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World Communion of Reformed Churches
International Christian organization From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) is a Christian ecumenical body formed in June 2010 by the merger of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and the Reformed Ecumenical Council (REC).[3]
The WCRC is the largest association of Reformed (Calvinist) churches in the world. It has 230 member denominations (227 full members and 3 associate or affiliate members)[n 1] in 108 countries.[4]
Together, the full member denominations claim about 100 million members.[1][4][5][6] Associated and affiliated denominations, the largest of which are the China Christian Council and Disciples Ecumenical Consultative Council, represent another 40 million people.[7][8][9]
The WCRC is the largest[10][11][12][13][14] or second largest Protestant communion in the world.[n 2][15][16]For this reason, it is the third or fourth largest[n 2] Christian communion in the world, in the world after the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and, possibly, the Anglican Communion.[n 2][17]
Among the biggest denominations in the WCRC are the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus, Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar, Church of South India, Presbyterian Church of East Africa, Presbyterian Church of Cameroon, United Church of Zambia, Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, Protestant Church in Indonesia, Church of Central Africa Presbyterian, Presbyterian Church of Africa, National Presbyterian Church in Mexico, Presbyterian Community in Congo and Evangelical Church of Cameroon.
Its member denominations on the whole could be considered more liberal than the member denominations of the International Conference of Reformed Churches or the World Reformed Fellowship, which are also large ecumenical Calvinist organizations.
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History
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Background
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 would allow for communion and the witness of unity among Reformed people around the world.
The WCRC traces its origins to 1875, with several unifying Reformed organizations emerging in London, England.
In 1875, the Alliance of the Reformed Churches throughout the World holding the Presbyterian System (ARCWPS) was organized in London. At the same time, in 1891, the International Congregational Council (ICC) was formed, which brought together churches of the Reformed Tradition that adopted the congregational system of government.
In 1946, a more conservative group of Reformed churches organized the Reformed Ecumenical Council (REC).
In 1970, the ARCWPS and ICC merged to form the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC).[18][19]
Formation
In the 21st century, the WARC and the REC have grown increasingly closer, with a growing number of churches participating in both organizations simultaneously.
After a two-day meeting ending on 1 February 2006, Douwe Visser, president of the Reformed Ecumenical Council, and Clifton Kirkpatrick, president of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, said in a joint letter to their constituencies, "We rejoice in the work of the Holy Spirit which we believe has led us to recommend that the time has come to bring together the work of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Reformed Ecumenical Council into one body that will strengthen the unity and witness of Calvinist Christians."
After first calling the potential body "World Reformed Communion", this was modified into "World Communion of Reformed Churches".
A Uniting General Council of the WCRC, bringing the organization into existence, took place from 18–26 June 2010 at Calvin College, located at Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States. The council focused on the "Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace" mentioned in Ephesians as its main theme, setting a tone of true mutual understanding and acceptance amongst member churches and associates, laying aside differences and other issues as they embark on this shared journey with one another as each seeks to discern the will of God and continue their struggle for justice and peace in the world. The World Communion of Reformed Churches has not taken a position on the issue of homosexuality but includes denominations that affirm same-sex marriage.[20]
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Work
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The 2010 Uniting General Council stated that the WCRC should be "called to communion and committed to justice." Its two main program offices are thus focused on these aspects, with theological work included with communion. The Theology and Communion office serves as coordinator for official dialogues with other religious organizations, organizes a bi-annual Global Institute of Theology, and brings Calvinist theological scholars together for various discussions. The Justice office promotes economic, ecological and human rights, basing much of its work on the Accra Confession, a statement adopted at the 2004 General Council of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and re-endorsed at the 2010 Uniting General Council.
The WCRC also has a General Secretariat which includes the general secretary's office, the communications office and other organizational responsibilities. Through the General Secretariat, the WCRC promotes dialogue between churches, advocates for causes on a global scale and supports the activities of its member churches.
