Reformed Church in the United States
The Reformed Church in the United States ( RCUS ) is today a small conservative Christian church in the Calvinist tradition in the United States. The RCUS is a member of the International Conference of Reformed Churches (ICRC ).
The Reformed Church in the United States is not to be confused with the Reformed Church in America.
Today, the Reformed Church in the United States has about 50 congregations with 5000 members. The Journal of the Church is "The Reformed Herald ".
Teaching
The Reformed Church in the United States represents a strictly conservative Calvinist theology based on the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession and the Canons of Dort.
Structure
The church has a synodal constitution. The supreme body is the Synod.
Church President Vernon Pollema.
It is organized into four Classis ( departments )
- Western Classis
- Northern Plains Classis
- South Central Classis
- Covenant East Classis
There is no women's ordination.
History
The church was built in the first half of the 18th century in Pennsylvania under the German Reformed settlers from areas in Switzerland and Germany. There were also Reformed from other regions such as the Czech Republic and Hungary to do so. The church was initially under the auspices of the Dutch Reformed Church in Holland. These compounds demolished 1793. At that time included the church, the German Reformed Church was called, 187 congregations and 15,000 members. The Synod was German language until the 19th century.
1810 founded the Church of the first foreign missionary society of the United States, who also worked under the Creek and Iroquois.
A prominent member of the Church was the Swiss theologian and church historian Philip Schaff, who taught at Mercersburg Seminary.
1866 changed the German Reformed Church changed its name to Reformed Church in the United States.
In the 20th century the greater part of the church in the direction of ecumenism and liberal theology moved. 1934 merged the larger liberal part of the Church with the Evangelical Synod of North America to the Evangelical and Reformed Church.
A single Classis was dominated conservative and did not want to merge: the 1910 resulting Eureka Classis ( named after the city of Eureka, South Dakota). In 1936 the North Dakota Classis to Eureka Classis, and subsequently individual parishes that broke away from the liberal dominated merger entity. 1970 were added some churches of the General Association of Regular Baptists, because they want to be reformed. From 1940 to 1984, the Eureka Classis exist as a permanent part of the former Reformed Church in the United States. In 1986 it was decided to re- adopt the old name Reformed Church in the United States because it was free again. The church is organized according to geographical criteria into four Classis.
Compounds
The RCUC is a member of the International Conference of Reformed Churches and the North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council.