Reformed Church in Japan

Confessional Calvinist denomination in Japan

Reformed Church in Japan

Classification| Protestant
Theology| Calvinist, Evangelical
Polity| Presbyterian
Leader| Takashi Yoshiba[1]
Associations| was a member of the Reformed Ecumenial Council
Region| Japan
Origin| 1946
Tokyo
Separated from| United Church of Christ in Japan
Congregations| 220
Members| 8,000-9,000
Ministers| 130

The Reformed Church in Japan is a confessional Calvinist denomination in Japan. It was formerly a member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, but it chose to suspend its membership.[2]

## Origin

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The Reformed Church in Japan was formed in 1946 in Tokyo. Before Japan entered World War II, all Protestants were forced to unite in one church, the United Church of Christ in Japan. Some congregations with Calvinist background left this denomination to form the Japan Reformed Church.[3] The Christian Reformed Church in North America sent missionaries to support the new denomination. At that time the church had nine pastors and three elders.[4][5] The Calvinist World Mission has planted two presbyteries and almost 50 new congregations since entering Japan in 1951. CRCNA focuses their efforts on the metropolitan Tokyo area, one of the largest metropolitan areas of the world.[6] The church has now 220 congregations and 8,000-9,000 members. The denomination is growing steadily. However, the congregations are small: the largest has about 210 members and the smallest has about 10 members.[7] It affirms the Westminster Confession of Faith.[8] Sister church relations with the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, the Presbyterian Church in Korea (Koshin), and the Reformed Church in the United States were established.[7][9][10] The Orthodox Presbyterian Church(USA) works with a presbytery of the Reformed Church in Japan in church planting and evangelism. The OPC provides a professor for the Kobe Theological Seminary.[11][12]

## Structure

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The church has five presbyteries, namely Northeastern, Shikoku, Western, Central and Tobochu.

Northeast Presbytery includes churches in Kyoto, Osaka, Shiga, Hyogo, Nara, Wakayama, Fukui, Tottori, Shimane, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, Kagoshima and Okinawa.[13]

Shikoku Presbytery churches are in Tokushima, Kagawa, Ehime, Kochi and Okayama Prefecture.

Central Presbytery has congregations in Gifu, Shizuoka, Aichi, Mie, Ishikawa, Fukui and Toyama.[14]

Tobuchu Presbytery has congregations in Saitama Prefecture, Kanagawa Prefecture, Greater Tokyo Area, Tochigi Prefecture, Gunma Prefecture and Yamanashi Prefecture.[15]

## Theology

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In 2004, the denomination had presbyterian-synodal church government with four districts and a Synod. As of November 2014, the denomination allows for the ordination of women.[citation needed] Formerly the church was a member of the Reformed Ecumenical Council.

* Westminster Confession of Faith
* Westminster Larger Catechism
* Westminster Shorter Catechism[8]

## Theological education

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* Reformed Theological Seminary [16]
* Reformed Theological Institute [17]

## Interchurch relations

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* Cooperation in mission: Christian Reformed Church in North America, Orthodox Presbyterian Church, PC(USA), Reformed Church in Africa, South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa, Koshin Presbyterian Church in Korea
* Friendly relations: Christian Reformed Church in the Philippines, Christian Reformed Church in Myanmar, Christian Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, Reformed Churches in South Africa, Netherlands Reformed Congregations (in the US)
* Fellowship: Presbyterian Church in Japan, Church of Christ in Japan, Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America-Japan Presbytery,

The Reformed Church in Japan was a full member of the Reformed Ecumenical Council. It is an observer in the International Conference of Reformed Churches and the World Communion of Reformed Churches.[18]