The global headquarters of the WCRC are located in Hanover, Germany, with a North American non-profit subsidiary based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Originally based in Geneva, Switzerland, which played host to John Calvin and earned a reputation as the "Protestant Rome", the group's Executive Committee announced on 8 November 2012, that they would relocate the headquarters to Hanover, Germany, by December 2013, due to overbearing financial strains caused by the high value of the Swiss franc.[21]
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Organization positions
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Ordination of women
In 2017, WCRC published the Declaration of Faith Concerning Women's Ordination, in which it supports the practice of women's ordination and encourages its 42 member denominations that do not ordain women to change their position.[22][23][24] The National Presbyterian Church in Mexico and National Union of Independent Reformed Evangelical Churches of France protested against the declaration, while the Presbyterian Church of Chile abstained.[1]
Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification
In the same year, WCRC became the 5th signatory of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, after the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (of the Roman Catholic Church), Lutheran World Federation, World Methodist Council and Anglican Communion.[25]
Same-sex marriage
The WCRC has no official position on human sexuality.[1]
The vast majority of its member churches only permit marriage between a man and a woman and do not bless same-sex unions.[26]
However, many of its member denominations promote the same-sex marriage or bless same-sex unions, such as the Remonstrant Church, Spanish Evangelical Church,[27][28] United Church of Canada,[29] Uniting Church in Australia,[30] Uniting Church in Sweden,[31][32] United Church of Christ,[33] United Church of Christ in the Philippines,[34] Evangelical Church of the River Plate,[35] Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren,[36] Protestant Church in the Netherlands,[37] United Protestant Church in Belgium, United Protestant Church of France,[38] Union of Protestant Churches of Alsace and Lorraine,[39] Protestant Reformed Church of Luxembourg, Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa (NGK),[40] Polish Reformed Church,[41][42][43] Reformed Church in Austria,[44] Reformed Church in America,[45][46] Swiss Reformed Church,[47] Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa,[48] Reformed Alliance, Church of Lippe,[49] Evangelical Reformed Church in Germany,[50] United Reformed Church,[51] Presbyterian Church in Canada,[52] Presbyterian Church (USA),[53][54] Church of Scotland,[55] Presbyterian Church of Wales,[56] Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa,[57] United Congregational Church of Southern Africa,[58] Waldensian Evangelical Church[59] and Waldensian Evangelical Church of the River Plate.[60][61][62]
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Leadership and General Council
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General Councils
Presidents
WCRC presidents are ordinarily elected for a term of seven years at every General Council:
General secretaries
WCRC general secretaries are elected for seven years at every General Council (held septennially):
Setri Nyomi's term was a continuation of his term as general secretary of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches. Upon the conclusion of Chris Ferguson's term as general secretary in August 2021, the WCRC Executive Committee appointed a "Collegial General Secretariat" originally composed of the three executive secretaries: Hanns Lessing (Secretary of Communion and Witness, Evangelical Church of Westphalia), Philip Vinod Peacock (Secretary of Justice and Witness, Church of North India), and Phil Tanis (Secretary of Communications and Operations, Reformed Church in America).[65] They were joined in the Collegium by Muna Nassar (Secretary of Mission and Advocacy) in December 2022.[66] In 2023, Setri Nyomi was installed as interim general secretary, to serve until the 2025 General Council.[67]
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Member churches
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As of May 2025, the World Communion of Reformed Churches has 227 denominations full members and three denominations associate or affiliate members:[4][68][n 1]
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Member profile
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In 2010, at the time of the WCRC's founding, it was estimated that the organization had 80 million members, with about 225 member churches.[3][317]
In 2017, there were an estimated 100 million members in its 233 member churches.[1][318]
The next General Assembly is scheduled for October 2025, when new statistics from the organization are expected to be released.[319] However, considering the most up-to-date statistics of WCRC member churches, the full member denominations of the WCRC have a combined membership of about 100.8 million.
Including associate and affiliate members, the combined membership of the denominations themselves amounts to about 140 million.
The Presbyterian, Reformed, Congregational, and Waldensian denominations have a combined membership of 73.3 million.
