United Reformed Churches in North America
| United Reformed Churches in North America | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Abbreviation | URCNA, URC, or URCs |
| Classification | Protestant |
| Theology | Confessional Reformed |
| Governance | Presbyterian |
| Associations | North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council, International Conference of Reformed Churches |
| Region | United States and Canada |
| Origin | 1996 Lynwood, Illinois |
| Separated from | Christian Reformed Church in North America |
| Absorbed | Orthodox Christian Reformed Churches (2008) |
| Congregations | 112 (2011) |
| Members | 23,505 (2011) |
| Ministers | 159 (2011) |
| Official website | www |
The United Reformed Churches in North America (URCNA) is a theologically conservative federation of Reformed churches, that was founded in 1996 in Lynwood, Illinois, with many churches having left the Christian Reformed Church in North America.
The United Reformed Churches trace their roots back to the earlier Protestant movements in Europe, and to the Reformed churches in Belgium and the Netherlands. From 1618 to 1619 the international Reformed churches, with representatives from several countries, met at the Synod of Dort in the Netherlands and there collectively stated their faith, summarizing biblical teachings in the Canons of the Council of Dordrecht. Along with the Canons of Dordt the URCNA also holds the Belgic Confession and the Heidelberg Catechism as doctrinal standards. These documents are collectively known as "The Three Forms of Unity". The United Reformed Church also subscribe the Ecumenical Creeds (Apostles Creed, Nicene Creed, Athanasian Creed). A fundamental doctrine they describe is forensic justification, according to which Christ offers a double benefit: one's sin is imputed to Christ and he suffers for it on the cross, while His perfect obedience is credited to believers who receive its benefits, including eternal life.
In the 1980s a sizable group within the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA) felt that the denomination was moving away from the truths of the Reformation. This group grew considerably in the 1990s. The Christian Reformed Alliance was formed in 1990 which become The Alliance of Reformed Churches two years later. In 1994 about 62 churches met to discuss solution to the problem. Some of them had already left the CRC, while some had never been part of that denomination.
...
Wikipedia