Reformed churches

The Reformed churches are a group of Protestant denominations historically related by a similar Zwinglian or Calvinist system of doctrine but organisationally independent. Each nation in which the Reformed movement was originally established had its own church government. Several of these local churches have expanded to worldwide denominations and most have experienced splits into multiple denominations. Commitment to teaching the original Calvinism usually continues to be reflected in their official definitions of doctrine, but in some cases is no longer necessarily typical of these churches. A 1999 survey found 746 Reformed denominations worldwide.

Continental Reformed churches

• Swiss Reformed Churches

:The Reformed branch of Protestantism was started in Zurich by Huldrych Zwingli and spread within a few years to Basle (Johannes Oecolampadius), Berne (Berchtold Haller and Niklaus Manuel), St. Gall (Joachim Vadian), to cities in Southern Germany and via Alsace (Martin Bucer) to France. After the early death of Zwingli 1531, his work was continued by Heinrich Bullinger, the author of the Second Helvetic Confession. The French-speaking cities Neuchatel, Geneva and Lausanne changed to the Reformation ten years later under William Farel and John Calvin coming from France. The Zwingli and Calvin branches had each their theological distinctions, but in 1549 under the lead of Bullinger and Calvin they came to a common agreement in the Consensus Tigurinus (Zurich Consent), and 1566 in the Second Helvetic Confession. Organizationally, the Reformed Churches in Switzerland remained separate units until today (the Reformed Church of the Canton Zurich, the Reformed Church of the Canton Berne, etc.), the German part more in the Zwingli tradition, in the French part more in the Calvin tradition. They are governed synodically and their relation to the respective canton (in Switzerland, there are no church-state regulations on country-level) ranges from independent to close collaboration, depending on historical developments. A distinctive of the Swiss Reformed churches in Zwingli tradition is their historically almost symbiotic link to the state (cantons) which is only loosening gradually in the present.

Related Topics:
Huldrych Zwingli - Johannes Oecolampadius - Joachim Vadian - Martin Bucer - 1531 - Heinrich Bullinger - Second Helvetic Confession - William Farel - John Calvin - 1549 - Consensus Tigurinus

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• Hungarian Reformed Church

:The largest branch of the Reformed movement, and the only one of the national Reformed churches to survive without division since the Reformation to the present time. The Hungarian Reformed Church has adopted the Heidelberg Catechism and the Second Helvetic Confession as a definition of their teaching, together the Ecumenical creeds of the Christian Church: Athanasian Creed, Nicene Creed, Chalcedon, and the common creed ("Apostles Creed"). Regional churches may also adopt the Canons of Dordt, and in Transylvania Luther's Small Catechism is adopted.

Related Topics:
Heidelberg Catechism - Second Helvetic Confession - Athanasian Creed - Nicene Creed - Apostles Creed - Canons of Dordt - Transylvania - Luther's Small Catechism

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• Reformed Church of France

:In France, the Reformed protestants were called Huguenots. The Reformed Church of France survived under persecution from 1559 until the Edict of Nantes (1598), the effect of which was to establish regions in which Protestants could live unmolested. These areas became centers of political resistance under which the Reformed church was protected until 1628, when La Rochelle, the protestant center of resistance to Louis XIII, was overrun by a French army blockade. After the protestant resistance failed, the Reformed Church of France reorganized, and was guaranteed toleration under the Edict of Nantes until final revocation of toleration in 1685. The periods of persecution scattered French Reformed refugees to England, Germany, Switzerland, Africa and America. A free (meaning, not state controlled) synod of the Reformed Church emerged in 1848 and survives in small numbers to the present time. The French refugees established French Reformed churches in the Latin countries and in America.

Related Topics:
Huguenots - France - 1559 - Edict of Nantes - 1598 - 1628 - La Rochelle - Louis XIII - 1685 - England - Germany - Switzerland - Africa - America - 1848

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:The first Reformed churches in France produced the Gallic Confession and French Reformed confession of faith, which served as models for the Belgic Confession of Faith (1563).

Related Topics:
Gallic Confession - Belgic Confession of Faith - 1563

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• German Reformed Church

:Toleration for the Reformed churches in Germany was established under the Peace of Westphalia, in 1648, but political difficulties at the end of the 17th century almost eliminated them. In the 19th century, by state mandate the Reformed churches were combined with the Lutherans to form an Evangelical Union in Prussia.

Related Topics:
Germany - Peace of Westphalia

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• Reformed churches in the Netherlands

:The Dutch Reformed churches have suffered numerous splits and unions. Currently existing denominations are:

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:*Protestant Church in the Netherlands (PKN) formed in 2004 from the union of

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:**the Netherlands Reformed Church (NHK),

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:**the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (GKN)

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:**and the Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELKN)

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:*Christian Reformed Churches of the Netherlands (CGKN)

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:*Reformed Churches of the Netherlands (Liberated)

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:*Reformed Congregations (GG)

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:*Reformed Congregrations in the Netherlands (GGN)

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• Waldensian Church (Italy)

:Originally founded by Peter Waldo in the 12th century, the Waldensian church adopted the Reformed doctrines under the influence of William Farel.

Related Topics:
Peter Waldo - William Farel

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