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	* [[Canadian and American Reformed Churches\|CanRC]]		* [[Canadian and American Reformed Churches\|CanRC]]
	* [[Reformed Church in the United States\|RCUS]]		* [[Reformed Church in the United States\|RCUS]]

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	\| fellowships =		\| fellowships =<br>
	* [[Canadian and American Reformed Churches\|CanRC]]		* [[Canadian and American Reformed Churches\|CanRC]]
	* [[Reformed Church in the United States\|RCUS]]		* [[Reformed Church in the United States\|RCUS]]

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	\| area = [[United States]] and [[Canada]]		\| area = [[United States]] and [[Canada]]
	\| fellowships_type = [[Full communion]]		\| fellowships_type = [[Full communion]]
	\| fellowships = ~~{{plainlist}}~~		\| fellowships =
	* [[Canadian and American Reformed Churches\|CanRC]]		* [[Canadian and American Reformed Churches\|CanRC]]
	* [[Reformed Church in the United States\|RCUS]]		* [[Reformed Church in the United States\|RCUS]]
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	* [[Orthodox Presbyterian Church\|OPC]]		* [[Orthodox Presbyterian Church\|OPC]]
	* [[Église réformée du Québec\|ERQ]]		* [[Église réformée du Québec\|ERQ]]
	~~{{endplainlist}}~~
	\| founded_date = 1996		\| founded_date = 1996
	\| founded_place = [[wikipedia:Lynwood, Illinois\|Lynwood, Illinois]]		\| founded_place = [[wikipedia:Lynwood, Illinois\|Lynwood, Illinois]]

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	{{Infobox ~~Christian~~ denomination		{{Infobox denomination
	\| name = United Reformed Churches<br />in North America		\| name = United Reformed Churches<br />in North America
	\| image = United Reformed Churches in North America.png		\| image = File:United Reformed Churches in North America.png
	~~\| imagewidth = 275px~~
	\| abbreviation = URCNA, URC, or URCs		\| abbreviation = URCNA, URC, or URCs
	\| main_classification = [[Protestant]]		\| main_classification = [[Protestant]]

BrantleyRider: Created page with "{{Infobox Christian denomination | name = United Reformed Churches
in North America | image = United Reformed Churches in North America.png | imagewidth = 275px | abbreviation = URCNA, URC, or URCs | main_classification = Protestant | orientation = Continental Dutch Reformed | theology = Confessional Reformed | governance = Pre..."

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Created page with "{{Infobox Christian denomination | name = United Reformed Churches<br />in North America | image = United Reformed Churches in North America.png | imagewidth = 275px | abbreviation = URCNA, URC, or URCs | main_classification = Protestant | orientation = Continental Dutch Reformed | theology = Confessional Reformed | governance = Pre..."

New page

{{Infobox Christian denomination
| name = United Reformed Churches<br />in North America
| image = United Reformed Churches in North America.png
| imagewidth = 275px
| abbreviation = URCNA, URC, or URCs
| main_classification = [[Protestant]]
| orientation = [[Continental Reformed Protestantism|Continental]] [[Dutch Reformed Church|Dutch Reformed]]
| theology = [[Confessionalism (religion)|Confessional]] [[Reformed tradition|Reformed]]
| governance = [[Presbyterian polity|Presbyterian]]
| area = [[United States]] and [[Canada]]
| fellowships_type = [[Full communion]]
| fellowships = {{plainlist}}
* [[Canadian and American Reformed Churches|CanRC]]
* [[Reformed Church in the United States|RCUS]]
* [[Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America|RPCNA]]
* [[Orthodox Presbyterian Church|OPC]]
* [[Église réformée du Québec|ERQ]]
{{endplainlist}}
| founded_date = 1996
| founded_place = [[wikipedia:Lynwood, Illinois|Lynwood, Illinois]]
| separated_from = [[Christian Reformed Church in North America]]
| absorbed = [[Orthodox Christian Reformed Churches]] (2008)
| associations = [[North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council]], [[International Conference of Reformed Churches]]
| congregations = 130 (2021)<ref>2021 Directory of the United Reformed Churches in North America</ref>
| ministers = 198 (2021)
| members = 25,288 (2021)
| website = [https://urcna.org urcna.org]
|}}
The '''United Reformed Churches in North America''' ('''URCNA''') is a [[theology|theologically]] [[Confessionalism (religion) |conservative]] federation of [[Reformed tradition|Reformed]] churches founded in 1996. Many churches joined the URCNA after splitting from the [[Christian Reformed Church in North America]] denomination.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Godfrey |first=W. Robert |date=January 26, 1998 |title=The Decision to Leave: A Home in the URC’s |url=https://www.wscal.edu/resources/article/the-decision-to-leave-a-home-in-the-urcs/ |access-date=January 1, 2026 |website=wscal.edu}}</ref>

