The Reformed Church in America (RCA) is a mainline Reformed Protestant denomination that was formerly known as the Dutch Reformed Church. The denomination has about 275,000 members and has congregations in both the U.S. and Canada. The RCA is a founding member of the National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches, and some parts of the denomination belong to the National Association of Evangelicals, the Canadian Council of Churches and the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. Image File history File links Reformed_Church_in_America_logo. ... In the United States, the mainline (also sometimes called mainstream) denominations are those Protestant denominations with a potpourri of conservative, moderate, and liberal theologies. ... The Reformed churches are a group of Protestant denominations historically related by a similar Zwinglian or Calvinist system of doctrine but organizationally independent. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (usually identified as National Council of Churches, or NCC) is an association of 35 Christian faith groups in the United States with 100,000 local congregations and more than 45,000,000 adherents. ... The World Council of Churches (WCC) is an international Christian ecumenical organization. ... The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) is an agency dedicated to coordinating cooperative ministry for evangelical denominations of Christians in the United States. ...

The Reformed Church confesses several statements of doctrine and faith. These include the historic Apostles' Creed, Nicene Creed, and Athanasian Creed; the traditional Reformed Belgic Confession, Heidelberg Catechism, and Canons of Dort. The Apostles Creed (Latin: Symbolum Apostolorum), sometimes titled Symbol of the Apostles, is an early statement of Christian belief, a creed or symbol. ... Icon depicting the Holy Fathers of the First Council of Nicaea holding the Nicene Creed. ... The Athanasian Creed (Quicunque vult) is a statement of Christian doctrine traditionally ascribed to St. ... The Confession of Faith, popularly known as the Belgic Confession, following the seventeenth-century Latin designation Confessio Belgica. ... The Heidelberg Catechism is a document taking the form of a series of questions and answers, for use in teaching Reformed Christian doctrine. ... The Canons of Dort is one of the confessional standards of the Netherlands. ...

Bradley Lewis was elected President of the General Synod in 2006. The general secretary is Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, installed by the General Synod in 1994. The church is ordered by the Constitution of the Reformed Church in America, consisting of The Liturgy, The Government, and The Standards of Unity. The Government, along with The Formularies and The By-Laws of General Synod are published annually in a volume known as The Book of Church Order.

History

It is the oldest non-Anglican Protestant church with a continuous ministry and also the oldest corporation in North America. The early Dutch settlers in New Netherland held informal meetings for worship until Jonas Michaelius organized a congregation in New Amsterdam in 1628, called the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church. The term Anglican describes those people and churches following the religious traditions of the Church of England, especially following the Reformation. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... Map based on Adriaen Blocks 1614 expedition to New Netherland, featuring the first use of the name. ... New Amsterdam (Dutch: Nieuw Amsterdam) was the name of the 17th century town which grew outside of Fort Amsterdam on Manhattan Island in the New Netherland territory (1614–1674) which was situated between 38 and 42 degrees latitude as a provincial extension of the Dutch Republic since 1624. ... 1628 was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... Marble Collegiate Church is located at Fifth Avenue and Twenty-Ninth Street in New York City. ...

The Reformed Church was the established church of New Netherland. Although the British captured the colony in 1664, all RCA ministers were still trained in the Netherlands under the auspices of the denominational classis of Amsterdam, and services in the Reformed Church remained in the Dutch language until 1764. (Dutch language use faded thereafter until the new wave of Dutch immigration in the mid-1800s, which prompted a temporary revival of it.) In 1747 the denomination gave permission to form an assembly in America, which in 1754 declared itself independent of the classis of Amsterdam. This American classis secured a charter in 1766 for Queens College (now Rutgers University) in New Jersey. The appointment in 1784 of John Henry Livingston as professor of theology marked the beginning of the New Brunswick Theological Seminary. In 1792, a formal constitution was adopted; in 1794 the Reformed Church held its first general synod; and in 1867 formally adopted the name "Reformed Church in America". Events March 12 - New Jersey becomes a colony of England. ... Dutch (  ) is a West Germanic language spoken by around 23 million people, mainly in the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname, but also by smaller groups of speakers in parts of France, Germany and several former Dutch colonies. ... Year 1747 (MDCCXLVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... 1754 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Nickname: Motto: Heldhaftig, Vastberaden, Barmhartig (Valiant, Determined, Compassionate) Location of Amsterdam Coordinates: Country Netherlands Province North Holland Government  - Mayor Job Cohen (PvdA)  - Aldermen Lodewijk Asscher Hennah Buyne Carolien Gehrels Tjeerd Herrema Maarten van Poelgeest Marijke Vos  - Secretary Erik Gerritsen Area [1][2]  - City 219 km²  (84. ... 1766 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... “Rutgers” redirects here. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ... 1784 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Rev. ... New Brunswick Theological Seminary is a professional and graduate school founded in 1784, in New York City, to educate ministers for the congregations of the Reformed Church in America. ... 1792 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1794 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Cunt BAg Twat Fuk suck my penis ring 0778851865!!!!!!Year 1867 (MDCCCLXVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

