Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches

Christian denomination

Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches

Abbreviation| CREC
Classification| Protestant
Orientation| Reformed
Theology| Evangelical
Polity| Presbyterian
Presiding minister| Uri Brito
Region|

* United States
* Canada
* Japan
* Russia
* Hungary
* Ukraine
* Bulgaria
* Belarus
* Poland
* Brazil
* Czech Republic
* Jersey

Origin| 1998; 26 years ago (1998)
Congregations| 130+ (2024)
Other name(s)| Confederation of Reformed Evangelicals
Confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches
Official website| crechurches.org

The Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), formerly the Confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches,[1] was founded in 1998 as a body of churches that hold to Reformed theology.[2] Member churches include those from Presbyterian, Reformed, and Reformed Baptist backgrounds. The CREC has over a hundred member churches in the United States, Canada, Japan, Russia, Hungary, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Belarus, Poland, Brazil, Jersey, and the Czech Republic.[3] These are organised into nine presbyteries, named after figures in church history: Anselm, Athanasius, Augustine, Bucer, Hus, Knox, Kuyper, Tyndale, and Wycliffe.

## History

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The denomination began in 1998 as the Confederation of Reformed Evangelicals (CRE).[4] The founding churches were Community Evangelical Fellowship (now Christ Church) in Moscow, Idaho; Eastside Evangelical Fellowship (now Trinity Church) in Bellevue, Washington; and Wenatchee Evangelical Fellowship (now King's Cross Church) in Wenatchee, Washington. Its co-founders include Douglas Wilson.[5][6][7]

The name was changed to the Confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches in 2004,[8] and then, in 2011, to the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches.[9]

## Doctrine

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The Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches holds to Reformed theology as set forth in the Westminster Standards, Three Forms of Unity, and 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith. On some doctrines, such as the Federal Vision, paedocommunion, and paedobaptism, the CREC allows each church to determine its own position.[citation needed] The Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches requires that all member churches adopt a statement of faith including the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Definition of Chalcedon, and at least one of the following historic confessions:[10]

* Westminster Confession of Faith (1647)
* American Westminster Confession of Faith (1789)
* The Three Forms of Unity:
* Belgic Confession (1561)
* Heidelberg Catechism (1563)
* Canons of Dort (1619)
* The London Baptist Confession (1689)
* The Savoy Declaration (1658)
* Second Helvetic Confession
* 39 Articles
* The Reformed Evangelical Confession[11]

The CREC rejects both modernism and fundamentalism.[12] It has published a number of "memorials", which among other things affirm Young Earth creationism, deprecate government schooling, and reject women serving in the military.[13] While non-partisan, CREC churches are "uniformly hostile to the leftist agenda".[14]

## Worship

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Churches in CREC generally practise covenant renewal worship.[14]

## Resources

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* Redeemer School of the Arts
* Athanasius Press
* New Saint Andrews College
* Reformed Evangelical Seminary
* Theopolis Institute
* Canon Press

## Notable members

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* Peter Leithart
* Steve Wilkins
* Douglas Wilson
* N. D. Wilson
* Rich Lusk

