Reformed Church in the United States

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about a church in the German Reformed tradition. For the Dutch Reformed denomination, see Reformed Church in America.
Reformed Church in the United States (RCUS)
Calvinist
PolityPresbyterian
AssociationsNorth American Presbyterian and Reformed Council, International Conference of Reformed Churches
Origin1725
Branched fromGerman Reformed Church
Separations1933–34 majority merged with the Evangelical Synod of North America to form the Evangelical and Reformed Church (now part of the United Church of Christ)
Congregations44
Members3340
Official websitercus.org
Minutes of the 277th RCUS Synod 2023[1]

The Reformed Church in the United States (RCUS) is a

Midwest and California
.

History

Originally known as the German Reformed Church, the RCUS was organized in 1725 thanks largely to the efforts of John Philip Boehm, who immigrated in 1720. He organized the first congregation of German Reformed believers near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, some of them descendants and German immigrants from the turn of the century. Some had immigrated from the Palatine area. He was later joined by other ministers such as George Weiss and Michael Schlatter.

Boehm was eventually ordained by the Classis of Amsterdam in 1729, which oversaw the American branch of the

Lutherans
and Reformed with the Moravians, which Boehm staunchly resisted.

During the 19th century the German Reformed Church debated issues such as

Mercersburg Theology of John Nevin and Philip Schaff. In 1866 Samuel Miller, a member of the German Reformed Church, published a work entitled A Treatise on Mercersburg Theology: Mercersburg and Modern Theology Compared. Other controversies, such as debates over liturgy
, also occurred in the 19th century. In the second half of the century, the congregations formed their first General Synod, held in 1863. In the 1870s and 1880s, there were attempts, albeit unsuccessful, to unite with the related Dutch Reformed Church.

During the twentieth century, the RCUS increasingly shifted toward

higher criticism of the Bible. More conservative clergy and members united to form the Eureka Classis
of the RCUS, in order to continue classical Reformed worship and polity.

In 1934, the RCUS merged with the

Prussian Union of Churches
.

The Eureka Classis, however, abjured that merger and decided to identify as the "

Volga River region of Russia
, where ethnic Germans had been isolated from liberalizing influences in the motherland.

By contrast, most RCUS churches, classes, and synods located in the eastern United States had significantly assimilated into generalized or what became known as mainline American Protestantism, and become more ecumenical.

Congregational and Restorationist churches) to become the United Church of Christ. It has been known for its strongly liberal doctrine and moral stances.[4]

In 1986, the Eureka Classis transitioned to become a synod, currently composed of four classes.

Polity and beliefs

The polity of the RCUS is

Presbyterian denominations. A general, or national, synod
convenes annually in mid-spring.

Theology

The old RCUS, as well as the continuing RCUS, originally held only to the Heidelberg Catechism[5] as its statement of faith. In 1995, the Synod officially adopted the Belgic Confession of Faith[6] and the Canons of Dort, which along with Heidelberg are known as the Three Forms of Unity which are commonly used together by Reformed churches (especially those coming out of the Dutch branch of Reformed churches). By holding strictly to these standards, the RCUS maintains a strong affiliation with Calvinism and the 16th-century Reformation.

The RCUS believes in

total abstinence from alcoholic beverages, holding instead a focus on a European Calvinist orthodoxy rather than American-style revivalism.[7]

International organisations

The Reformed Church in the United States is a member of the North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council as well as the International Conference of Reformed Churches.[8]

References

  1. ^ "Abstract of the Minutes of the 277th RCUS Synod, 2023" (PDF). The Reformed Church in the United States. May 2023. Retrieved 2023-07-02.
  2. ^ "The 1934 Merger (And the Rebirth of the RCUS)". Archived from the original on 2013-03-24. Retrieved 2013-03-24.
  3. ^ Fasse, Christoph. "Address data base of Reformed churches and institutions". Reformiert-online.net. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  4. ^ "The History of the RCUS Since the 1934 Merger". Archived from the original on 2013-03-24. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
  5. ^ "Heidelberg Catechism – 2011". Rcus.org. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  6. ^ "Belgic Confession – 2011". Rcus.org. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  7. ^ "Position Papers". Rcus.org. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  8. ^ "The International Conference of Reformed Churches". Archived from the original on 2014-08-27. Retrieved 2014-03-31.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Reformed Church in the United States.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Reformed_Church_in_the_United_States&oldid=1220981465"