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.

Form of doctrine

Reformed doctrine is expressed in various creeds. A few creeds are shared by many denominations. Different denominations use different creeds, usually based on historical reasons. Some of the common creeds are (with year of writing):

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• Scots Confession (1560),
• Three forms of Unity
• Heidelberg Catechism (1563),
• Belgic Confession (1566),
• Canons of Dordrecht (1619),
• Second Helvetic Confession (1566)
• Westminster Standards
• Westminster Confession of Faith (1646)
• Westminster Shorter Catechism (1649)
• Westminster Larger Catechism (1649)
• London Baptist Confession of Faith (1689)(disputed)

The Three forms of unity are common among Reformed churches with origins in the European continent (especially those in the Netherlands). The Westminster Standards have a similarly common use, among Reformed churches (known commonly as the Presbyterian churches) with origins in the British Isles. More recent confessions and creeds are shared by fewer denominations.

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