The Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Iran was a joint effort of American Presbyterian and Congregational missionaries in 1834. First they evangelised the Assyrians and later worked in north-west Iran, in a region called Rezaieh. The missionaries wanted to revitalise the old churches, but their members who converted to Protestantism were forced to leave their old denominations. Various Protestant churches were established. In 1862 the first presbytery was organised, and later more presbyteries were formed. Meanwhile, these Presbyterian missionaries' ministry led to the formation of congregations from Armenian Christian, Muslim, Judaism, and Zoroastrian background. In 1934 the Synod of the Evangelical Church in Iran was formed. In 1963 it adopted the current name. The common language is Persian, Armenian and Assyrian are also used. It has 1,500 members and 7 congregations. [1]
It is a member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches. [2]
Presbyterianism is a Reformed (Calvinist) Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders. Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word Presbyterian is applied to churches that trace their roots to the Church of Scotland or to English Dissenter groups that formed during the English Civil War.
Congregationalism is a Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestant Christianity in which churches practice congregational government. Each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs. These principles are enshrined in the Cambridge Platform (1648) and the Savoy Declaration (1658), Congregationalist confessions of faith. The Congregationalist Churches are a continuity of the theological tradition upheld by the Puritans. Their genesis was through the work of Congregationalist divines Robert Browne, Henry Barrowe, and John Greenwood.
The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) is the second-largest Presbyterian church body, behind the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the largest conservative Calvinist denomination in the United States. The PCA is Reformed in theology and presbyterian in government.
The Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (PCUSA) was a Presbyterian denomination existing from 1789 to 1958. In that year, the PCUSA merged with the United Presbyterian Church of North America. The new church was named the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. It was a predecessor to the contemporary Presbyterian Church (USA).
The Evangelical Church of Egypt (Synod of the Nile) (also called the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Egypt, Egyptian: الكنيسة الإنجيلية المشيخية El-Kenisa El-Engileyya El-Mashyykhia) is a Protestant church that started as a mission of the United Presbyterian Church of North America among Coptic Egyptians in the late nineteenth century. The Evangelical Church of Egypt became autonomous in 1957 and officially independent in 1958. It has eight presbyteries, 314 congregations, and about 250,000 members.
The term Eastern Protestant Christianity encompasses a range of heterogeneous Protestant Christian denominations that developed outside of the Western world, from the latter half of the nineteenth century, and retain certain elements of Eastern Christianity. Some of these denominations came into existence when active Protestant churches adopted reformational variants of Eastern and Oriental Orthodox liturgy and worship, while others originated from Orthodox groups who were inspired by the teachings of Western Protestant missionaries and adopted Protestant beliefs and practices.
According to the 2012 census, 6% of the population of Sri Lanka was Christian; of these, one in ten was Protestant, showing that there were approximately six Protestants for every 1,000 Sri Lankans. Later estimates suggest that this share has doubled in less than ten years.
The Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Ukraine is a conservative Evangelical Protestant denomination in the Reformed tradition. It holds to the presbyterian form of church governance and to the Reformed theology of the Westminster Standards.
The Indonesian Christian Church Synod abbreviated as Sinode GKI, is an Indonesian church of Presbyterian denomination. It adheres to Calvinist theology, with head office located in Jakarta.
The Presbyterian Church of Brazil is an Evangelical Protestant Christian denomination in Brazil. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the country, having an estimate 702,949 members, 4,915 ordained ministers and 5,420 churches and parishes. It is also the only Presbyterian denomination in Brazil present in all 26 States and the Federal District.
The Presbyterian Church of Pakistan is the second largest Protestants denomination in Pakistan. It was formed in 1993 by the merger of United Presbyterian Church of Pakistan (1855–1993) and Council of Churches of Lahore.
The Reformed Presbyterian Church of Equatorial Guinea is a minority church in Equatorial Guinea. It is reformed by its theology and presbyterian by its form of government, as stated in its constitution. The principal religion in Equatorial Guinea is Christianity, with approximately 85-93% of the population as followers. Most Christians belong to the Roman Catholic Church (80-87%) while a minority are Protestants (5-7%). Another 5% of the population follow indigenous beliefs, 2% are Muslims, followers of Baha'i and other beliefs.
The National Presbyterian Church in Mexico is the second-largest Protestant church, and the largest Reformed denomination in Mexico. It is present throughout the country, and is particularly strong in the states of Tabasco, Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatan, Nuevo León, Aguascalientes and Mexico City.
The Presbyterian Church of the Philippines (PCP), officially The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of the Philippines, is a growing evangelical, Bible-based Reformed church in the Philippines. It was officially founded by in 1986 and the General Assembly was organized in September 1996.
The Africa Evangelical Presbyterian Church (AEPC) is a growing conservative Presbyterian and Reformed Church which adheres to the Westminster Confession of Faith started in Kenya, later spread to the surrounding countries like Burundi, Tanzania, Congo and as far as Zimbabwe. The headquarters of the church is located in Nairobi, Kenya. The current Moderator is Rev. Dr Joseph Mutei installed on Sunday 26th June 2022.
Evangelical Church has a history in Iraq that goes back to 1850. This church focus on education and established several schools in main cities in Iraq including Baghdad, Mosul, Basra and Kirkuk. After 2003, this church established more presence in Iraqi Kurdistan. The presence and influence of these churches and schools varies depending on the political system in Iraq. Members of this church comes from Iraqi Presbyterian church and the historic Iraqi Syrian Catholic denomination.
Presbyterianism has had a presence in the United States since colonial times and has exerted an important influence over broader American religion and culture.