The United Churches (including the China Christian Council) in the WCRC have a combined membership of 65.5 million.
The Disciples of Christ represented by the Disciples Ecumenical Consultative Council alone number about 1 million people.
Full members
Denominational subfamily
Denominational subfamilies in the WCRC by number of individual members (full members only)
- Presbyterians (40.4%)
- Continental Reformed (29.4%)
- Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (11.9%)
- Others United and uniting churches (15.3%)
- Congregationalism (2.87%)
- Arminians, Moravians and Churches of Christ (0.09%)
- Waldenses (0.04%)
Considering only 100,8 million full members of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, 40.38% of individual members are Presbyterians. The Continental Reformed Churches represent 29.41% of members and the United and uniting churches are 27.21%.
Among the united churches is the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus. It is a denomination of Lutheran theology, with a synod of Reformed tradition.[320][321][322] This is the largest denomination members of communion. Alone, it represents 11.89% of members. The others united churches account for 15.32% of the members.
Among the smallest groups within the communion are Congregationalism, which represents 2.87% of members. The Waldenses are 0.04% of the members of the communion.
Arminians, Moravians and Churches of Christ have historically not been considered part of the Reformed Tradition.[323] However, together they represent 0.09% of individual members of the WCRC.
Geography
Among full members, the vast majority are concentrated in Africa, with churches on this continent representing 64.1 million people, or 63.58% of the membership. Churches based in Asia represent 22.4 million people, or 22.29% of the membership.
The continents with the smallest Reformed and United Churches full members of the WCRC are: Europe, with 7.6 million members, or 7.59% of the membership; America, with 5.8 million members, or 5.80%; and Oceania, with 746,000 members, or 0.74%.
Although European and American churches are a minority in terms of membership, they represent the vast majority of WCRC's financial contributors.
In 2023, the financial contributions received by WCRC from member churches came from the following sources: 63.29% from Europe; 30.78% from churches in the Americas (30.65% from North America and the Caribbean and 0.13% from Latin America); 5.42% from Asia; 0.27% from Africa; and 0.24% from Oceania. This year, only 51 of the 230 member denominations contributed financially to the WCRC.[324]
Considering denominations, the Presbyterian Church (USA) is the largest contributor to the WCRC, representing 21.35% of contributions received in 2023. The Protestant Church in Switzerland accounts for 12.46% of contributions, the Church of Lippe and Evangelical Reformed Church in Germany each contributed 10.57% of the amounts received that year. [324]
The Protestant Church in the Netherlands accounted for 8.46% of the amounts received from members in 2023. The Presbyterian Church of Korea (TongHap) is the largest contributor outside of Europe and North America. This denomination accounted for 4.23% of the financial contributions received that year. The Church of Scotland contributed 4.09% in the same year. [324]
All members
Denominational subfamily
Denominational subfamilies in WCRC by number of individual members (including associate and affiliate members)
- China Christian Council (27.1%)
- Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (8.57%)
- Other united churches (11.0%)
- presbyterians (29.1%)
- Continental Reformed (21.2%)
- congregationals (2.07%)
- Disciples of Christ (0.76%)
- Baptists, Arminians, Moravians and Churches of Christ (0.10%)
- Waldenses (0.03%)
The WCRC distinguishes between full members and associate or affiliate members. Full members have the right to speak and vote in all of its assemblies, with representation proportional to the number of members of each denomination. Only Presbyterian, Continental Reformed, Congregational, Waldensian, Moravian, and United or Uniting denominations can be full members.[325]
Associate members are fellowships and associations of churches, which include full members of the WCRC. However, associate members do not have the right to vote in WCRC assemblies.[325]
The China Christian Council was originally a full member of the WCRC. However, in 2012, the change of its status to associate member of the WCRC was approved.[326] The change of status was confirmed at the WCRC General Assembly in 2017.[1] The Disciples Ecumenical Consultative Council, an international organization that brings together national denominations of the Disciples of Christ, with 4 united denominations that are also full members of the WCRC, became an associate member of the WCRC in 2010.[327]
Institutions established by member churches or that are in agreement with historic Reformed confessions of faith may join as affiliate members, also without voting rights. The Baptist Community of the Faithful in Africa became an affiliate member in 2017.[1][328]
Considering all 140 million members (including associate and affiliated members), the composition of the WCRC is 46.75% of United Churches, of which 27.14% is the China Christian Council, 8.57% is the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus and 11.04% are other united churches.
