NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Christian Reformed

The Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA or CRC) is a Protestant Christian denomination which follows Reformed Calvinist theology.^[1] The church promotes the belief that Christians do not earn their salvation, but that it is a gift from God despite one's failings and that good works are the Christian response to that gift. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (600x900, 36 KB)Logo for the Christian Reformed Church in North America File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (600x900, 36 KB)Logo for the Christian Reformed Church in North America File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Christianity. ... The Reformed churches are a group of Protestant denominations historically related by a similar Zwinglian or Calvinist system of doctrine but organizationally independent. ... In an unadorned church, the 17th century congregation stands to hear the sermon. ...

The denomination currently counts nearly 300,000 members in approximately 1,000 congregations across the United States and Canada, and has its roots in the Dutch Reformed churches in the Netherlands. The church was founded by Gijsbert Haan and Dutch immigrants in the mid 1800s. CRC churches are predominantly located in areas of Dutch immigrant settlement in North America, including Western Michigan, Chicagoland, the city of Lynden in Washington State, British Columbia, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Alberta, Iowa, suburban southern California, and northern New Jersey. The church has grown more ethnically diverse with some congregations predominantly Native American, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, African-American and Hispanic. Many churches, particularly in more urban areas, are becoming much more integrated. Emerging from its role as primarily an immigrant church, the church has become more outward focused in recent years. Gijsbert Haan or alternate spelling Gysbert Haan (January 3, 1801 - July 27, 1874) was the leader in the 1857 Secession from the Reformed Church of America, and the creator of the Christian Reformed Church. ... Beginning of the Napoleonic Wars (1805 - 1815). ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... Western Michigan, also known as West Michigan, is a region of the U.S. State of Michigan. ... Chicagoland is an informal name for the Chicago metropolitan area, used by local residents, businesses, governments, and planning agencies. ... Lynden is a city located in Whatcom County, Washington. ... Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Official languages English de facto (none stated in law) Flower Pacific dogwood Tree Western Redcedar Bird Stellers Jay Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Lieutenant-Governor Iona Campagnolo Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Parliamentary representation - House seats - Senate seats 36 6 Area... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Official languages English (de facto) Flower White Trillium Tree Eastern White Pine Bird Common Loon Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Parliamentary representation - House seats - Senate seats 106 24... Motto: Munit Haec et Altera Vincit (Latin: One defends and the other conquers) Official languages none (English, French, Gaelic) Flower Mayflower Tree Red Spruce Bird Osprey Capital Halifax Largest city Halifax Lieutenant-Governor Mayann E. Francis Premier Rodney MacDonald (PC) Parliamentary representation - House seats - Senate seats 11 10 Area Total... Motto: Parva Sub Ingenti The Small Protected By The Great) Official languages English Flower Pink Ladys Slipper Tree Red Oak Bird Blue Jay Capital Charlottetown Largest city Charlottetown Lieutenant-Governor Barbara Oliver Hagerman Premier Pat Binns (PC) Parliamentary representation - House seats - Senate seats 4 4 Area Total - Land - Water... Motto: Spem reduxit (Hope restored) Official languages English, French Flower Purple Violet Tree Balsam Fir Bird Black-capped Chickadee Capital Fredericton Largest city Saint John Lieutenant-Governor HermÃ©nÃ©gilde Chiasson Premier Shawn Graham (Liberal) Parliamentary representation - House seats - Senate seats 10 10 Area Total - Land - Water (% of total) Ranked... Motto: Fortis et liber (Latin: Strong and free) Official languages English (see below) Flower Wild rose Tree Lodgepole Pine Bird Great Horned Owl Capital Edmonton Largest city Calgary Lieutenant-Governor Norman Kwong Premier Ed Stelmach (PC) Parliamentary representation - House seats - Senate seats 28 6 Area Total - Land - Water (% of total... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Area Ranked 47th - Total 8,729 sq mi (22,608 kmÂ²) - Width 70 miles (110 km) - Length 150 miles (240 km) - % water 14. ... Native Americans are the indigenous peoples within the territory that is now encompassed by the continental United States, including parts of Alaska down to their descendants in modern times. ... An African American (also Afro-American or Black American) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... The Hispanic world. ...