== Origin ==
The URCNA has grown from the earlier [[Protestant]] movements in Europe of the 16th and 17th century, and also from Reformed churches in Belgium and the Netherlands. Like other churches in the Reformed tradition, it traces its interpretation of Scripture back to the sixteenth-century reformer, [[John Calvin]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hyde |first=Daniel R. |date=2023-10-23 |title=What Is Reformed Theology? Its Roots, Core Beliefs & Key Leaders |url=https://www.logos.com/grow/what-is-reformed-theology/ |access-date=2026-01-02 |website=Word by Word |language=en-US}}</ref> Although Reformed theology [[History of Reformed Christianity#Spread (1555–1600)|took root in many countries in Europe]], it took especial hold in the [[Netherlands]]. [[Dutch Americans|Dutch immigrants to North America]] carried their beliefs with them over the subsequent centuries.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hyde |first=Daniel R. |date=January 2019 |title=The Dutch Reformed in North America |url=https://tabletalkmagazine.com/article/2019/01/dutch-reformed-north-america/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190102223414/https://tabletalkmagazine.com/article/2019/01/dutch-reformed-north-america/ |archive-date=January 2, 2019 |access-date=January 1, 2026 |website=tabletalkmagazine.com}}</ref> Rather than joining existing churches of other denominations in North America, these Dutch immigrants started their own churches, churches that became known as the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA). Over the twentieth century, the CRCNA grew progressively more liberal. Conservative Reformed believers were generally concerned that the CRCNA was departing from Scriptural teaching to accommodate modern social trends. Specific disagreements arose on issues like [[Ordination of women in Protestant churches|women's ordination]], [[evolution]] cases, and [[biblical inerrancy]].

In 1996, the URCNA was founded as a federation of [[Reformed churches]] in 1996 at [[Lynwood, Illinois]] CRC. Most of the members that founded the URCNA left the CRCNA, and some members of other Reformed denominations quickly joined the new federation. Some 36 churches with 7,600 members joined the federative unity, held their first Synod, and adopted the name United Reformed Churches in North America.

== Beliefs ==
The URCNA subscribes to three confessions of faith: the [[Canons of Dordt]], written in 1618 and 1619 by an international group of Reformed churches, the [[Belgic Confession]], written by [[Guido de Bres]] in the mid-1500s, and the [[Heidelberg Catechism]], formally attributed to [[Zacharias Ursinus]] and [[Caspar Olevian|Caspar Olevianus]] in the city of [[Heidelberg, Germany]]. Collectively, these statements of faith are called the "[[Three Forms of Unity]]." In addition to these forms, the URCNA holds to the three ecumenical creeds: the [[Apostles Creed]], the [[Nicene Creed]], and the [[Athanasian Creed]].<ref>[http://www.urcna.org/What%20We%20Believe www.urcna.org/What We Believe]</ref> The URCNA believes that the ancient Christian creeds and Reformation Three Forms of Unity are not only biblically in agreement with the Word of God but are beneficial to be used today.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.oceansideurc.org/why-creeds-confessions |title=Why Do We Use Creeds and Confessions? | publisher=Oceanside United Reformed Church | access-date=December 31, 2025 }}</ref>

The URCNA believe that "marriage is designed to be a lifelong, monogamous covenantal union between one man and one woman."<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2018|title=Church Order of the United Reformed Churches in North America|url=https://www.urcna.org/church-order|publisher=United Reformed Churches in North America}}</ref>

Synod 2007 of the URCNA adopted without dissent the following after receiving its 75-page study report: "That Synod urge all officer-bearers to repudiate [[Federal Vision]] teachings where they are not in harmony with the following articles [listed in the report] from the Three Forms of Unity."<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.urcna.org/urcna/StudyCommittees/FederalVision/Federal_Vision_Study_Committee_Report.pdf |title=Report of the Synodical Study Committee on the Federal Vision and Justification |date=July 2007 |page=76 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111215121830/https://www.urcna.org/urcna/StudyCommittees/FederalVision/Federal_Vision_Study_Committee_Report.pdf |archive-date=December 15, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>

== Practices ==
The practices of the URCNA are governed by a church order derived from the [[Synod of Dort|Synod of Dordt]] of 1618-1619.<ref name=":0"/> The URCNA church order outlines the duties of the three ecclesiastical offices of ministers, elders, and deacons within the denomination.

It also sets out the denomination's decentralized [[Presbyterian polity|presbyteral form of church government]] as opposed to the hierarchical form of government found within the [[Anglican Church]] or [[Roman Catholic Church]]. Each congregation is governed by a consistory made up of the [[elder (Christianity)|elders]] elected from the congregation and the minister of the congregation. Periodically, delegates from each consistory will attend a regional classis or a denomination-wide synod to discuss matters pertaining to the entire denomination. Both classes and synods are temporary bodies with no formal authority. Although they may provide advice on matters to local consistories that carry great weight, the final authority rests with the consistories of each local congregation.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 1, 2026 |title=Polity: How We're Governed |url=https://www.oceansideurc.org/polity |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260102005134/https://www.oceansideurc.org/polity |archive-date=January 2, 2026 |access-date=January 1, 2026 |website=oceansideurc.org}}</ref>

The church order articulates many practices that the congregations of the URCNA do in common. URCNA churches hold two services every Sunday with the expectation that members attend both services (art. 37). The morning service typically focuses on preaching based on a particular passage in the Bible, while the afternoon or evening service normally is dedicated to explaining one of the doctrines articulated in the Three Forms of Unity (art. 40). Both psalms and hymns may be sung during the worship service, although psalms predominate (art. 39).<ref>{{cite web |last=Hyde |first=Daniel R. |date=January 1, 2026 |title=Why We Sing Old Testament Psalms |url=https://www.oceansideurc.org/why-sing-psalms |access-date=January 1, 2026 |website=oceansideurc.org |publisher=}}</ref> The URCNA practices [[infant baptism]] (art. 41)<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hyde |first=Daniel R. |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Jesus_Loves_the_Little_Children/4R-DAAAACAAJ?hl=en |title=Jesus Loves the Little Children: Why We Baptize Children |publisher=Reformed Fellowship |year=2012 |isbn=9781935369127 |edition=2nd |location=Grandville, MI}}</ref> and requires a public profession of faith once members are spiritually mature to partake of the [[Lord's Supper in Reformed theology|Lord's Supper]] (art. 43).

The URCNA church order also outlines the process of church discipline (arts. 51–66).

== Statistics ==
URCNA churches can be found in 25 U.S. States plus the District of Columbia, with many in the Upper Midwest ([[Iowa]] and [[Michigan]]) and [[California]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 1, 2026 |title=Classis Southwest U.S. |url=https://www.urcna.org/southwestus |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251017132538/https://www.urcna.org/southwestus |archive-date=October 17, 2025 |access-date=January 1, 2026 |website=urcna.org}}</ref>, and in six [[Canadian Provinces]], mostly in [[Ontario]], [[Alberta]], and [[British Columbia]]. As of 2024, the churches have grown, both through additional members leaving the CRCNA in the late 1990s as well as church planting efforts,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hyde |first=Daniel R. |date=2009 |title=On Being a Church Planter |url=https://www.midamerica.edu/uploads/files/pdf/journal/hyde20.pdf |journal=Mid-America Journal of Theology |volume=20 |pages=159–75}}</ref> to 124 churches and 15 church plants spread across the United States and Canada, with 25,574 members. 212 ministers serve as pastors of local congregations (121), missions (27), theological education (6), seminary professors (10), chaplains (4), as well as 42 emerited ministers. The churches 8 [[Classis (ecclesiastical) |Classes]] (Michigan, Central US, Eastern US, Southwest US, Pacific Northwest, Ontario-East, Southwestern Ontario, Western Canada) in 2024.<ref name = directory />

== Missions ==

The URCNA supports many missions in the U.S. and around the world. Mission churches can be found in [[Ecuador]], [[Costa Rica]], the [[Philippines]], [[Mexico]], and other [[developing countries]]. Individual members and individual churches may support missions through parachurch mission organizations such as Word and Deed although the denomination also has its own URCNA Missions coordinator.<ref>{{Cite web|title=URCNA Missions|url=https://www.urcnamissions.org/|access-date=2021-12-22|website=URCNA Missions|language=en}}</ref> The URCNA monthly missions newsletters is called ''The Trumpet''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Trumpet|url=https://www.urcnamissions.org/the-trumpet.html|access-date=2021-12-22|website=URCNA Missions|language=en}}</ref>

== Training of ministers ==
The United Reformed Churches do not have a denominational seminary or college; rather, Candidates for Ministry are extensively examined by their Calling Church and Classis regardless of seminary prior to their ordination or installation. Most of the ministers of the URCNA have been trained at [[Calvin Theological Seminary]] ([[Grand Rapids, Michigan]]), [[Mid-America Reformed Seminary]] ([[Dyer, Indiana]]), or [[Westminster Seminary California|Westminster Seminary]] in California ([[Escondido, California]]) but the number of other seminaries represented is growing.

== Mergers ==
The [[Orthodox Christian Reformed Churches]], another breakaway from the Christian Reformed Church, voted to join the URCNA in 2008 upon the latter's invitation.

== Interchurch relationships ==
The URCNA is in full ecumenical fellowship with the [[Canadian and American Reformed Churches]], [[Orthodox Presbyterian Church]], [[Reformed Church in the United States]], [[Église réformée du Québec|Reformed Church of Quebec]] and [[Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://christreformednampa.org/ecumenical-relationships | title=Christ Reformed Church - Nampa, Idaho }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.urcna.org/links/?public=1&private= | title=Links}}</ref>

The URCNA also has dialogue with the [[Reformed Churches of New Zealand]], [[Korean American Presbyterian Church]], [[Presbyterian Church in America]] and other confessional Reformed churches. It is a member of the [[International Conference of Reformed Churches]]<ref>[http://www.icrconline.com/member.html www.icrconline.com/member.html]{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and the [[North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.naparc.org/member-churches/ |title=www.naparc.org/member-churches/ |access-date=2013-02-16 |archive-date=2018-05-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180528120846/http://www.naparc.org/member-churches/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== Notable people in the history of URCNA ==
* [[W. Robert Godfrey]] (b. 1945)
* [[Cornelis Venema]] (b. 1954)
* [[R. Scott Clark]] (b. 1961)
* [[Michael Horton (theologian)|Michael Horton]] (b. 1964)

==External links==
* [http://urclearning.org/ Learn more about the Reformed faith]

==References==

[[Category:Reformed denominations in the United States]]
[[Category:Christian organizations established in 1996]]
[[Category:Calvinist denominations established in the 20th century]]
[[Category:Reformed denominations in Canada]]
[[Category:Christian denominations founded in the United States]]

United Reformed Churches in North America - Revision history

BrantleyRider at 20:54, 5 March 2026

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BrantleyRider at 20:53, 5 March 2026