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International Conference of Reformed Churches

Federation for reformed churches From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

International Conference of Reformed Churches

The International Conference of Reformed Churches (ICRC) is a federation of Reformed or Calvinist churches around the world. The ICRC convenes international meetings every four years.

Quick Facts Type, Classification ...
International Conference of Reformed Churches
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TypeFellowship
ClassificationProtestant
OrientationConfessionally Reformed
Origin1981; 44 years ago (1981)
Members774,178
Official websitewww.icrconline.com
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The ICRC was founded in 1981 at Groningen in the Netherlands.[1]

The theology of the ICRC is more conservative than the larger World Communion of Reformed Churches and is similar to that of the World Reformed Fellowship. The participating churches endorse the four Reformed confessions: the Heidelberg Catechism, Belgic Confession, Canons of Dort, and Westminster Confession of Faith.

In 2023, the moderator of the ICRC is Reverend Dr Dick Moes.[2]

History

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Precedents

Reformed Faith emerged in Europe, in the 16th Century. From then on, it spread through migration and missions throughout the world. Since the 19th century, Reformed Christians began to organize structures that allowed communion and the testimony of unity among Reformed people around the world.

In 1875, the Alliance of Reformed Churches that maintains the Presbyterian System (ARCPS) was organized in London. In 1891, the International Congregational Council (ICC) formed an umbrella of churches of the Reformed Tradition that adopted system of congregational government.

In 1946, conservative reformed churches organized the Reformed Ecumenical Council (REC).

In 1970, ARCPS and ICC formed the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC).[3][4]

In the following decades, several denominations participated simultaneously in both organizations, aligning the REC increasingly with WARC, This approach would culminate in the merger between the two organizations in 2010, to form the World Communion of Reformed Churches.[3]

Emergence

As the REC became increasingly liberal and closer to WARC, a group of conservative Reformed churches saw the need to form a new international organization of Reformed denominations. Thus, in 1982, the International Conference of Reformed Churches (ICRC) was formed. The first meeting of the conference was held in 1985. At the time, the founders of the conference were the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated), Free Reformed Churches of Australia, Canadian and American Reformed Churches, Evangelical Presbyterian Church (Ireland), Free Church of Scotland and Reformed Churches in Indonesia.[5][6][7]

In the following years, ICRC grew, bringing together conservative Reformed denominations from around the world. Even so, a large part of its members are simultaneously members of the World Reformed Fellowship and some are also members of the World Communion of Reformed Churches.

As of 2022, the ICRC is estimated to consist of 38 member denominations, which together have 784,905 individual members.[8][9]

Between 2022 and 2024, the Kosin Presbyterian Church in Korea, the organization's largest denomination, lost about 10,000 members.[10][11] In the same period, the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church lost 5,000 members[12][13] and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church gained a thousand members. Therefore, in 2025, the member churches of the CIIR will bring together around 774 thousand people.

Members

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  Countries with members of International Conference of Reformed Churches
  Countries with missions of members of International Conference of Reformed Churches

List of ICRC Members in 2023:[14][15]

