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Congregationalist polity, or congregational polity, often known as congregationalism, is a system of ecclesiastical polity in which every local church (congregation) is independent, ecclesiastically sovereign, or "autonomous". Its first articulation in writing is the Cambridge Platform of 1648 in New England.
A Christian denomination is a distinct religious body within Christianity that comprises all church congregations of the same kind, identifiable by traits such as a name, particular history, organization, leadership, theological doctrine, worship style and, sometimes, a founder. It is a secular and neutral term, generally used to denote any established Christian church. Unlike a cult or sect, a denomination is usually seen as part of the Christian religious mainstream. Most Christian denominations refer to themselves as churches, whereas some newer ones tend to interchangeably use the terms churches, assemblies, fellowships, etc. Divisions between one group and another are defined by authority and doctrine; issues such as the nature of Jesus, the authority of apostolic succession, biblical hermeneutics, theology, ecclesiology, eschatology, and papal primacy may separate one denomination from another. Groups of denominations—often sharing broadly similar beliefs, practices, and historical ties—are sometimes known as "branches of Christianity". These branches differ in many ways, especially through differences in practices and belief.
The Christian Reformed Church in North America is a Protestant Calvinist Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. Having roots in the Dutch Reformed Church of the Netherlands, the Christian Reformed Church was founded by Dutch immigrants in 1857 and is theologically Calvinist.
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The Dutch Reformed Church was the largest Christian denomination in the Netherlands from the onset of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century until 1930. It was the original denomination of the Dutch royal family and the foremost Protestant denomination until 2004. It was the larger of the two major Reformed denominations, after the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands was founded in 1892. It spread to the United States, South Africa, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Brazil, and various other world regions through Dutch colonization. Allegiance to the Dutch Reformed Church was a common feature among Dutch immigrant communities around the world and became a crucial part of Afrikaner nationalism in South Africa.
The United Reformed Churches in North America (URCNA) is a theologically conservative federation of Reformed churches founded in 1996. Many churches joined the URCNA after splitting from the Christian Reformed Church in North America denomination.
The Remonstrants is a Protestant movement that split from the Dutch Reformed Church in the early 17th century. The early Remonstrants supported Jacobus Arminius, and after his death, continued to maintain his original views called Arminianism against the proponents of Calvinism. Condemned by the synod of Dort (1618–1619), the Remonstrants remained a small minority in the Netherlands. In the middle of the 19th century, the Remonstrant Brotherhood was influenced by the liberal Dutch theological movement.
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Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church is a congregation of the Christian Reformed Church in North America located on the southern edge of Elmhurst, Illinois. It was founded in 1924 as a Baptist mission in Bellwood. The founder was a woman who had converted to Christianity after a difficult life in which she was won by her husband in a card game. After moving to Elmhurst in 1964, the congregation flourished and constructed a large new building just off of Roosevelt Road. It remains one of the largest congregations in the Christian Reformed denomination and runs many programs for children, students, adults, and seniors.
First Protestant Reformed Church is Reformed congregation in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This was the first and founding congregation of the Protestant Reformed Churches in America.
The Split of 1924 was a defining moment in the history of the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) and the Protestant Reformed Churches of America (PRCA). It began especially with the Janssen Case, in which Ralph Janssen, a professor at Calvin Theological Seminary, began to use common grace to back up his ideas about the inspiration of Scripture. Although common grace was not at the forefront of this case, it was the basis for his teachings. A young minister, Rev. Herman Hoeksema, followed the case closely and recognized common grace as the center, and when the Christian Reformed Synod of 1922 did not deny common grace, he predicted its return. He was, however, in a minority. He and Rev. Henry Danhof became heavily involved in the pamphlet war that broke out shortly thereafter. More protests came in, climaxing in the Synod of 1924. The Synod did not declare anything specifically against the protesting ministers, but by March 1925 Hoeksema was ousted from the church. Although the split is largely known as the Split of 1924, there is no clear point where the Protestant Reformed Churches of America became separate from the Christian Reformed Church.
References
- ↑ Schoone-Jongen, Terence (2008). The Dutch American Identity: Staging Memory and Ethnicity in Community Celebrations. Cambria Press. p. 88. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
- ↑ "A Brief History of the First Protestant Reformed Church of Grand Rapids, Michigan". First Protestant Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Archived from the original on 15 May 2008. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
- ↑ Schipper, Marinus (1959). "Introducing "The First Orthodox Protestant Reformed Church"". The Standard Bearer . 35 (2). Retrieved 2 September 2023.
- ↑ Stam, Clarence (1979). Everything in Christ: The Christian Faith Outlined According To The Belgic Confession. Winnipeg: Premier Publishing. p. 101.