The World Reformed Fellowship (WRF) is an

ecumenical Ecumenism (), also spelled oecumenism, is the concept and principle that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships among their churches and promote Christian unity. The adjec ...

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

organization which promotes unity between confessional

Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...

churches around the world.

History

The World Fellowship of Reformed Churches was formed in 1994 by the

Presbyterian Church in America 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 presb ...

, the

National Presbyterian Church in Mexico The National Presbyterian Church in Mexico ( es, La Iglesia Nacional Presbiteriana de México A.R.) is the second-largest Protestant church, and the largest Reformed denomination in Mexico. It is present throughout the country, and is particularl ...

, and the

Presbyterian Church of Brazil The Presbyterian Church of Brazil (Portuguese: ''Igreja Presbiteriana do Brasil'', or ''IPB'') is an Evangelical Protestant Christian denomination in Brazil. Oldest of the Reformed family of Protestantism in Brazil. It is the largest Presbyter ...

, as well as member churches mainly from

Latin American Latin Americans ( es, Latinoamericanos; pt, Latino-americanos; ) are the citizens of Latin American countries (or people with cultural, ancestral or national origins in Latin America). Latin American countries and their diasporas are multi-eth ...

countries and from India,

East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa: Due to the historical ...

and the United States. The International Reformed Fellowship (IRF) was formed also in 1994 with Calvinist churches in

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

, Japan, and from all part of

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

. The World Fellowship of Reformed Churches and the International Reformed Fellowship united on October 24, 2000 to form the World Reformed Fellowship. The WRF is now an international body represented in seventy-nine countries. Members have to agree with: * The statement that "The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are without error in all that they teach." * At least one of the following historic Reformed Confessions - The Gallican Confession, The Belgic Confession, The Heidelberg Catechism, The Thirty-Nine Articles, The Second Helvetic Confession, The Canons of Dort, The Westminster Confession of Faith, the London Confession of 1689, the Savoy Declaration, or the WRF Statement of Faith. The World Reformed Fellowship desires to promote

thinking and evangelism, encourage churches and people to embrace Calvinist thinking and to provide forum for dialogue. It is similar in theology to the

International Conference of Reformed Churches The International Conference of Reformed Churches (ICRC) is a federation of Reformed or Calvinist churches around the world. The ICRC was founded in 1981. The ICRC convenes international meetings every four years. Its theology is more conservative ...

and more conservative than 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 ...

. The WRF also differs from them in that it is a fellowship, not a council, and so includes in its membership not only denominations, but individual congregations, pastors and theologians, and non-ecclesial organizations (e.g. theological seminaries). It conceives of its existence as facilitating dialogue and sharing of resources between the different global branches of Calvinism. There are a total of 73 denominational members of the Fellowship and 115 organizational members, as of May 15, 2020. The Fourth General Assembly of the World Reformed Fellowship was held in

Sao Paulo, Brazil SAO or Sao may refer to: Places * Sao civilisation, in Middle Africa from 6th century BC to 16th century AD * Sao, a town in Boussé Department, Burkina Faso * Saco Transportation Center (station code SAO), a train station in Saco, Maine, U.S. ...

in March 2015. This General Assembly approved a new statement of faith which had been completed March 31, 2011. This statement includes twelve articles and was made to accomplish three purposes: # To express accurately the contents of the other historic Calvinist confessions which members are required to hold to at least one of. # To apply the Calvinist faith to specific issues that the 21st-century church is facing. # To include the voices of Calvinists from around the world, since the other confessions were written primarily by Calvinists in Europe. At its Fifth General Assembly in

Jakarta, Indonesia Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...

in August 2019, the World Reformed Fellowship published a statement on Calvinist theological identity, which provided a narrative description of Calvinism's origins, methods, characteristics, contexts, and continued relevance.

Denominational members

As of February 2016 there are 72 denominational members.

Africa

Africa Evangelical Presbyterian Church 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, ...

Christian Reformed Church in South Africa Christian Reformed Church in South Africa is a confessional Calvinist denomination in South Africa. The Church is a denominational member of World Reformed Fellowship. The moderator is Rev. Sakkie Weber, the Vice Moderator is Rev. Johnnie Tromp. ...

Church of England in South Africa The Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa (REACH-SA), known until 2013 as the Church of England in South Africa (CESA), is a Christian denomination in South Africa. It was constituted in 1938 as a federation of churches. It appo ...

* Egliese Protestante Reformee du Burundi * Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Ivory Coast *

Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Malawi The Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Malawi is a Reformed Christian church in Malawi. In 2009 the church had 20 congregations and an average of six house fellowships. Average membership per congregation is 250 persons. Member of the World Reforme ...

* Evangelical Reformed Church of the Democratic Republic of Congo *

God's Healing Ministry In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...

(

Lagos, Nigeria Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until December 1991 fo ...

) *

Greater Grace Ministry Greater may refer to: *Greatness, the state of being great *Greater than, in inequality * ''Greater'' (film), a 2016 American film *Greater (flamingo), the oldest flamingo on record * "Greater" (song), by MercyMe, 2014 *Greater Bank, an Australian ...

Kampala, Uganda Kampala (, ) is the capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,680,000 and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division, and Ruba ...

* Igreja Presbteriana de Angola *

Mission Voile Déchiré Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to: Organised activities Religion *Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity * Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...