## References

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1. ^ "Reformed Church of Japan Brings Thanks to Synod 2012".
2. ^ "Member churches | Bringing together 80 million Reformed Christians worldwide". Archived from the original on 2012-08-08. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
3. ^ "日本キリスト改革派教会の紹介". Calvin.org. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
4. ^ "沿革". Rcj-net.org. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
5. ^ Benedetto, Robert; McKim, Donald K. (6 October 2009). Historical Dictionary of the Calvinist Churches - Robert Benedetto, Donald K. McKim - Google Könyvek. ISBN 9780810870239. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
6. ^ "CRWM: Japan - Christian Reformed Church". .crcna.org. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
7. ^ a b "BBK.GKV » Japan". Bbk.gkv.nl. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
8. ^ a b "ウエストミンスター小教理問答書". Rcj-net.org. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
9. ^ Johannes a Lasco Library (2004-02-27). "Address data base of Calvinist churches and institutions". Reformiert-online.net. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
10. ^ http://www.rcj-net.org/History_of_Reformed_Church_in_Japan.pdf [bare URL PDF]
11. ^ "Orthodox Presbyterian Church". www.opc.org.
12. ^ "声明". Rcj-net.org. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
13. ^ "教会案内 西部中会". Rcj-net.org. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
14. ^ "教会案内 中部中会". Rcj-net.org. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
15. ^ "教会案内 東部中会". Rcj-net.org. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
16. ^ "神戸改革派神学校". Rcj-net.org. 2014-12-16. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
17. ^ "改革派神学研修所". Rcj-net.org. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
18. ^ "教会案内 関係諸機関". www.rcj-net.org.

## External links

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* Official website Reformed Church in Japan
* TOKYO ONCHO REFORMED CHURCH

* v
* t
* e

Christianity in Japan

Main article

Eastern Christianity|

| Eastern Orthodoxy|

* Orthodox Church in Japan

|

Western Christianity|

| Catholic Church|

* Anglican Catholic Ordinariate
* Roman Catholic Church

|

Protestantism
(Main Article)|

| United|

* United Church of Christ in Japan[a]

|

Lutheranism|

* Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church
* Japan Lutheran Church
* Kinki Evangelical Lutheran Church

Calvinism|

* Church of Christ
* Evangelical Reformed Church
* Korean Christian Church in Japan
* Presbyterian Church in Japan
* Reformed Church
* Reformed Presbyterian Church
* The Biblical Church[a]

Anglicanism|

* Anglican Episcopal Church in Japan

Radical Pietism|

* Evangelical Free Church of Japan

Baptist|

* Japan Baptist Association
* Japan Baptist Convention

Methodism|

* Japanese Free Methodist Church[a]
* Immanuel General Mission[a]
* Salvation Army[a]

Adventism|

* Seventh-day Adventist Church[a]

Pentecostalism|

* Assemblies of God[a]
* Lifehouse International Church

Other|

* Evangelical Free Church of Japan[a]
* International Christian Fellowship

Restorationism|

* Jehovah's Witnesses
* The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Japan

Japanese Churches|

* Holy Ecclesia of Jesus
* Japan Ecclesia of Christ
* Non-church movement
* Okinawa Christian Gospel
* Zion Christian Church[a]

Interdenominational
organisations|

* National Christian Council in Japan
* Japan Evangelical Association

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Part of the Japan Evangelical Association

* v
* t
* e

Protestantism in Japan

Protestant churches|

* Anglican Church in Japan
* The Biblical Church
* Church of Christ in Japan
* Evangelical Free Church of Japan
* Evangelical Reformed Church in Japan
* Free Methodist Church of Japan
* International Christian Fellowship, Sapporo
* Japan Assemblies of God
* Japan Baptist Association
* Japan Baptist Convention
* Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church
* Japan Holiness Church
* Kinki Evangelical Lutheran Church
* Korean Christian Church in Japan
* Lifehouse International Church
* Lifehouse International Church Yokohama
* Presbyterian Church in Japan
* Reformed Church in Japan
* Reformed Presbyterian Church in Japan
* Tokyo Baptist Church
* True Jesus Church in Japan

Interdenominational|

* Japan Evangelical Association

United Church|

* United Church of Christ in Japan

Bible Society|

* Japan Bible Society

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States

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