The Presbyterians represent 29.10% of the total members, the Continental Reformed represent 21.19%, the Congregationalists 2.07%, the Disciples of Christ represent 0.76% and Waldenses represent 0.03%.
The remaining groups (Baptists, Arminians, Moravians and Churches of Christ) represent 0.10% of the total membership.
In addition to denominations, some theological institutions are also members affiliated with WCRC, such as Trinity Theological Seminary (Ghana), International Reformed Theological Institute and Network for African Congregational Theology.[4]
Geography
If associate and affiliate members are included, the total membership on the African continent reaches 64.9 million people, or 46.37% of all members. The China Christian Council, an associate member, when included, brings the number of associate members in Asia to 60.4 million people, or 43.20% of all members.
If associate and affiliate members are included, the European denominations that are members of the WCRC represent only 5.47% of the membership, the American denominations 4.40%, and the Oceanian denominations 0.56% of all members.
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Former members
In 2013 the WCRC received notice of disaffiliation from the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia, the Protestant Church of Reunion Island and St Andrew's Presbyterian Church.[329]
The Arab Evangelical Church of São Paulo was previously members of WCRC.[330] However, after 2015, the denomination joined the Brazilian Baptist Convention and left the WCRC.
Due to the WCRC's increasingly liberal stance, theologically conservative denominations left tit in the 2020s.
On June 22, 2023, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church approved a resolution by which it withdrew from the WCRC and reaffirmed that it would base its global relations with other Reformed churches on the more conservative World Reformed Fellowship.[68]
In February 2024, the Presbyterian Church of Chile also passed a resolution to withdraw from the WCRC.
In June 2024, the National Union of Independent Reformed Evangelical Churches of France also withdrew from the organization.[331]
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Potential membership
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Although it aims to unite all Reformed Christians, there are a large number of Presbyterian, Reformed, Congregational, Moravian, and United churches that are not members of WCRC. Together, the non-member churches that meet the membership criteria number 26 million members, which include:
- about 10 million members of United Churches:
- about 9 million from the United Churches in the Evangelical Church of Germany (Evangelical Church in the Rhineland, Evangelical Church of Westphalia, Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau, Evangelical Church of Kurhessen-Waldeck, Evangelical Church of Bremen, Protestant Church of Anhalt, Protestant Church in Baden, Evangelical Church in Berlin, Brandenburg and Silesian Upper Lusatia, Evangelical Church in Central Germany and Evangelical Church of the Palatinate);[124] and
- about 1 million members of other united churches, such as the United Church in Papua New Guinea (748,000 members),[332] Evangelical Church of Chad (200,000)[333] United Church of Christ in Japan (195,000 members),[334] among other united churches;
- about 9 million Continental reformed:
- about 8 million members of the Church of Christ in Nations;[335] and
- about 1 million other mainland Reformed, such as Sudanese Church of Christ (220,000 members),[336] Dutch Reformed Churches (130,000 members),[337] Reformed Congregations (107,000 members),[338] Evangelical Indigenous Mission in Madagascar (105,000 members),[339] Reformed Churches in South Africa (76,000 members),[340] Christian Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (66,000 members),[341] Moluccan Evangelical Church (65,000 members),[342] Restored Reformed Church (60,000 members),[343] among other continental Reformed churches;
- about 6 million Presbyterians, such as the Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDong) (2.250 million members),[344] Presbyterian Church of Brazil (703 thousand members),[345] Korean Presbyterian Church (GaeHyuk I.) (633,000 members),[346] Presbyterian Church in America (400,000 members),[347] Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (382,000 members),[348] Kosin Presbyterian Church in Korea (378,000 members),[349] United Presbyterian Church of Pakistan (250,000 members), Church of Central Africa Presbyterian – Synod of Livingstonia (200,000 members),[350] Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Pakistan (150,000 members),[351] Global Evangelical Church (146,000 members),[352] Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapShin) (129,000 members),[353] Presbyterian Church in Ethiopia (120,000 members),[354] Korean Presbyterian Church (HoHun) (120,000 members),[355] Evangelical Presbyterian Church (United States)[n 9] (119,000 members),[356] Korean American Presbyterian Church (80,000 members),[357] Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Sikkim (61,000 members),[358] Presbyterian Church in Korea (Daeshin) (60,000 members),[359]Presbyterian Church of Angola (60 thousand members),[360] among other Presbyterian denominations;
