Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches
Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches | |
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Abbreviation | CREC |
Classification | Protestant |
Orientation | Reformed |
Theology | Evangelical |
Polity | Presbyterian |
Presiding minister | Uri Brito |
Region | |
Origin | 1998 |
Congregations | 130+ (2024) |
Other name(s) | Confederation of Reformed Evangelicals Confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches |
Official website | crechurches |
The Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), formerly the Confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches,[1] was founded in 1998 as a body of churches that hold to Reformed (Calvinistic) theology.[2] Member churches include those from Presbyterian, Reformed, and Reformed Baptist backgrounds. The CREC has over a hundred member churches in the United States, Canada, Japan, Russia, Hungary, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Belarus, Poland, Brazil, Jersey, and the Czech Republic.[3] These are organised into nine presbyteries, named after figures in church history: Anselm, Athanasius, Augustine, Bucer, Hus, Knox, Kuyper, Tyndale, and Wycliffe.
History[edit]
The denomination was started in 1998 as the Confederation of Reformed Evangelicals (CRE).[4][5] It changed its name to the Confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches in 2004,[6] and then, in 2011, to the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches.[7]
Doctrine[edit]
The Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches holds to classic Calvinism (as promulgated in the Westminster Standards, Three Forms of Unity, and 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith), but on some doctrines in which Calvinists differ, (e.g., the Federal Vision, paedocommunion, and paedobaptism) the CREC allows each church to decide its own stance. The Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches allows member churches to hold to any of the following historic confessions:
- Westminster Confession of Faith (1647)
- American Westminster Confession of Faith (1789)
- The Three Forms of Unity:
- Belgic Confession (1561)
- Heidelberg Catechism (1563)
- Canons of Dort (1619)
- The London Baptist Confession (1689)
- The Savoy Declaration (1658)
- Second Helvetic Confession
- 39 Articles
- The Reformed Evangelical Confession[8]
The CREC rejects both modernism and fundamentalism.[9] It has published a number of "memorials", which among other things affirm Young Earth creationism and deprecate government schooling.[10]
Worship[edit]
Churches in CREC generally practise covenant renewal worship.[11]
Notable members[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Wilson, Douglas (6 October 2011). "The Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches". Retrieved 6 October 2011.
- ^ History, Confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches.
- ^ Churches, Confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches (see linked presbytery pages
- ^ "Confederation of Reformed Evangelicals: First Annual Presbytery" (PDF). Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ Stankorb, Sarah (2023). Disobedient Women: How a Small Group of Faithful Women Exposed Abuse, Brought Down Powerful Pastors, and Ignited an Evangelical Reckoning. Worthy Books. p. 184. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ "Minutes of the 8th Annual Meeting of the Presbytery of the Confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches" (PDF). Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ Phelps, Jack E. "A Message to the World Regarding the CREC Name Change" (PDF). Confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ "The Reformed Evangelical Confession" (PDF).
- ^ Schuman, Samuel (2010). Seeing the Light: Religious Colleges in Twenty-First-Century America. JHU Press. p. 106. ISBN 9780801896088. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
- ^ "Book of Memorials" (PDF). Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ What to expect in our CREC church (PDF). Canon Press. p. 2. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
External links[edit]
- Christian organizations established in 1998
- Calvinist denominations established in the 20th century
- Evangelical denominations established in the 20th century
- Reformed denominations in Canada
- Reformed denominations in the United States
- Evangelical denominations in North America
- Reformed Christianity stubs
- Christian denomination stubs