Church union is the name given to a merger of two or more Christian denominations. Such unions may occur in one of two ways. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      A Christian () is a... Note that this kind of denomination is not that of a coin or banknote. ...

United churches

Main article: United and uniting churches

Some churches have formed as a result of a merger of churches of different denominations. One of the first of these occurred in 1817, when Lutheran and Reformed churches in Prussia merged in what is known as the Prussian Union. United and uniting churches are churches that bring together (or unite) different (predominantly) Protestant denominations in one organisation. ... The Lutheran movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity by the original definition. ... The Reformed churches are a group of Protestant denominations historically related by a similar Zwinglian or Calvinist system of doctrine but organizationally independent. ... Motto Suum cuique Latin: To each his own Prussia at its peak, as leading state of the German Empire Capital Königsberg, later Berlin Government Duke1  - 1525–68 Albert I (first)  - 1688–1701 Frederick III (last) King1  - 1701–13 Frederick I (first)  - 1888–1918 William II (last) Prime Minister1,2... The Prussian Union (Evangelical Christian Church) was the merger of the Lutheran Church and the Reformed Church in Prussia, by a series of decrees by King Frederick William III. These decrees were the culmination of the efforts of his predecessors to unify these two churches after John Sigismund declared his...

The nineteenth century saw a number of unions between different churches of the same tradition. For example, the United Secession Church in Scotland was formed in 1820 by a union of various churches which had seceded from the established Church of Scotland. All these were Presbyterian in both doctrine and practice. In the twentieth century many churches merged as a result of the Ecumenical movement. One of the earliest such unions was in 1925, and formed the United Church of Canada. The United Secession Church (or properly the United Associate Synod of the Secession Church) was a Scottish Presbyterian denomination. ... Motto (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity Cha togar mfhearg gun dioladh (Scottish Gaelic) Wha daur meddle wi me?(Scots)1 Anthem (Multiple unofficial anthems) Scotland() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Monarch Queen... The Church of Scotland (CofS, known informally as The Kirk, Eaglais na h-Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is the national church of Scotland. ... Presbyterianism is part of the Reformed churches family of denominations of Christian Protestantism based on the teachings of John Calvin which traces its institutional roots to the Scottish Reformation, especially as led by John Knox. ... The word ecumenism is derived from the Greek oikoumene, which means the inhabited world. The term is usually used with regard to movements toward religious unity. ... The United Church of Canada (French: lÉglise Unie du Canada) is Canadas second largest church (after the Roman Catholic Church), and its largest Protestant denomination. ...

Federation

Some churches may join together by way of federation. A map displaying todays federations. ...

On July 24 1901, the Presbyterian Churches of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia joined together to form the Presbyterian Church of Australia. This was a federation, similar to the Federation which formed the Commonwealth of Australia on January 1 of that same year. In his inaugural moderatorial address, John Meiklejohn made it clear that the ecclesiastical union consciously reflected the union of the colonies: "We have, by forming this Assembly, formed a Court whose jurisdiction is, as regards territory, equal to, and coterminous with that of the Federal Parliament, and like it, is representative in its character." 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Presbyterianism is part of the Reformed churches family of denominations of Christian Protestantism based on the teachings of John Calvin which traces its institutional roots to the Scottish Reformation, especially as led by John Knox. ... The Presbyterian Church of Australia is the largest Presbyterian denomination in Australia. ... A map displaying todays federations. ... The federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed a federation. ... The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is an honorary role, held for 12 months. ...

This union involved churches of the same denomination in different locations. The individual state churches also kept their individual identities and retained many of their rights and privileges. A federal church rather than a national church was created.