The Free Reformed Churches in South Africa (also known as the ''Vrye Gereformeerde Kerke in Suid Afrika'') is a federation 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 ...

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� ...

churches. It follows Reformed

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 C ...

theology and has adopted the Dutch "three forms of unity" as its doctrinal standards:

Canons of Dordt The Canons of Dort, or Canons of Dordrecht, formally titled The Decision of the Synod of Dort on the Five Main Points of Doctrine in Dispute in the Netherlands, is the judgment of the National Synod held in the Dutch city of Dordrecht in 1618–19 ...

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

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 ...

and subscribes to the three Ecumenical Creeds: 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 ...

, 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 ...

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 belie ...

. The first church was established in Pretoria on 8 October 1950. Eventually other churches were established; they are, in order of institution: * FRC Pretoria, 1950 * FRC Cape Town, 1952 * FRC Johannesburg, 1957 *

FRC Bethal FRC may refer to: Education * Feather River College, in California, United States * FIRST Robotics Competition, an annual international robotics competition for students aged 14-18 * Fort Richmond Collegiate, a high school in Winnipeg, Manitoba, ...

, 1995 *

FRC Pretoria-Maranata FRC may refer to: Education * Feather River College, in California, United States * FIRST Robotics Competition, an annual international robotics competition for students aged 14-18 * Fort Richmond Collegiate, a high school in Winnipeg, Manitoba, ...

, 1997 *

FRC Mamelodi FRC may refer to: Education * Feather River College, in California, United States * FIRST Robotics Competition, an annual international robotics competition for students aged 14-18 * Fort Richmond Collegiate, a high school in Winnipeg, Manitoba, ...

, 2002 *

FRC Soshanguve North FRC may refer to: Education * Feather River College, in California, United States * FIRST Robotics Competition, an annual international robotics competition for students aged 14-18 * Fort Richmond Collegiate, a high school in Winnipeg, Manitoba, ...

, 2003 The FRC's Church Order is based on that which was written at the

Synod of Dort The Synod of Dort (also known as the Synod of Dordt or the Synod of Dordrecht) was an international Synod held in Dordrecht in 1618–1619, by the Dutch Reformed Church, to settle a divisive controversy caused by the rise of Arminianism. The ...

1618/19.
The Churches have sister-church relationships with the

Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated) The Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated) (Dutch: Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland (vrijgemaakt)) are an orthodox Calvinist federation of churches. This church body arose in 1944 out of the so-called Liberation (') from the Reformed ...

, the

Canadian and American Reformed Churches The 'Canadian and American Reformed Churches'' (CanRC) is a federation of Protestant churches in Canada and the United States, with historical roots in the Reformed Churches of the Netherlands. It emphasizes the importance of adherence to Biblica ...

, th
Presbyterian Church in Korea
and the

Free Reformed Churches of Australia The Free Reformed Churches of Australia (FRCA) are a federation of 16 congregations, 14 in Western Australia, two in Tasmania and a home-congregation in Cairns. At the start of 2016 the total membership was 4663. Their historical roots are in t ...

.
In addition to these contacts the FRC is also a member of 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 ...

(ICRC)

External links

Official web site for the Free Reformed Churches of South Africa
Protestantism in South Africa Reformed denominations in Africa 1950 establishments in South Africa {{Calvinism-stub