The Sudanese Reformed Presbyterian Churches (SRPC) are a unified body of

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

Churches in

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

History

The Sudanese Reformed Churches was started in Khartum in 1992. On 31 October 2005 the Sudanese Reformed Churches were officially organised, in Khartum leaders met to discuss the need for a unified body that would govern these congregations and ensure that matters of doctrine and life, and growth (in the faith as well as numerically) would be soundly grounded on Reformed faith as taught by the Reformers (

Luther Luther may refer to: People * Martin Luther (1483–1546), German monk credited with initiating the Protestant Reformation * Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968), American minister and leader in the American civil rights movement * Luther (give ...

and

Calvin Calvin may refer to: Names * Calvin (given name) ** Particularly Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States * Calvin (surname) ** Particularly John Calvin, theologian Places In the United States * Calvin, Arkansas, a hamlet * Calvin T ...

). A Committee was formed to provide leadership until such time as the first SRPC Synod would be held. The committee is now working out a Church Order and governing structure for SRPC, taking guidance from work done in these areas throughout history by Reformed Churches who have struggled to structure their church federations on the solid foundation of

Scriptural Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They differ from literature by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual prac ...

principles. The first

General Assembly A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company. Specific examples of general assembly include: Churches * General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of presby ...

was held in Khartum in 2009, the Second GA was held in Juba in 2011, and the recent GA was in May, 2013 in Malakal.

Beliefs

The Sudanese Reformed Presbyterian Churches believe and confess that the Holy Scripture both (

Old Testament The Old Testament (often abbreviated OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew writings by the Israelites. The ...

and

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...

) are the complete, inspired, and normative Word of God and are the only infallible basis of faith and practice for Christian believers(2 Tim 3:16). SRPC adheres to the Ecumenical creeds of the Christian Church: the

Apostles' Creed The Apostles' Creed (Latin: ''Symbolum Apostolorum'' or ''Symbolum Apostolicum''), sometimes titled the Apostolic Creed or the Symbol of the Apostles, is a Christian creed or "symbol of faith". The creed most likely originated in 5th-century Ga ...

, the

Nicene Creed The original Nicene Creed (; grc-gre, Σύμβολον τῆς Νικαίας; la, Symbolum Nicaenum) was first adopted at the First Council of Nicaea in 325. In 381, it was amended at the First Council of Constantinople. The amended form is a ...

and the

Athanasian Creed The Athanasian Creed, also called the Pseudo-Athanasian Creed and sometimes known as ''Quicunque Vult'' (or ''Quicumque Vult''), which is both its Latin name and its opening words, meaning "Whosoever wishes", is a Christian statement of belief ...

, the

Heidelberg Catechism The Heidelberg Catechism (1563), one of the Three Forms of Unity, is a Protestant confessional document taking the form of a series of questions and answers, for use in teaching Calvinist Christian doctrine. It was published in 1563 in Heidelberg, ...

Belgic Confession The ''Confession of Faith'', popularly known as the Belgic Confession, is a doctrinal standard document to which many of the Reformed churches subscribe. The Confession forms part of the Three Forms of Unity of the Reformed Church, which are still ...

and the Canons of Dort.

Structure

SRPC has ten (16) congregations in the following areas of Sudan, 12 ordained pastors and 17 evangelists, and total about 2,034 members. 80% of the churches located in

South Sudan South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the C ...

, and 20% are in Sudan. In 2005 there were only 500 members. The Sudanese Reformed denomination is a cross-cultural church. Among the churches there are four congregations in

Khartoum Khartoum or Khartum ( ; ar, الخرطوم, Al-Khurṭūm, din, Kaartuɔ̈m) is the capital of Sudan. With a population of 5,274,321, its metropolitan area is the largest in Sudan. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile, flowing n ...

(Dar el Salam Sudanese Reformed Presbyterian Church, Abuja Sudanese Reformed Presbyterian Church, Soba Sudanese Reformed Presbyterian Church, Khartoum Sudanese Reformed Presbyterian Church), four congregation in Juba, Southern Sudan (Kator Sudanese Reformed Presbyterian church, Munuki Sudanese Reformed Presbyterian Church, Lologu Sudanese Reformed Presbyterian Church, Hai Malakal Sudanese Reformed Presbyterian Church), as well as Churches in Renk and Malakal, Southern Sudan. Until such time as the SRPC holds its 1st Synod, the SRPC is governed by a Committee composed of five (5) members. SRPC is exploring and hoping to adopt a Reformed Church order based on principles of church government as outlined in the historic Church Orders of the Reformed Churches (e.g. The Church Order of Dordt 1618-1619) with amendments to any articles that are not applicable to the situation as it exists in Sudan.

Future plans

The SRPC is also planning for development of Christian schools ( elementary and

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

s) in

Malakal Malakal is a city in South Sudan. It is the capital of Upper Nile State, South Sudan, along the White Nile River. It also serves as the headquarter of Malakal county and it used to be the headquarter of Upper Nile Region from 1970s to late 1990s. ...

, has begun to develop a taxi-cab fund generating project to work toward overcoming poverty and dependence. Gospel outreach (church planting) is planned in the following areas in the Southern Sudan: Wau, Aweil, Bor, Bentui, and Rumbek.

Interchurch organisations

Member of the World Reformed Fellowship. Sister church relations with the Reformed Churches in South Africa was established. *National level **

Sudan Evangelical Presbyterian Church Sudan Evangelical Presbyterian Church (SEPC) was started by American missionaries of the Presbyterian Church in the USA in the northern part of Sudan. Missionaries were expelled in 1964. The SEPC has grown since then in northern and western Sudan as ...

Sudan Interior Church Sudan Interior Church is a Baptist Christian denomination, affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance, in Sudan. The headquarters is in Khartoum. The general secretary is Ramadan Chan. History Sudan Interior Church has its origins in Sudan Int ...

*International level **

Heritage Netherlands Reformed Congregations Heritage may refer to: History and society * A heritage asset is a preexisting thing of value today ** Cultural heritage is created by humans ** Natural heritage is not * Heritage language Biology * Heredity, biological inheritance of physica ...

** Reformed Churches in South Africa *International ecumenical level *World Reformed Fellowship It is also a member of the

World Communion of Reformed Churches The World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) is the largest association of Calvinist churches in the world. It has 230 member denominations in 108 countries, together claiming an estimated 80 million people, thus being the fourth-largest Chris ...

References

{{World Reformed Fellowship Presbyterianism in Sudan Presbyterian denominations in Africa Members of the World Reformed Fellowship Members of the World Communion of Reformed Churches