Evangelical Association of Reformed and Congregational Christian Churches
Encyclopedia
The Evangelical Association of Reformed and Congregational Christian Churches is a small fellowship of conservative evangelical Protestant Christian
congregations in the United States that became disaffected from the United Church of Christ
due to that denomination's national entities professing support for practices such as abortion
and homosexuality
. Unlike other more sectarian churches, the Evangelical Association does not forbid its member congregations to simultaneously belong to other denominations and fellowships, as the local churches continue to practice congregational polity.
and St. John's Evangelical Protestant Church in Cullman, Alabama
, two large UCC congregations of Evangelical and Reformed
(German
Protestant) heritage. A core group resulting from interested churches of like mind brought about this initiative to provide a more orthodox alternative fellowship to the UCC in particular matters such as ministerial placement and foreign missions work. Many of the founding churches had been active in the Biblical Witness Fellowship
organization, a "renewal" lobby akin to those orchestrated by the Institute for Religion and Democracy in connectional denominations such as the United Methodist Church
and the Presbyterian Church (USA)
.
Perhaps the incident that provoked many of the EA's current congregations to depart the UCC was that denomination's action at its 2005 General Synod to support the rights of two individuals of the same gender to marry. This, to them, was the culmination of over 30 years of unacceptable liberal theology and ethics, to the point of a high apotasy from strict understandings of the Bible
; some congregations that had been considering disaffiliation expedited the process in order to disassociate from national entities as quickly as possible. One renewal group claims that over 250 churches withdrew from the UCC over a four-year period following the General Synod's measure.
As of April 2010, the Association listed 60 congregations as members, with Pennsylvania
and North Carolina
having the highest concentrations. Most of the churches are from an E&R heritage, although a few congregations in North Carolina are predominantly African-American in membership. The latter churches are descended from the "Christian Connection"; these left due not only to theological disagreement with national entities, but also because they had been adversely affected by the UCC Eastern North Carolina Association's strict application of nationally-recommended seminary requirements for ordination.
Unlike the UCC, the EA is a dues-paying organization, which means that it is not reliant on congregational benevolent support, as the UCC's conferences and national entities are; there is also no "free-riding," e.g., a congregation receiving services from the organization without paying for them. This, in turn, limits the size of the national staff, a decision valued by the politically conservative constituency of the EA, who frequently equate bureaucracy with liberalism.
and Nicene Creed
and to subscribe to a statement of faith, which explicitly proclaims exclusive salvation in Jesus Christ and denounces extramarital sexual activity or encouragement of the same. Other than those requirements for membership, the EA considers each local congregation as a "complete church" that possess all of the rights and responsibilities of the Universal Church
as bestowed upon it by the Holy Spirit
and set forth in God's Word.
Each local church has the right to govern its own affairs, including the right to ordain its own clergy. Local churches ordain in a manner similar to other Congregational bodies, through ecclesiastical councils made up of area ecumenical Christian clergy who review candidates who have completed either a Bible college or seminary education.
The combination of creedal subscription on the one hand and the rights of self-governance on the other makes the EA very similar to Lutheran denominations, which reflects the Evangelical Synod
heritage of some of its congregations. Otherwise, the polity is in effect almost identical to that of the UCC, which almost all the group's congregations once belonged to.
EA churches recognize two sacraments: Baptism
and the Lord's Supper or Holy Communion, which local churches are permitted to celebrate according to their own customs; like the UCC, the EA has no official doctrine pertaining to those ordinances. EA churches celebrate both infant and adult baptism, by sprinkling (namely among former E&R congregations) or believers' baptism by immersion (former Christian Connection
churches).
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
congregations in the United States that became disaffected from the United Church of Christ
United Church of Christ
The United Church of Christ is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination primarily in the Reformed tradition but also historically influenced by Lutheranism. The Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches united in 1957 to form the UCC...
due to that denomination's national entities professing support for practices such as abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
and homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
. Unlike other more sectarian churches, the Evangelical Association does not forbid its member congregations to simultaneously belong to other denominations and fellowships, as the local churches continue to practice congregational polity.
History
The EA began in 1998 from meetings between the clergy of First Protestant Church in New Braunfels, TexasNew Braunfels, Texas
New Braunfels is a city in Comal and Guadalupe counties in the U.S. state of Texas that is a principal city of the metropolitan area. Braunfels means "brown rock" in German; the city is named for Braunfels, in Germany. The city's population was 57,740 as of the 2010 census, up 58% from the 2000...
and St. John's Evangelical Protestant Church in Cullman, Alabama
Cullman, Alabama
Cullman is a city in Cullman County, State of Alabama. Cullman is located along Interstate 65, about north of Birmingham, and about south of Huntsville. According to the U.S...