1 Theology
2 History
3 Notable Members
4 See also
- 4.1 References
- 4.2 External links

Theology

The denomination is considered evangelical and Calvinistic in its theology. It places high value on theological study and the application of theology to current issues, emphasizes the importance of careful Biblical hermeneutics, and has traditionally respected the personal conscience of individual members who feel they are led by the Holy Spirit. Church-authorized committees generally study contemporary societal and religious issues in-depth, and the CRC is cautious about changes. Reformed theology as practiced in the CRC is founded in Calvinism and influenced by the other great reformers, such as Martin Luther. A more recent theologian of great influence on this denomination was Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920). Kuyper, who served as the Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 1901-1905, promoted a belief of social responsibility and called on Christians to actively engage in improving all aspects of life and society. Current scholars with growing reputations, such as philosopher Alvin Plantinga, Nicholas Wolterstorff, and the late Lewis B. Smedes have associations with this denomination and with Calvin College. Hermeneutics may be described as the development and study of theories of the interpretation and understanding of texts. ... In various religions, most notably Trinitarian Christianity, the Holy Spirit (in Hebrew ×¨×•×— ×”×§×•×“×© Ruah haqodesh; also called the Holy Ghost) is the third consubstantial Person of the Holy Trinity. ... Calvinism is a system of Christian theology and an approach to Christian life and thought within the Protestant tradition articulated by John Calvin, a Protestant Reformer in the 16th century, and subsequently by successors, associates, followers and admirers of Calvin, his interpretation of Scripture, and perspective on Christian life and... Martin Luther (November 10, 1483 â€“ February 18, 1546) was a German monk,[1] priest, professor, theologian, and church reformer. ... Portrait of Abraham Kuyper by Jan Veth Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920) was born in the town of Maassluis and was a Dutch Calvinist theologian, scholar, and statesman. ... The prime minister of the Netherlands is the head of the cabinet, and, as such, coordinates the policy of the government. ... Alvin Cornelius Plantinga (born 15 November 1932 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, of Frisian ancestry) is a contemporary American philosopher known for his work in epistemology, metaphysics, and the philosophy of religion. ... The philosopher Nicholas Paul Wolterstorff was born January 21, 1932 in Bigelow, Minnesota. ... Lewis B. Smedes (1921-2002) was a renowned Christian author, ethicist, and theologian in the Reformed Tradition. ... Calvin College is a comprehensive liberal arts college located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. ...

The CRC belongs to the Reformed Ecumenical Council and the National Association of Evangelicals. Reformed Ecumenical Council is an international organization of calvinist Churches with a membership at large of 10 million people. ... The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) is an agency dedicated to coordinating cooperative ministry for evangelical denominations of Christians in the United States. ...

The denomination supports Calvin College as well as Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where the denomination's North American headquarters are located. Most ministers ordained in the denomination's churches trained at Calvin Seminary. Other colleges associated with the denomination are Trinity Christian College, Dordt College, Kuyper College, Redeemer University College, The King's University College, and the post-graduate Institute for Christian Studies. Calvin College is a comprehensive liberal arts college located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. ... Calvin Theological Seminary is a seminary affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and very closely tied to Calvin College. ... Nickname: Location of Grand Rapids within Kent County, Michigan Coordinates: Country United States State Michigan County Kent - Mayor George Heartwell Area - City 45. ... Calvin Theological Seminary is a seminary affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and very closely tied to Calvin College. ... Trinity Christian College is a liberal arts college loosely affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church in North America and the Reformed Church in America and located in Palos Heights, Illinois. ... Dordt College is a private, Christian, liberal arts college located in Sioux Center, Iowa. ... Kuyper College is a small ministry-focused Christian leadership college located in Grand Charter Rapids Township, just northeast of the city of Grand Rapids. ... The coat of arms of Redeemer University College, registered with the Canadian Heraldic Authority Redeemer University College located in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada, is a small college of Christian conviction with 750 students and faculty under the administration of Dr. Justin Cooper. ... The Kings University College is a degree-granting institution offering Christian university education, located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. ... Institute for Christian Studies is the name of several schools. ...

