The Evangelical Presbyterian Church in South Africa is a
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 ...
denomination in the
Reformed tradition
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 Calv ...
.
Description
It had a relationship with the
Reformed Churches in Switzerland. The organisation's structure is threefold: the
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...
, the
presbytery and the
synod
A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word '' synod'' comes from the meaning "assembly" or "meeting" and is analogous with the Latin word mean ...
. The church has seven presbyteries.
It is 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 ...
.
Sister denominations are the
Presbyterian Church in Mozambique and the
Lesotho Evangelical Church.
The organisation subscribes to 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 ...
and
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 ...
.
In 2004, it had 30,000 members, 37
congregations and 7
house fellowships. The organisation's official language is
Tsonga.
Reformed Online.
See also
* Christianity in Africa
Christianity in Africa first arrived in Egypt in approximately 50 AD, reached the region around Carthage by the end of the second century. In the 4th century, the Aksumite empire in modern-day Ethiopia and Eritrea became one of the first regio ...
* List of Reformed denominations
The Reformed churches are a group of Protestant denominations connected by a common Calvinist system of doctrine.
Europe
Netherlands
The Dutch Calvinist churches have suffered numerous splits, and there have been some subsequent partial re-union ...
* Religion in South Africa
Religion in South Africa is dominated by various branches of Christianity. South Africa is a secular state with a diverse religious population. Its constitution guarantees freedom of religion. Many religions are represented in the ethnic and ...
References
External links
epcsa.org.za
, the organisation's official website
Ernest Creux biography
World Council of Churches website
Year of establishment missing
Members of the World Communion of Reformed Churches
Religious organisations based in South Africa
Presbyterian denominations in Africa
Presbyterianism in South Africa
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