Christian denomination
| Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | CREC |
| Classification | Protestant |
| Orientation | Reformed |
| Theology | Evangelical |
| Polity | Presbyterian |
| Presiding minister | Uri Brito |
| Region | |
| Origin | 1998; 26 years ago (1998) |
| Congregations | 140 |
| 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, was founded in 1998 as a body of churches that hold to Reformed theology. 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. These are organised into nine presbyteries, named after figures in church history: Anselm, Athanasius, Augustine, Bucer, Hus, Knox, Kuyper, Tyndale, and Wycliffe.
History
The denomination began in 1998 as the Confederation of Reformed Evangelicals (CRE). The founding churches were Community Evangelical Fellowship in Moscow, Idaho; Eastside Evangelical Fellowship (Trinity Church) in Bellevue, Washington; and Wenatchee Evangelical Fellowship in Wenatchee, Washington. Its co-founders include Douglas Wilson.
The name was changed to the Confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches in 2004, and then, in 2011, to the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches.
Doctrine
The Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches holds to Reformed theology as set forth in the Westminster Standards, Three Forms of Unity, and 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith. On some doctrines, such as the Federal Vision, paedocommunion, and paedobaptism, the CREC allows each church to determine its own position. The Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches requires that all member churches adopt a statement of faith including the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Definition of Chalcedon, and at least one 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 (1566)
- 39 Articles (1571)
- The Reformed Evangelical Confession
The CREC rejects both modernism and fundamentalism. It has published a number of "memorials", which among other things affirm Young Earth creationism, deprecate government schooling, and reject women serving in the military. While non-partisan, CREC churches are "uniformly hostile to the leftist agenda".
Worship
Churches in CREC generally practise covenant renewal worship.
Resources
- Redeemer School of the Arts
- Athanasius Press
- New Saint Andrews College
- Reformed Evangelical Seminary
- Theopolis Institute
- Canon Press
Notable members
References
- "Presbyteries". Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
- Wilson, Douglas (October 6, 2011). "The Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches". Blog & Mablog. Retrieved October 6, 2011.
- History, Confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches.
- Churches, Confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches (see linked presbytery pages
- Worthen, Molly (September 30, 2007). "Onward Christian Scholars". The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
- Simmons, Tracy (November 5, 2019). "Douglas Wilson's 'spiritual takeover' plan roils Idaho college town". Religion News Service. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
- "Minutes of the 8th Annual Meeting of the Presbytery of the Confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches" (PDF). Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 14, 2011. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
- Phelps, Jack E. "A Message to the World Regarding the CREC Name Change" (PDF). Confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
- "CONFESSIONAL STATEMENTS of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches" (PDF). crechurches.org. CREC. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- "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 February 17, 2022.
- "Book of Memorials" (PDF). Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
- ^ What to expect in our CREC church (PDF). Canon Press. p. 2. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
- "Pete Hegseth and His 'Battle Cry' for a New Christian Crusade". Archived from the original on December 5, 2024.
- "About Us". Immanuel Reformed Church. August 16, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- "Staff". www.trinity-pres.net. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- "Religious Exemption to Mandatory Medical Procedures". Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- "Leadership & Staff". Christ Church. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
External links
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- Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches
- 1998 establishments in the United States
- 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 denominations in Japan
- Christian denominations in Jersey
- Reformed Christianity stubs
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