada (created in 1867); These "Continuing Presbyterians", did not join the United Church of Canada in 1925, of Presbyterians, along with Methodists, Congregationalists, and 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. Recently, many of the actions taken by the PCUSA General Assembly have been criticized for strongly deviating from its Reformed Calvinist roots. Lately, PCUSA membership in general has declined in contrast to the rise in membership of more conservative denominations such as the Presbyterian Church in America and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.
  • Presbyterian Churches have split a number of times. 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.
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.
The RCA is the oldest Reformed church in the North America, formed by Dutch immigrants in earliest colonial times.

[edit] Republic of Korea

  • Presbyterian Church in Korea (Kosin 고신). The PCK is a Reformed denomination in Korea which accepts the Westminster standards as its confession. The church also recognizes "Three Forms of Unity", to be same as the Westminster Standards. Kosin church wants to be a biblical and confessional denomination, pure in doctrine and life. There are about 2,000 local churches, including some churches in North America and Europe.
  • The Korean Presbyterian Church (Hapdong 합동) which formed the primary body of the Presbyterian General Assembly (the Reformed Church in Korea) was established by missionaries of the Presbyterian Church (USA), and Canadian and Australian Presbyterians.
  • The Independent Reformed Church (IRC) was established on 1964, independently from other denominations. IRC is the first church in Korea to put "reformed" in her name. IRC confesses the Westminster Standards, Heidelberg Catechism, and Canons of Dordt together with the ecumenical creeds.

[edit] Nigeria

  • Christian Reformed Church of Nigeria - (Dutch Reformed)
  • Reformed Church of Christ in Nigeria - (Dutch Reformed)
  • Presbyterian Church of Nigeria - (Scottish Presbyterian)
  • Qua Iboe Church - (Northern Irish Presbyterian)
  • Church of Christ in the Sudan among the Tiv - (Dutch Reformed)
  • Evangelical Reformed Church of Christ - (Dutch Reformed)
  • Nigeria Reformed Church - (Dutch Reformed)

The various Reformed churches of Nigeria formed the Reformed Ecumenical Council of Nigeria in 1991 to further cooperation.

[edit] India

[edit] Indonesia

[edit] Reformed churches in South Africa

  • Free Reformed Churches of South Africa
  • Reformed Churches of South Africa
  • Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa - NG Church
  • Nederduitsch Reformed Church in Africa - NH Church
  • Afrikaans Protestant Church of South Africa

[edit] South America

  • Argentina
  • Bolivia
    • Iglesia Evangélica Presbiteriana en Bolivia (Korean Mission)
    • Iglesia Evangelica Presbiteriana en Bolivia-Cochabamba(Korean Mission)
    • Iglesia Presbiteriana Biblica (Chilean Mission)
    • Iglesia Presbiteriana de Bolivia (Brazilian Mission
    • Iglesia Presbiteriana en Bolivia (Bolivian initiative)
  • Brazil
    • Confederação das Igrejas Reformadas do Brasil
    • Christian Reformed Church - Hungarian
    • Dutch Reformed Church in Brazil
    • Igrejas Evangélicas Reformadas no Brasilwebsite
    • Igreja Presbiteriana do Brasil
    • Igreja Presbiteriana Independente do Brasil
    • Igreja Presbiteriana Unida do Brasil
    • Igreja Presbiteriana Conservadora do Brasil
    • Igreja Presbiteriana Renovada
    • União das Igrejas Evangélicas Congregacionais do Brasil
    • Aliança das Igrejas Evangélicas Congregacionais do Brasil
    • Igreja Cristã Evangélica do Brasil
    • Igreja Evangélica Congregacional do Brasil
    • Aliança das Igrejas Evangélicas Congregacionais Brasileiras
    • Igreja Congregacional Bíblica
    • Igrejas Congregacionais Conservadoras
    • Korean Presbyterian Churches
  • Chile
    • Iglesia Cristiana Presbiteriana de Chile
    • Iglesia Evangélica Presbiteriana en Chile
    • Iglesia Presbiteriana de Chile
    • Iglesia Presbiteriana Fundamentalista Biblica
    • Iglesia Presbiteriana en America
    • Iglesia Presbiteriana Nacional de Chile
  • Colombia
    • Iglesia Evangelica Reformada de Colombia
    • Iglesia Presbiteriana Cumberland de Colombia (Cumberland Presbyterian Church)
    • Iglesia Presbiteriana de Colombia (Sinodo Reformado)
    • Iglesia Presbiteriana de Colombia (Synodo presbiteriano)
  • Ecuador
  • French Guiana
    • Eglise Evangelique de la Guyane francaise - French Reformed Church
  • Guyana
    • Guyana Congregational Union
    • Guyana Presbyterian Church - Canadian Mission
    • Presbyterian Church of Guyana - Scottish Mission
  • Paraguay
    • Iglesia Presbiteriana en el Paraguay - Mission of the Bazilian Presbyterian Church
    • Iglesia Presbiteriana Taiwanesa en Asuncion- Taiwanese Presbyterian mission
    • Missao Coreana en el Paraguay - Korean Presbyterian missions
    • Iglesias Evangelicas Congregacionalistas en el Paraguay - German Reformed
  • Peru
    • Iglesia Evangelica Peruana
    • Iglesia Evangelica Presbiteriana y Reformada en el Peru (Scottish Free Presbyterian)
  • Suriname
    • Hervormde Kerk van Suriname - Dutch Reformed Church of Surinam
  • Uruguay
  • Venezuela
    • Iglesia Presbiteriana

[edit] International organizations

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