CRCNA or CRC
2850 Kalamazoo Avenue S.E.
Grand Rapids MI 49560
Michigan United States of America (North America) Telephone: +1 616 244 0832 Fax: +1 616 224 5895 Email: borgdorp@crcna.org Address-No.: 112196 / 3228
In 1847 a group of Dutch immigrants who had separated from the national Ref church in The Netherlands settled in Michigan and Iowa. In 1857 they founded the Christian Reformed Church, after delegates returned disappointed from a synod of the Reformed Church in America on the east coast. The church grew with several other waves of immigrants, but it was slow to become americanized. Only after World War I did English become commonly spoken in the churches. After World War I the church began to expand its views. Foreign missions were started, and a widespread system of Christian day schools were begun, orga-nized by the church community but under parental control. These extended to the tertiary level, with Calvin College being the liberal arts college of the church. In the latter half of this century, four other colleges and one graduate school loosely affiliated with the church’s members were set up, three of them in Canada. Since the 1960s the church has gradually changed its Dutch ethnic character. There are now services in up to 14 languages in congregations across the country. About 7% of the members belong to an ethnic and cultural minority. The church is organized in 47 classes, or regional bodies, although the congregations are more numerous in Michigan, Illinois, and Iowa. In recent years, there have been challenges to its unity, especially over a 20-year debate on the ordination of women. After several approvals and reversals of women’s ordination, a local option was accepted in 1995. The church has an active home mission program, a foreign mission program, an international broadcast ministry, “The Back to God Hour,” a relief and development agency, and a publications wing that gives it a strong presence on the North American church scene. Approximately 30% of the membership resides in Canada and 70% in the United States.
English is spoken in 97% of the services; 13 other languages are used in the other churches.
Diaconal institution: World Relief and Development
Publication: The Banner
Statistic data of church
Members
total: 279000
admitted to participate in the Lord's Supper: 186674
baptised: 92326
Parishes
(conventionally): 992
house fellowships
(Number of growing parishes): 0
Ordained clergy
total: 1524
Men: 1504
Women: 20
women´s ordination
since 1995
Elders/Presbyters
total: 0
Deacons
total: 0
deacons available
Missionaries
total: 0
missionaries working abroad
Baptismal practise
infant and believer´s baptism
Godparents
no godparents
Lord's Supper
Frequency per annum: 4
Practice varies; Church Order requires at least 4 times per year.
In 1847 a group of Dutch immigrants who had separated from the national Ref church in The Netherlands settled in Michigan and Iowa. In 1857 they founded the Christian Reformed Church, after delegates returned disappointed from a synod of the Reformed Church in America on the east coast. The church grew with several other waves of immigrants, but it was slow to become americanized. Only after World War I did English become commonly spoken in the churches. After World War I the church began to expand its views. Foreign missions were started, and a widespread system of Christian day schools were begun, orga-nized by the church community but under parental control. These extended to the tertiary level, with Calvin College being the liberal arts college of the church. In the latter half of this century, four other colleges and one graduate school loosely affiliated with the church’s members were set up, three of them in Canada. Since the 1960s the church has gradually changed its Dutch ethnic character. There are now services in up to 14 languages in congregations across the country. About 7% of the members belong to an ethnic and cultural minority. The church is organized in 47 classes, or regional bodies, although the congregations are more numerous in Michigan, Illinois, and Iowa. In recent years, there have been challenges to its unity, especially over a 20-year debate on the ordination of women. After several approvals and reversals of women’s ordination, a local option was accepted in 1995. The church has an active home mission program, a foreign mission program, an international broadcast ministry, “The Back to God Hour,” a relief and development agency, and a publications wing that gives it a strong presence on the North American church scene. Approximately 30% of the membership resides in Canada and 70% in the United States.