Reformed church in America
Presbyterian/Reformed, Mainline Protestant
Date Founded: 1628
Membership 256,728 Number of Clergy: 2153 as of 2016
Headquarters: 4500 60th St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49512
Publications: RCA Today Click on Current Issue - Read the magazine
Core Beliefs:
Reformed Christians sometimes say we’re “Reformed and always reforming.” This means we never stop asking whether we’re being faithful to God’s vision and reforming the church to follow God’s will. We do this because we believe humans are broken. And we know how easy it is for our sinful nature to corrupt God’s church.
Scripture is the highest authority on our faith and its practice. Statements of belief called creeds and confessions also shape our faith and root us in Reformed theology. While people often associate the Reformed tradition with Calvinism, there’s more to our Reformed beliefs than the five points of Calvinism you may have heard about.
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Triune God: God is creator, redeemer, and sustainer.
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Sovereignty: God is sovereign over the universe.
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God’s intention for creation: God created all things and called them good.
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God's self revelation: The Bible is the Word of God.
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Salvation: Human beings are broken and sinful.
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Atonement through Christ alone
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Justification through faith alone
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Unconditional election: belief that God has chosen people to save in advance and prepares their hearts to receive the gift of salvation; God offers this gift to people not based on their merit but as an act of undeserved grace.
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Sanctification: The Holy Spirit makes us more like Jesus over time.
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The church is Christ’s body on earth
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Proclamation of the gospel: The church is called to embody the gospel of Jesus in Word and deed.
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Sacraments: practices instituted by Christ as signs and seals of God’s promises in the gospel.
Short History: Established by Dutch settlers in what is now New York City, the RCA is the oldest Protestant denomination with a continuous ministry in North America. Known until 1867 as the Protestant Dutch Reformed Church, the RCA has never merged with any other denomination, but it has entered into full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of North America, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the United Church of Christ, and the Christian Reformed Church in North America. For more information go to: https://www.rca.org/about/history/
Local Churches: Most congregations are located in Michigan, northern Indiana, northern Ohio, and in the south Chicagoland area. The closest church to the Louisville area are:
