1. The Christian Reformed Church in
North America has its roots in the Dutch Reformed churches of the Netherlands
and was founded by Dutch immigrants who left the Reformed Church in America in
1857. It's interesting that among the issues leading to the split from the
Reformed Church in America was the use of hymns rather than Psalms (in other
words, the "grand old hymns of the faith" haven't always been
considered the proper songs for worship).
2. Not surprisingly, with
"Reformed" in its name, the denomination is theologically Calvinist.
It places high value on theological study and the application of theology to
current issues. The denomination subscribes to the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed, as well as the Belgic Confession, the
Heidelberg Catechism and the Canons of Dort.
3. The denomination expanded following
the Second World War with immigrants from the Netherlands. In general, the
Christian Reformed Church advocates increases in immigration and legalizing
illegal immigrants, noting that "because we eat and drink communion with
immigrants who have no legal status -- we have a reason to care." The
church has grown more ethnically diverse, with some predominantly Native
American, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, African-American and Hispanic
congregations.
4. Reformed tradition emphasizes and
supports education, including education for those with special needs, elementary and secondary schools, various
colleges, and post-graduate educational institutions.
-- Mindy
No comments:
Post a Comment