Heritage Reformed Congregations
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The Heritage Reformed Congregations (HRC) is a Reformed denomination in the United States and Canada influenced by the tradition of English Puritanism and the Dutch Nadere Reformatie.[3]
| Heritage Reformed Congregations | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Classification | Protestant |
| Theology | Reformed |
| Polity | Presbyterian |
| Associations | North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council[1] and International Conference of Reformed Churches[2] |
| Region | United States and Canada |
| Origin | 1993 |
| Separated from | Netherlands Reformed Congregations |
| Congregations | 10 |
| Members | 2,195 |
| Seminaries | Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary |
| Other name(s) | Heritage Netherlands Reformed Congregations |
| Publications |
|
| Official website | heritagereformed |
History
editThe Heritage Reformed Congregations denomination was established in 1993, when the synod of the Netherlands Reformed Congregations deposed the consistory of the First Netherlands Reformed Congregation of Grand Rapids. The background was, that Beeke had been divorced from his first wife in 1988 and remarried one year later; that leads to the question if he was able to hold offices in the church, which a majority of the synod possibly denied. [4] A letter of the dutch sister church - the Gereformeerde Gemeenten – stated: „Our representatives, who visited your December-meeting, informed us that the discussions during your meeting appeared to have come to a deadlock. In light of that situation they raised a proposal to take a vote to see whether the Synod still had confidence in Rev. J.R. Beeke. They told us that they came to this proposal because they really did not know what could be done in this situation and that they hoped that their proposal might open a way out of an impossible situation.“ [5] However, 780 of the one thousand members of the church could not accept the deposition of their pastor, elders, and deacons.
The consistory felt compelled to form a new denomination named the Heritage Netherlands Reformed Congregation (renamed the Heritage Reformed Congregations in 2003),[6] while Joel R. Beeke continued ministering to the church. Eight other churches soon joined the Grand Rapids congregation to form a new denomination, bringing the denominational membership to about two thousand.[7]
In 1995, the denomination founded Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. Later, the seminary was supported by the Free Reformed Churches of North America.[8]
Starting in the 2010s, the denomination began a dialogue with the Free Reformed Churches of North America about a possible denominational merger. In 2017, the two denominations held simultaneous synods to discuss the proposed merger.[9][10]
Doctrine
editThe churches of the Heritage Reformed Congregations subscribe to the Three Forms of Unity (the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession of Faith, and the Canons of Dort) and the Westminster Standards (the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Westminster Larger Catechism, and the Westminster Shorter Catechism).[11] The denomination affirms the authority, inspiration, and inerrancy of the Bible and promotes Reformed experiential preaching.
Interdenominational relations
editThe denomination is a member of the North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council and the International Conference of Reformed Churches.
Ministries
editThe denomination has five publishing ministries:
- The Banner of Sovereign Grace Truth (the denominational periodical)
- The Banner of Truth Tract Mission (the denominational tract ministry)
- Glad Tidings (the denominational missions periodical)
- The Gospel Trumpet (the denominational sermon periodical)
- Inheritance Publishers (a ministry that republishes sermons in the Reformed tradition from the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries)
Congregations
editThe Heritage Reformed Congregations consist of ten congregations.
| List of Heritage Reformed Congregations | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Congregation | Members 2022 | Minister(s) | ||||
| Bradford, Ontario | 43 | Donald Overbeek | ||||
| Burgessville, Ontario | 380 | David Lipsy | ||||
| Chilliwack, British Columbia | 188 | John Procee | ||||
| Grand Rapids, Michigan | 702 | Joel R. Beeke, John Byl, Darryl Dedert, Brian DeVries, and Simon Yin | ||||
| Harrison, Arkansas | 97 | Terreth Klaver | ||||
| Hull, Iowa | 93 | Pieter van der Hoek | ||||
| Jordan Station, Ontario | 308 | Brian Najapfour | ||||
| Kinnelon, New Jersey | 175 | No minister | ||||
| Plymouth, Wisconsin | 25 | Michael Fintelman | ||||
| Tillsonburg, Ontario | 184 | Ian Macleod | ||||
| Total | 2,195 | |||||
Schools
editThe churches of the Heritage Reformed Congregations run three schools.[12]
- Grace Christian Academy, Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Jordan Christian School, Jordan Station, Ontario
- Oxford Reformed Christian School, Mount Elgin, Ontario
References
edit- ^ "List of members of the North American Presbyterian Council and Reformed". Retrieved June 30, 2021.
- ^ "Members of the International Conference of Reformed Churches". Retrieved July 31, 2020.
- ^ "Goal and Vision, Origin and History," Heritage Reformed Congregations, December 21, 2023, https://heritagereformed.com/about-the-hrc/goal-and-vision-origin-and-history/.
- ^ “Decker, Troubles among the Netherland Reformed Congregations,” https://sb.rfpa.org/1-troubles-among-the-netherlands-reformed-congregations-2-pca-general-assembly-rebukes-crc-for-departure-from-the-scriptures/ ; The unfailing faithfulness of God (2019), p. 162.
- ^ „The Banner of Truth (US) 7/1/1993, p. 5 ff.“ https://www.digibron.nl/viewer/collectie/Digibron/offset/1/zoekwoord/Joel+Beeke/id/tag:BannerOfTruth,19930701:newsml_63433b5980eee21cecd6870cc6e1e348
- ^ “Church News: Announcement,” Banner of Sovereign Grace Truth 11, no. 10 (December 2003): 276.
- ^ “Testimony of Dr. Joel Beeke,” SermonAudio, May 5, 2013, https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=55132115396. 40:24–42:41.
- ^ "Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary". MV Michigan. July 31, 2013. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
- ^ "Report of the Synod of Reformed Heritage Congregations". Reformatorisch Dagblad. May 31, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
- ^ "Unit Committee of Reformed Heritage Congregations". Retrieved July 1, 2021.
- ^ "Doctrinal Standards and Worship," Heritage Reformed Congregations, December 21, 2023, https://heritagereformed.com/about-the-hrc/doctrinal-standards-and-worship/.
- ^ Joel R. Beeke, ed., 2018–2019 Yearbook: Heritage Reformed Congregations: Church & School Directory (Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, 2018), 75–90.