Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren
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The Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren (ECCB) (Czech: Českobratrská církev evangelická; ČCE), was formed in 1918 through the unification of the Protestant churches of the Lutheran and Reformed confessions. The ECCB has about 120,000 members in more than 260 local congregations, which are broken down into 14 seniorates (presbyteries) throughout the Czech Republic.
The Lutheran and Reformed Churches were permitted only after the harsh counter-reformation movement, which lasted from 1620 until the issuing of the Edict of Toleration in 1781. However, the ECCB has deeper roots in the Czech reformation: in the Utraquist Hussite Church (1431-1620) and in the Unity of Brethren aka Moravian Church (1457-1620).
The ECCB is a member of the World Council of Churches, the Conference of European Churches, the Lutheran World Federation and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches.