- about 1 million Moravians;[n 10][112]
- about 500,000 congregationalists, such as the United Church of Christ in Zimbabwe (200,000 members),[361] Conservative Congregational Christian Conference (51,000 members),[362] Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (50,000 members),[363] Union of Evangelical Congregational Churches of Brazil (50,000 members),[364] National Association of Congregational Christian Churches (41,000 members),[362] among other congregational denominations.
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See also
Notes
- The list of the World Communion of Reformed Churches lists the Evangelical Reformed Church of Lithuania twice, both in Lithuania and in the United States. Furthermore, Arab Evangelical Church of São Paulo, Evangelical Presbyterian Church (United States), Presbyterian Church of Chile and National Union of Independent Reformed Evangelical Churches of France, who have already left the organization, which is why the WCRC list reports 232 denomination Full members and three associate and affiliated members.
- The Anglican Communion (AC) claims approximately 85 million members. The denominations that make up the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC), with their full members, collectively claim over 100 million members. Therefore, according to self-reported figures, the WCRC is larger than the AC, considering only full members. However, some sources indicate that the total membership of the AC churches is actually 110 million. This would make the AC larger than the WCRC, if only the WCRC's full members are counted. Among the WCRC's associate members are the China Christian Council and the Disciples Ecumenical Consultative Council, which together represent over 40 million people. Therefore, if the WCRC's associate and affiliate members are counted, the WCRC has approximately 140 million members and surpasses any Protestant communion in the world. Therefore, the position of WCRC and AC as the third or fourth largest Christian communion depends on the number considered for the CA, as well as whether or not the associate and affiliate members of WCRC are included in the count.
- member of the Reformed Alliance, which is already a member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches. Therefore, the number of churches and members of this denomination are not included in the total sum.
- The Protestant Church in Indonesia consists of 12 regional churches, which together claim some 3,766,078 members in 4,373 churches and congregations. However, each regional church participates independently in ecumenical bodies. Thus, only 8 of its 12 constituent churches are members of the WCRC. The membership and places of worship figures of the 4 regional churches that are not members (Protestant Church in Indonesia in Papua, Talaud Christian Evangelical Church, Indonesian Protestant Church Baggai Kepulawan, and Indonesian Ecumenical Christian Church) are not included.
- member of the Protestant Church in Indonesia, which is already a member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches. Therefore, the number of churches and members of this denomination are not included in the total sum
- The Church of Central Africa Presbyterian has 5 synods. Each Synod participates in ecumenical organizations independently. The synods of Blantyre (Malawi), Nkhoma (Malawi), Zimbabwe and Harare (Zambia) are members of the World CommunION of Reformed Churches, while the synod of Livingstonia (Malawi) is the only non-participant.
- Includes only synod membership numbers from Blantyre (Malawi) and Nkhoma (Malawi) synods.
- excluding numbers from the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa, Church of North India, United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, and United Reformed Church, which are already members of the World Communion of Reformed Churches.
- former member of WCRC.
- The Moravian Church has about 1.2 million members, but only 1 from its provinces; the Moravian Church in Cuba, with 600 members, has joined the WCRC, with all other provinces outside the organization.
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References
External links
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