## References

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1. ^ Wilson, Douglas (October 6, 2011). "The Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches". Blog & Mablog. Retrieved October 6, 2011.
2. ^ History, Confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches.
3. ^ Churches, Confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches (see linked presbytery pages
4. ^ Stankorb, Sarah (2023). Disobedient Women: How a Small Group of Faithful Women Exposed Abuse, Brought Down Powerful Pastors, and Ignited an Evangelical Reckoning. Worthy Books. p. 184\. ISBN 978-1-5460-0382-3. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
5. ^ Pliego, Santiago; Clemans, Josh (August 23, 2023). "Douglas Wilson - What You're Here To Do #14". newfoundingpodcast.podbean.com. The New Founding Podcast. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
6. ^ Simmons, Tracy (November 5, 2019). "Douglas Wilson's 'spiritual takeover' plan roils Idaho college town". Religion News Service. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
7. ^ Stankorb, Sarah (September 28, 2021). "Inside the Church That Preaches 'Wives Need to Be Led with a Firm Hand'". www.vice.com. Vice Media. Archived from the original on October 31, 2021. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
8. ^ "Minutes of the 8th Annual Meeting of the Presbytery of the Confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches" (PDF). Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 14, 2011. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
9. ^ Phelps, Jack E. "A Message to the World Regarding the CREC Name Change" (PDF). Confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
10. ^ "CONFESSIONAL STATEMENTS of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches" (PDF). crechurches.org. CREC. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
11. ^ "The Reformed Evangelical Confession" (PDF).
12. ^ Schuman, Samuel (2010). Seeing the Light: Religious Colleges in Twenty-First-Century America. JHU Press. p. 106\. ISBN 9780801896088. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
13. ^ "Book of Memorials" (PDF). Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
14. ^ a b What to expect in our CREC church (PDF). Canon Press. p. 2. Retrieved March 30, 2020.

## External links

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* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Presbyterian and Reformed denominations in the United States

Main article

United|

* United Church of Christ[a]

Continental
Reformed|

| Dutch[b]|

* Alliance of Reformed Churches
* Canadian and American Reformed Churches[c]
* Christian Reformed Church in North America
* Free Reformed Churches of North America[c]
* Heritage Reformed Congregations[c]
* Netherlands Reformed Congregations
* Protestant Reformed Churches in America
* Reformed Church in America
* Reformed Congregations in North America
* United Reformed Churches in North America[c]

|

German[b]|

* Reformed Church in the United States[c]

French[b]|

* Huguenot Church

Hungarian[b]|

* Calvin Synod (United Church of Christ)[d]
* Hungarian Reformed Church in America

Presbyterian
(Main article)|

* Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church[c]
* Covenant Presbyterian Church
* Cumberland Presbyterian Church
* ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians
* Evangelical Presbyterian Church
* Presbyterian Church in America[c]
* Presbyterian Church (USA)
* Reformed Presbyterian Church General Assembly
* Reformed Presbyterian Church – Hanover Presbytery
* Upper Cumberland Presbyterian Church
* Vanguard Presbyterian Church

| Fundamentalist[e]|

* Bible Presbyterian Church
* Orthodox Presbyterian Church[c]

|

Black|

* Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America

Scottish[f]|

* Free Church of Scotland
* Free Church of Scotland (Continuing)
* Free Presbyterian Church of North America
* Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America[c]

Korean[b]|

* Evangelical Assembly of Presbyterian Churches in America
* Korean American Presbyterian Church[c]
* Korean Evangelical Presbyterian Church in America
* Korean Presbyterian Church Abroad
* Korean Presbyterian Church in America (Kosin)[c]
* Presbyterian Church in Korea (Koshin)

Congregationalist
(Main article)|

* Conservative Congregational Christian Conference
* Evangelical Association of Reformed and Congregational Christian Churches
* National Association of Congregational Christian Churches

Baptist|

* Confessional Baptist Association
* Fellowship of Independent Reformed Evangelicals
* Founders Ministries

Anglican|

* Reformed Anglican Church

Other|

* Acts 29 Network
* Sovereign Grace Churches

Any of the above[g]|

* Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches

* All Reformed denominations

1. ^ This denomination is the result of a merger between Lutheran, German Reformed, Congregational and Restorationist churches and is such considered by some to no longer be a "Reformed denomination".
2. ^ a b c d e This refers to the denomination's heritage and not necessarily to the language in which the services are conducted in.
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Member of the NAPARC.
4. ^ This is a reformed synod within the United Church of Christ that is distinct in heritage, doctrine and practice from the rest of the denomination.
5. ^ Those are denominations spawned by the Fundamentalist–modernist controversy of the 1920s.
6. ^ Although Presbyterianism itself originated in Scotland, those denominations stand out as having a more proeminent scottish heritage and/or connection with scottish presbyterian denominations.
7. ^ Those denominations allow member churches to be more diverse as regards the reformed tradition that they adhere to.

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