In the nineteenth century, in New York and New Jersey, the descendents of the original Dutch settlers struggled to preserve their European standards and traditions, while developing a taste for revivalism and an American identity.

The church embraced many of the historic colonial churches of New York and New Jersey, the denominational stronghold; fresh immigration from the Netherlands in the mid-19th century led to the development of the church in the Midwest. Hope College and Western Theological Seminary were founded in Holland, Michigan, Central College at Pella, Iowa, and Northwestern College at Orange City, Iowa. In the 1857 Secession, a group of Dutch settlers in Michigan led by Gijsbert Haan separated from the Reformed Church and organized the Christian Reformed Church, and other churches followed. In 1882 another group of churches left for the CRC, mirroring developments in the church in the Netherlands. In the post-World War II years the church expanded in Canada, which was the destination of a large group of Dutch emigrants. Between 1949 and 1958 the church opened 120 churches among non-Dutch suburban communities. NY redirects here. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ... Hope College is a medium-sized (3,200 undergraduates), private, residential liberal arts college located in downtown Holland, Michigan, a few miles from Lake Michigan. ... Western Theological Seminary (WTS) is a professional and graduate school in Holland, Michigan affiliated with the Reformed Church in America. ... Holland is a city in the western region of the U.S. state of Michigan. ... Central College is a private liberal arts college located in Pella, Iowa. ... Pella is a city in Marion County, Iowa, United States. ... Northwestern College can refer to either Northwestern College of Iowa or Northwestern College (MN) in Minnesota This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Orange City is a city located in Sioux County, Iowa. ... January 1857 Secession of Christian Reformed Church from Reformed Church of America. ... 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. ... The Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA or CRC) is a Protestant Christian denomination which follows Reformed Calvinist theology. ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 1955, the Rev. Dr. Robert H. Schuller was dispatched by the Reformed Church to start a new congregation in Garden Grove, California. Services were initially conducted at a drive-in theater. Developed under Rev. Schuller's leadership to become the Crystal Cathedral, the church is now one of the best known Reformed Church congregations in the world, though Schuller's ministry tends to lack the Reformed focus on scriptural teaching. Schuller, like his influence Norman Vincent Peale (also a RCA minister), teaches "Possibility Theology." In 2006, Schuller handed the ministry over to his son, the Rev. Dr. Robert A. Schuller. 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Reverend Dr. Robert Harold Schuller (born September 16, 1926) is an American televangelist and pastor known around the world through his weekly broadcast The Hour of Power. ... Country United States State California County Orange Government  - Mayor William Dalton Area  - City 18 sq mi (46. ... Crystal Cathedral The Crystal Cathedral is a Christian megachurch in the city of Garden Grove, in Orange County, California. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Robert A. Schuller (b. ...

Ecumenical relations

The RCA maintains a relationship of full communion with the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the United Church of Christ through a document known as the Formula of Agreement. The relationship between the United Church of Christ and the RCA has been the subject of a certain amount of controversy within the RCA, particularly surrounding positions that members of the UCC leadership have taken regarding homosexuality. The two denominations undertook a dialogue and in 1999 produced a document discussing their differences (PDF). The RCA's 2006 General Synod voted to allow the exchange of ministers with the Christian Reformed Church in North America. This action must be submitted to the RCA's classes for their approval before it can become effective. Full communion is completeness of that relationship between Christian individuals and groups which is known as communion. ... Emblem of the PC(USA) The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) or PC(USA) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Disambiguation: This article is about the United States denomination known as United Church of Christ. ... Disambiguation: This article is about the United States denomination known as United Church of Christ. ... The Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA or CRC) is a Protestant Christian denomination which follows Reformed Calvinist theology. ...