More information Country, denominational subfamily ...
Countrydenominational subfamilyDenominationNumber of congregationsNumber of membersYear
AustraliaPresbyterianPresbyterian Church of Eastern Australia167192016[16]
AustraliaContinental reformedChristian Reformed Churches of Australia557,6112022[16]
BrazilContinental reformedReformed Churches in Brazil181,0612022[17]
CanadaContinental reformedCanadian and American Reformed Churches7619,8662023[17]
CanadaContinental reformedHeritage Reformed Congregations102,1862022[17]
Democratic Republic of the CongoContinental reformedUnited Reformed Church in Congo18114,6572012[18]
IndiaPresbyterianPresbyterian Free Church of Central India187562021[16]
IndiaPresbyterianReformed Presbyterian Church of India103,0002004[19]
IndiaPresbyterianReformed Presbyterian Church North East India10511,3762021[16]
IndiaPresbyterianAnugraha Reformed Presbyterian Church of Bangalore-1,1232022[9]
IndiaContinental reformedEvangelical Reformed Church of India844,6272022[20][9]
IndonesiaContinental reformedCalvinist Reformed Churches in Indonesia161,4392024[8]
IndonesiaContinental reformedReformed Churches in Indonesia23432,8922022[8]
IrelandPresbyterianEvangelical Presbyterian Church (Ireland)103962021[16]
IrelandPresbyterianReformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland412,0652022[16]
KenyaPresbyterianAfrica Evangelical Presbyterian Church10010,0002022[21][9]
NetherlandsContinental reformedChristian Reformed Churches in the Netherlands18166,5722025[22]
NetherlandsContinental reformedReformed Churches (Netherlands)[23]313,5002024[24][25]
Romania, Ukraine and HungaryPresbyterianReformed Presbyterian Church of Central and Eastern Europe253702022[16]
New ZealandContinental reformedReformed Churches of New Zealand233,4612022[16]
South AfricaPresbyterianFree Church in Southern Africa634,0002004[26]
South AfricaContinental reformedFree Reformed Churches of South Africa131,8882022[16]
South Africa, Nambia and BotswanaContinental reformedReformed Churches in South Africa38276,8122022[16]
South KoreaPresbyterianPresbyterian Church in Korea (Koshin)2,128385,1862023[27]
South KoreaPresbyterianIndependent Reformed Church in Korea42082022[16]
SpainContinental reformedReformed Churches in Spain43102022[9][28]
Sudan and South SudanContinental reformedSudanese Reformed Churches346,0002023[29]
UgandaPresbyterianPresbyterian Church in Uganda873,0472019[16]
UgandaPresbyterianReformed Presbyterian Church in Africa (Uganda)86192022[30][9]
United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden and SwitzerlandPresbyterianEvangelical Presbyterian Church in England and Wales241,0012021[16]
United KingdomPresbyterianFree Church of Scotland12611,7002024[8]
United KingdomPresbyterianFree Church of Scotland (Continuing)401,6912022[17]
United States of AmericaPresbyterianAssociate Reformed Presbyterian Church26025,6922023[17]
United States of AmericaPresbyterianOrthodox Presbyterian Church33233,5202023[31]
United States of AmericaContinental reformedUnited Reformed Churches in North America13025,2962021[32]
United States of AmericaContinental reformedReformed Church in the United States433,3402022[17]
United States of AmericaContinental reformedFree Reformed Churches of North America235,4202021[16]
United States of AmericaPresbyterianReformed Presbyterian Church of North America1077,5812021[16]
WorldTotalInternational Conference of Reformed Churches5,037774,1782004-2024
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Member Profile

  1. Presbyterians (64.14%)
  2. Continental Reformed (35.86%)

The Presbyterian Church in Korea (Koshin), alone, represents 48.81% of the individual members of the International Conference of Reformed Churches. Together, Presbyterians represent 64.14% of individual members. The continental Reformed represent 35.86%.

Candidates

In 2020, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Peru expressed interest in joining the ICRC, requesting support from the Orthodox Presbyterian Church to do so.[33]

In 2023, a presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America requested that the denomination apply for ICRC membership; the General Assembly referred this overture to its permanent Interchurch Relations Committee.[34]

Former members

The Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated) and Free Reformed Churches of Australia were founding denominations of the ICRC. However, none of them are currently part of the CIIR.[6][35][14]

In 2017, the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated) began to allow women's ordination, which is completely rejected by the other members of the organization. Consequently, the ICRC suspended the denomination's membership rights, and urged it to reverse its decision.[36]

However, the Liberated Reformed Churches did not respond to the ICRC's request and continued to ordain women. Consequently, in 2022, the ICRC approved the definitive expulsion of the organization's denomination.[37]

References

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