International Conference of Reformed Churches

The International Conference of Reformed Churches (ICRC) is a federation of Reformed or Calvinist churches around the world. The ICRC convenes international meetings every four years.

International Conference of Reformed Churches
TypeFellowship
ClassificationProtestant
OrientationConfessionally Reformed
Origin1981 (1981)
Members743,907
Official websitewww.icrconline.com

The ICRC was founded in 1981 at Groningen in the Netherlands.[1]

The theology of the ICRC is more conservative than the larger World Communion of Reformed Churches and is similar to that of the World Reformed Fellowship. The participating churches endorse the four Reformed confessions: the Heidelberg Catechism, Belgic Confession, Canons of Dort, and Westminster Confession of Faith.

In 2023, the moderator of the ICRC is Reverend Dr Dick Moes.[2]

List of members

List of ICRC Members in 2023:[3][4]

CountryDenominationNumber of congregationsNumber of membersYear
South AfricaFree Church in Southern Africa634,0002004[5]
South AfricaFree Reformed Churches of South Africa131,8882022[6]
South AfricaReformed Churches in South Africa38276,8122022[6]
BrazilReformed Churches in Brazil191,0382019 [7]
AustraliaPresbyterian Church of Eastern Australia167192016[6]
AustraliaChristian Reformed Churches of Australia557,6112022[6]
CanadaCanadian and American Reformed Churches7419,8472022[6]
CanadaHeritage Reformed Congregations102,1362022[6]
Democratic Republic of the CongoUnited Reformed Church in Congo18114,6572012[8]
HungaryReformed Presbyterian Church of Central and Eastern Europe253702022[6]
IndiaPresbyterian Free Church of Central India187562021[6]
IndiaReformed Presbyterian Church of India103,0002004[9]
IndiaReformed Presbyterian Church North East India10511,3762021[6]
IndiaAnugraha Reformed Presbyterian Church of Bangalore---
IndiaEvangelical Reformed Church of India84-2022[10]
IndonesiaCalvinist Reformed Churches in Indonesia11--
IndonesiaReformed Churches in Indonesia---
IrelandEvangelical Presbyterian Church (Ireland)103962021[6]
IrelandReformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland412,0652022[6]
KenyaAfrica Evangelical Presbyterian Church10022,000[11]
NetherlandsChristian Reformed Churches in the Netherlands18167,6292024[12]
NetherlandsReformed Churches in the Netherlands (2009)[13]161,5002022[14]
New ZealandReformed Churches of New Zealand233,4612022[6]
South KoreaPresbyterian Church in Korea (Koshin)2,128385,1862023[15]
South KoreaIndependent Reformed Church in Korea42082022[6]
SpainReformed Churches in Spain3--
Sudan and South SudanSudanese Reformed Churches275002005[16]
UgandaPresbyterian Church in Uganda873,0472019[6]
UgandaReformed Presbyterian Church in Africa (Uganda)---
United KingdomEvangelical Presbyterian Church in England and Wales241,0012021[6]
United KingdomFree Church of Scotland1125,4002016[6]
United KingdomFree Church of Scotland (Continuing)401,2952021[6]
United States of AmericaAssociate Reformed Presbyterian Church27330,6492021[6]
United States of AmericaOrthodox Presbyterian Church33233,5202023[17]
United States of AmericaUnited Reformed Churches in North America13025,2962021[18]
United States of AmericaReformed Church in the United States453,5602020[6]
United States of AmericaFree Reformed Churches of North America235,4032021[6]
United States of AmericaReformed Presbyterian Church of North America1077,5812021[6]
WorldTotal4,772743,9072004-2024

Candidates

In 2020, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Peru expressed interest in joining the ICRC, requesting support from the Orthodox Presbyterian Church to do so.[19]

In 2023, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America approved Opening 2, which determined that the denomination also applies for membership in the ICRC.[20]

Former members

The Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated) and Free Reformed Churches of Australia were founding denominations of the ICRC. However, none of them are currently part of the CIIR.[21][22][3]

In 2017, the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated) began to allow women's ordination, which is completely rejected by the other members of the organization. Consequently, the ICRC suspended the denomination's membership rights, and urged it to reverse its decision.[23]

However, the Liberated Reformed Churches did not respond to the ICRC's request and continued to ordain women. Consequently, in 2022, the ICRC approved the definitive expulsion of the organization's denomination.[24]

References
  1. Reformed Fellowship website
  2. "Governance". www.icrconline.com. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
  3. "Member Churches". www.icrconline.com. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
  4. "International Conference of Reformed Churches 2021". Retrieved 2021-11-08.
  5. "Free Church in Southern Africa". Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  6. "Minute of the General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church" (PDF). June 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  7. "Statistics of Reformed Churches in Brazil in 2020". Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  8. "From a broadcast to a denomination 14,600 members". September 13, 2017. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  9. "Reformed Presbyterian Church of India". October 21, 2004. Archived from the original on October 2, 2022. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
  10. "Minutes of the Synod of the United Reformed Churches in North America". October 7, 2022. p. 43. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  11. "CRB: Evangelical Presbyterian Church Africa". Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  12. Wim Houtman (April 9, 2024). "The Reformed Christian Churches continue to shrink:As if an entire congregation were leaving". Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  13. "The Reformed Churches of the Netherlands (GKN) have been admitted as a member of the International Conference of Reformed Churches". October 18, 2022. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  14. "Synods of the Reformed Churches in Netherlands and Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Restored) negotiate merger". May 25, 2022. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  15. "Statistics of the Presbyterian Church in Korea (Kosin) in 2023". Archived from the original on December 9, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  16. "3rd Report General Synod of the Reformed Churches in Sudan" (PDF). May 8, 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  17. "Report of the General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church 2024". Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  18. "Minutes of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Churches in North America". pp. 257–261. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  19. "2020 Orthodox Presbyterian Church General Assembly Report" (PDF). December 31, 2019. p. 284. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  20. "Minutes of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America 2023" (PDF). June 2023. p. 967. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  21. "Minute of the 86th General Assembly of the Church Orthodox Presbyterian, Pages 308-309" (PDF). Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  22. "International Conference of Reformed Churches". Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  23. "International Conference of Reformed Churches suspends Liberated Reformed Churches from membership because the denomination admitted female ordination". Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  24. "International Conference of Reformed Churches: Membership of Liberated Reformed Churches closed". Retrieved December 20, 2022.
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