The ecclesiastical structure of the church involves three levels of assembly: the church council (local assembly, comprised of a congregation's deacons, elders, and ministerial staff), the classis (regional assembly, of which there are 47: 36 in the United States, 12 in Canada, and 1 straddling the national border), and the synod (bi-national assembly.) The church's Synod meets annually in June, with 188 delegates: two ministers and two elders from each classis. Central offices of the church are located in Grand Rapids, Michigan and Burlington, Ontario. The diaconate is one of three ordained offices in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox churches. ... A synod (also known as a council) is a council of a church, usually a Christian church, convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. ... A synod (also known as a council) is a council of a church, usually a Christian church, convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. ... Nickname: Location of Grand Rapids within Kent County, Michigan Coordinates: Country United States State Michigan County Kent - Mayor George Heartwell Area - City 45. ... Motto: Stand By Coordinates: Country Canada Province Ontario Region Halton Regional Municipality Established 1874 Mayor Rob MacIsaac Governing Body Burlington City Council MPs Mike Wallace (CPC), Garth Turner Independent MPPs Former Cam Jackson (PC) Area - City 187 kmÂ² (72 sq mi) Population - City (2001) 150,8361(sc) - Density 806. ...

History

The Christian Reformed Church emblem appoved for U.S. military gravestones.

The Dutch Reformed churches have a long history of mergers and schisms, and the Christian Reformed Church has not escaped these. The Christian Reformed Church split from the Reformed Church in America in an 1857 Secession, which was in part the result of a theological dispute that originated in the Netherlands. Some other denominations later merged with the CRC, most notably the True Protestant Dutch Reformed Church in 1890. Other churches later split from the CRC, including the Protestant Reformed Church (1924-1926), the Orthodox Christian Reformed Church in 1988, and the United Reformed Churches in North America in 1996. Image File history File links USVA_headstone_emb-26. ... Image File history File links USVA_headstone_emb-26. ... Logo of the RCA The Reformed Church in America (RCA) is a Calvinist Reformed Protestant denomination that was formerly known as the Dutch Reformed Church. ... January 1857 Secession of Christian Reformed Church from Reformed Church of America. ... The Protestant Reformed Churches in America (PRCA) are a denomination of 27 churches and almost 6000 members in the United States and Canada. ... The Orthodox Christian Reformed Church (OCRC) is a theologically conservative federation of churches in the Dutch Calvinist tradition. ... The United Reformed Churches in North America (URCNA) is a theologically conservative federation of churches in the Dutch Calvinist tradition. ...

In the closing decades of the twentieth century, the Synod of the CRC enacted changes that were troubling to the more conservative members of its constituency, especially its 1995 decision to ordain women to ministerial positions. One result of this decision was that the Presbyterian Church in America and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church broke fraternal relations with the CRC in 1997. The membership of the CRC in the North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council, the single largest gathering of conservative Reformed denominations in the United States, was suspended in 1999 and terminated in 2001. This gradual doctrinal shift has spurred more conservative congregations to leave, and a significant number of these have ended up in either the PCA, OPC, or the Orthodox CRC and United Reformed Church mentioned above. The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) is a Protestant denomination, the second largest Presbyterian church body in the United States after the Presbyterian Church (USA). ... Along with Westminster Theological Seminary, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) was founded by conservative Presbyterians who revolted against the modernist theology within the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (PCUSA) during the 1930s. ... North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council is an association of some Presbyterian and Reformed churches in the United States and Canada. ...