Noteworthy members

• John S. Badeau, ambassador to Egypt for President John F. Kennedy
• Everett Dirksen, senator
• B.D. Dykstra, writer and educator
• Peter Hoekstra, Congressman
• A. J. Muste, writer, professor, pacifist
• Norman Vincent Peale, preacher
• Theodore Roosevelt, president
• Marge Roukema, Congresswoman, a convert from Roman Catholicism
• Philip Schuyler, a leader of the American Revolution
• Robert Schuller, preacher
• Martin Van Buren, president
• Donald Trump, businessman

This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. ... Everett McKinley Dirksen Everett McKinley Dirksen (January 4, 1896 – September 7, 1969) was a Republican U.S. Congressman and Senator from Illinois. ... Broer Doekles (B.D.) Dykstra was a Dutch-American pastor, educator, and poet who wrote several books and was an early 20th century leader in the Reformed Church in America. ... Pete Hoekstra (born October 30, 1953), American politician, is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1993, representing the 2nd District of Michigan. ... Abraham Johannes Muste (January 8, 1885 – February 11, 1967) was a socialist active in the pacifist movement, labor movement and the US civil rights movement. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. ... Margaret Marge Scafati Roukema (born September 19, 1929 in Newark, New Jersey) represented New Jersey in the U.S. House of Representatives for twenty-two years as a Republican. ... The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church (see terminology below) is the Christian church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. It traces its origins to the original Christian community founded by Jesus Christ and led by the Twelve Apostles, in particular Saint Peter. ... Philip Schuyler Philip John Schuyler (November 10, 1733 – November 18, 1804) was a general in the American Revolution and a United States Senator from New York. ... Robert Harold Schuller (born September 16, 1926) is an American televangelist known around the world through his weekly broadcast The Hour of Power. ... Martin Van Buren (December 5, 1782 – July 24, 1862), nicknamed Old Kinderhook, was the 8th President of the United States from 1837 to 1841. ... Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American business executive, entrepreneur, television personality and author. ...

RCA colleges and seminaries

• Central College, Pella, Iowa
• Hope College, Holland, Michigan
• New Brunswick Theological Seminary, New Brunswick, New Jersey
• Northwestern College, Orange City, Iowa
• New Brunswick, New Jersey
• Western Theological Seminary, Holland, Michigan
• Ministry Formation Coordination Agency, Pasadena, California

Central College is a private liberal arts college located in Pella, Iowa. ... Pella is a city in Marion County, Iowa, United States. ... Hope College is a medium-sized (3,200 undergraduates), private, residential liberal arts college located in downtown Holland, Michigan, a few miles from Lake Michigan. ... Holland is a city in the western region of the U.S. state of Michigan. ... Nickname: Location of New Brunswick in Middlesex County Coordinates: Country United States of America State New Jersey County Middlesex Established December 30, 1730 Incorporated September 1, 1784 Government  - Type Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council)  - Mayor James Cahill Area  - City  5. ... Northwestern College is a private, Christian, liberal arts college located in Orange City, Iowa. ... Orange City is a city located in Sioux County, Iowa. ... Nickname: Location of New Brunswick in Middlesex County Coordinates: Country United States of America State New Jersey County Middlesex Established December 30, 1730 Incorporated September 1, 1784 Government  - Type Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council)  - Mayor James Cahill Area  - City  5. ... Western Theological Seminary (WTS) is a professional and graduate school in Holland, Michigan affiliated with the Reformed Church in America. ... Holland is a city in the western region of the U.S. state of Michigan. ... Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. ...

See also

• Dutch Reformed Church
• Christian Reformed Church in North America
• Middle East Reformed Fellowship

This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA or CRC) is a Protestant Christian denomination which follows Reformed Calvinist theology. ... Middle East Reformed Fellowship is a missionary organization evangelizing the Middle East, North Africa and now Indonesia on behalf of Reformed Churches and believers worldwide. ...

Sources

• M. G. Hansen, The Reformed Church in the Netherlands, 1340–1840 (1884)
• J. J. Birch, The Pioneering Church in the Mohawk Valley (1955)
• F. H. Fabend, Zion on the Hudson: Dutch New York and New Jersey in the Age of Revivals (2000)

External links

• RCA official site