Abidjan, Ivory Coast Abidjan ( , ; N'Ko script, N’ko: ߊߓߌߖߊ߲߬) is the economic capital of the Ivory Coast. As of the Demographics of Ivory Coast, 2021 census, Abidjan's population was 6.3 million, which is 21.5 percent of overall population of the country, ...

Mount Zion Presbyterian Church of Sierra Leone Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, C ...

* Presbyterian Church of the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo *

Presbyterian Church in Uganda Presbyterian Church in Uganda is a conservative Reformed Calvinistic denomination in Uganda with almost 100 churches in 5 presbyteries in the late 2000s. Origin The Presbyterian Church in Uganda was founded in the 1970s by the Ugandan pastor ...

* Presbyterian Church of Senegal * Presbyterian Church of Sierra Leone * The Protestant Church of Ambohimalaza-Firaisiana,

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

Reformed Churches in South Africa The Reformed Churches in South Africa () is a Christian denomination in South Africa that was formed in 1859 in Rustenburg. Members of the church are sometimes referred to as ''Doppers''. History of the Gereformeerde Kerke in South Africa In ...

* Reformed Presbyterian Church in Africa (Uganda) * Reformed Presbyterian Church in Africa (Rwanda) * Reformed Presbyterian Church of Uganda * Sudanese Reformed Churches

Asia

* Aashish Presbyterian Church (Zone Koshi, East

Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...

) * Biblical Reformed Church of Myanmar * Bangladesh Presbyterian Church *

Christian Reformed Church in Nepal Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...

* Christian Reformed Church of Sri Lanka * Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Myanmar * General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of the Philippines * Grace Presbyterian Church of Bangladesh * India Reformed Presbyterian Church * Isa-e Church (Bangladesh) * National Capital Region Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of the Philippines * Peace Church Bangladesh * Presbyterian Church in India *

Presbyterian Church of Bangladesh The Presbyterian Church of Bangladesh (PCB) is a Reformed Churches conservative and evangelical in Bangladesh. Formed in 1995 by Rev. Edward Ayub, a former Muslim convert to Christianity, with the assistance of Presbyterian Church in America. Hi ...

* Presbyterian Church of South India * Presbyterian Free Church of Central India *

Presbyterian Reformed Church in India The Presbyterian Reformed Church in India (PRCI) is a Presbyterian denomination, established in South India, in 2015, as a result of the missionary work of the Presbyterian Church of Brazil (later assisted by the Presbyterian Church of Australia) ...

* South India Reformed Churches * Reformed Community Churches in Myanmar * Reformed Evangelical Church of Indonesia * Reformed Evangelical Church of Myanmar * Reformed Presbyterian Church in Myanmar *

Reformed Presbyterian Church of India The Reformed Presbyterian Church of India is a historic confessional Presbyterian denomination in India, established in the 19th century by Scottish and Irish missionaries. Origin The Reformed Presbyterian Church of India was a joint effort of t ...

* Smyrna House of Prayer Church in Banglades

* United Presbyterian Church of Pakistan * United Reformed Church in Myanmar * Christian Reformed Association Malaysia (

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

) * Reformed Fellowship Ahmedabad ( Gujarat, West India) * The United Church of India (India)

Europe

* Associated Presbyterian Church in Scotland * Evangelical Reformed Baptist Churches in Italy * Free Church of Scotland * Lithuanian Evangelical Reformed Church *

Protestant Reformed Christian Church in Croatia The Protestant Reformed Christian Church in Croatia is an overseas diocese of the Reformed Episcopal Church. It was founded on 24 May 2001, when several parishes withdraw from the Reformed Christian Church in Croatia. The oldest parish was founded ...

* Protestant Reformed Christian Church in Serbia

North America

* Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (USA) *

Christian Reformed Church of North America The Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA or CRC) 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 found ...

* L'Église Réformée du Québec * Evangelical Presbyterian Church (USA) * Evangelical Reformed Church in America * International Peacemaking Church of Christ, ( Raleigh NC) * National Presbyterian Church of Mexico *

* Reformed Baptist Churches in North America * Reformed Bible Churches of Trinidad and Tobago * Reformed Christian Church of Orlando * United Christian Church and Bible Institute, USA *

United Episcopal Church of North America The United Episcopal Church of North America (UECNA) is a church in the Anglican tradition and is part of the Continuing Anglican movement. It is not part of the Anglican Communion. The UECNA describes itself as "embracing the broad base of cere ...

Oceania

Grace Presbyterian Church of New Zealand Grace Presbyterian Church of New Zealand (GPCNZ) is a Presbyterian denomination in New Zealand which was formed in 2002. It currently consists of 21 churches and missions, which are in the process of becoming fully established churches. Backg ...

Presbyterian Church of Australia The Presbyterian Church of Australia (PCA) is the largest Presbyterian denomination in Australia. (The larger Uniting Church in Australia incorporated about two-thirds of the PCA in 1977.) History Beginnings When captain James Cook lande ...

* Westminster Presbyterian Church (Bull Creek, Australia)

South America

* Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Peru * Presbyterian Church of Bolivia *

* Reformed Church of Latin America * United Church of Christ in Colombia

References

External links

Homepage of the WRF
{{Authority control Presbyterianism International bodies of Reformed denominations Christian organizations established in 2000