Notable Members

Sietze Buning, poet, the pen name of Stanley Wiersma (1930-1986)
Richard DeVos, businessman, co-founder of Amway
Vern Ehlers, U.S. Representative from Michigan
Frederick Manfred, author of Westerns, the pen name of Feike Feikema (1912-1994)
Alvin Plantinga, Philosopher, University of Notre Dame
Cornelius Plantinga, theologian, President of Calvin Seminary
The Staal brothers
- Eric Staal, NHL hockey player, Carolina Hurricanes
- Marc Staal, OHL player, Sudbury Wolves
- Jordan Staal, NHL player, Pittsburgh Penguins
- Jared Staal, OHL player, Sudbury Wolves
Jay Van Andel, businessman, co-founder of Amway
Nicholas Wolterstorff, Philosopher, Yale University

Others, such as novelist Peter De Vries and filmmaker Paul Schrader, were raised in the church by CRC-member parents and attended denominational schools, but later left that tradition. However, the influence of CRC origin can be detected in their later work, especially the films of Schrader, who has publicly stated that "a religious upbringing... never goes away."^[2] Richard DeVos, Sr. ... Amway is a multi-level marketing (MLM) or technically called network marketing company founded in 1959 by Jay Van Andel and Rich DeVos (father of Michigan gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos). ... Vernon James Ehlers (born February 6, 1934), American politician, is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1993, representing the 3rd District of Michigan (map). ... Frederick Feikema Manfred (January 6, 1912 to September 7, 1994) was a noted Western author. ... Alvin Cornelius Plantinga (born 15 November 1932 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, of Frisian ancestry) is a contemporary American philosopher known for his work in epistemology, metaphysics, and the philosophy of religion. ... Cornelius Plantinga is the President of Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, MI. Prior to holding this position he was the Dean of the Chapel at Calvin College. ... Eric Joseph Brent Staal (born on 29 October 1984 in Thunder Bay, Ontario) is a Canadian ice hockey player who plays for the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL Playing career Eric Staal Staal was selected 2nd overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes. ... NHL redirects here. ... The Carolina Hurricanes are a National Hockey League team in Raleigh, North Carolina. ... Marc Staal, (born January 13, 1987 in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada) is an ice hockey player. ... A typical OHL hockey game. ... City: Sudbury, Ontario League: Ontario Hockey League Conference: Eastern Division: Central Founded: 1962 (NOJHL) 1972 (OHA) Home Arena: Sudbury Arena Colours: Blue, White, Grey Head Coach: Mike Foligno General Manager: Mike Foligno Sudbury Wolves make an entrance on home ice The Sudbury Wolves are a junior ice hockey team that... Jordan Staal (born on September 10, 1988 in Thunder Bay, Ontario) is a professional ice hockey player. ... The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ... Jared Staal (born September 21, 1990 in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada) is an ice hockey player. ... A typical OHL hockey game. ... City: Sudbury, Ontario League: Ontario Hockey League Conference: Eastern Division: Central Founded: 1962 (NOJHL) 1972 (OHA) Home Arena: Sudbury Arena Colours: Blue, White, Grey Head Coach: Mike Foligno General Manager: Mike Foligno Sudbury Wolves make an entrance on home ice The Sudbury Wolves are a junior ice hockey team that... Jay Van Andel, (1924-2004) American businessman best-known as the co-founder of the Amway Corporation, was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, June 3, 1924. ... Amway is a multi-level marketing (MLM) or technically called network marketing company founded in 1959 by Jay Van Andel and Rich DeVos (father of Michigan gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos). ... The philosopher Nicholas Paul Wolterstorff was born January 21, 1932 in Bigelow, Minnesota. ... Peter De Vries (February 27, 1910 - September 28, 1993) was an American editor and comic novelist known for his satiric wit. ... Paul Joseph Schrader (born July 22, 1946 in Grand Rapids, Michigan) is a screenwriter and film director, renowned for his characters that fall into desperation while their world crumbles around them. ... Paul Joseph Schrader (born July 22, 1946 in Grand Rapids, Michigan) is a screenwriter and film director, renowned for his characters that fall into desperation while their world crumbles around them. ...

Contents

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History

Notable Members

See also

References

External links

Theology