, two large UCC congregations of Evangelical and Reformed
Evangelical and Reformed Church
The Evangelical and Reformed Church was a Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. It was formed in 1934 by the merger of the Reformed Church in the United States with the Evangelical Synod of North America . After the 1934 merger, a minority within the RCUS seceded in order to...
(German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Protestant) heritage. A core group resulting from interested churches of like mind brought about this initiative to provide a more orthodox alternative fellowship to the UCC in particular matters such as ministerial placement and foreign missions work. Many of the founding churches had been active in the Biblical Witness Fellowship
Biblical Witness Fellowship
Biblical Witness Fellowship is an evangelical renewal movement composed of members of the United Church of Christ. Founded in 1978 as the United Church People for Biblical Witness, the movement reorganized as the Biblical Witness Fellowship at a national convocation in Byfield, Massachusetts in...
organization, a "renewal" lobby akin to those orchestrated by the Institute for Religion and Democracy in connectional denominations such as the United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
and the Presbyterian Church (USA)
Presbyterian Church (USA)
The Presbyterian Church , or PC, is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. Part of the Reformed tradition, it is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the U.S...
.
Perhaps the incident that provoked many of the EA's current congregations to depart the UCC was that denomination's action at its 2005 General Synod to support the rights of two individuals of the same gender to marry. This, to them, was the culmination of over 30 years of unacceptable liberal theology and ethics, to the point of a high apotasy from strict understandings of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
; some congregations that had been considering disaffiliation expedited the process in order to disassociate from national entities as quickly as possible. One renewal group claims that over 250 churches withdrew from the UCC over a four-year period following the General Synod's measure.
As of April 2010, the Association listed 60 congregations as members, with Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
having the highest concentrations. Most of the churches are from an E&R heritage, although a few congregations in North Carolina are predominantly African-American in membership. The latter churches are descended from the "Christian Connection"; these left due not only to theological disagreement with national entities, but also because they had been adversely affected by the UCC Eastern North Carolina Association's strict application of nationally-recommended seminary requirements for ordination.
Unlike the UCC, the EA is a dues-paying organization, which means that it is not reliant on congregational benevolent support, as the UCC's conferences and national entities are; there is also no "free-riding," e.g., a congregation receiving services from the organization without paying for them. This, in turn, limits the size of the national staff, a decision valued by the politically conservative constituency of the EA, who frequently equate bureaucracy with liberalism.
Faith & Practice
The EA requires its constituent churches to affirm both the Apostles' CreedApostles' Creed
The Apostles' Creed , sometimes titled Symbol of the Apostles, is an early statement of Christian belief, a creed or "symbol"...
and Nicene Creed
Nicene Creed
The Nicene Creed is the creed or profession of faith that is most widely used in Christian liturgy. It is called Nicene because, in its original form, it was adopted in the city of Nicaea by the first ecumenical council, which met there in the year 325.The Nicene Creed has been normative to the...
and to subscribe to a statement of faith, which explicitly proclaims exclusive salvation in Jesus Christ and denounces extramarital sexual activity or encouragement of the same. Other than those requirements for membership, the EA considers each local congregation as a "complete church" that possess all of the rights and responsibilities of the Universal Church
Universal church
The phrase universal church can refer to:* Catholic Church* Ecumenism* Unitarian Universalism* Universalism* Universal Church of the Kingdom of God...
as bestowed upon it by the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
and set forth in God's Word.
Each local church has the right to govern its own affairs, including the right to ordain its own clergy. Local churches ordain in a manner similar to other Congregational bodies, through ecclesiastical councils made up of area ecumenical Christian clergy who review candidates who have completed either a Bible college or seminary education.
The combination of creedal subscription on the one hand and the rights of self-governance on the other makes the EA very similar to Lutheran denominations, which reflects the Evangelical Synod
Evangelical Synod of North America
The Evangelical Synod of North America, before 1927 German Evangelical Synod of North America, in German Evangelische Synode von Nord-Amerika, was a Protestant Christian denomination in the United States existing from the mid-19th century until its 1934 merger with the Reformed Church in the...
heritage of some of its congregations. Otherwise, the polity is in effect almost identical to that of the UCC, which almost all the group's congregations once belonged to.
EA churches recognize two sacraments: Baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
and the Lord's Supper or Holy Communion, which local churches are permitted to celebrate according to their own customs; like the UCC, the EA has no official doctrine pertaining to those ordinances. EA churches celebrate both infant and adult baptism, by sprinkling (namely among former E&R congregations) or believers' baptism by immersion (former Christian Connection
Christian Connection
The Christian Connection or Christian Connexion was a Christian movement which began in several places during the late 18th and early 19th centuries and were secessions from three different religious denominations. The Christian Connection claimed to have no creed, instead professing to rely...
churches).