United and uniting churches
Encyclopedia
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
denominations.
Perhaps the oldest example of a united church is found in Germany
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...
, where the Evangelical Church in Germany
Evangelical Church in Germany
The Evangelical Church in Germany is a federation of 22 Lutheran, Unified and Reformed Protestant regional church bodies in Germany. The EKD is not a church in a theological understanding because of the denominational differences. However, the member churches share full pulpit and altar...
is a federation of Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
, United and Reformed churches
Reformed churches
The Reformed churches are a group of Protestant denominations characterized by Calvinist doctrines. They are descended from the Swiss Reformation inaugurated by Huldrych Zwingli but developed more coherently by Martin Bucer, Heinrich Bullinger and especially John Calvin...
, a union dating back to 1817 in some parts of Germany (see Prussian Union
Prussian Union (Evangelical Christian Church)
The Prussian Union was the merger of the Lutheran Church and the Reformed Church in Prussia, by a series of decrees – among them the Unionsurkunde – by King Frederick William III...
). The first union was at a synod in Idstein
Idstein
Idstein is a town of about 25,000 inhabitants in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany. Because of its well preserved historical Altstadt it is part of the Deutsche Fachwerkstraße , connecting towns with fine timber-frame buildings and...
to form the Protestant Church in Nassau in August 1817, commemorated in naming the church of Idstein Unionskirche
Unionskirche, Idstein
The Unionskirche is the Protestant parish church of Idstein, a major town in the German Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis. Idstein was a residence of the Counts of Nassau...
100 years later.
Around the world, each united or uniting church comprises a different mix of predecessor denominations. Trends are visible, however, as most united and uniting churches have one or more predecessors with heritage in the Reformed tradition (either Presbyterian, Congregationalist
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
, or both) and many are members of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches
World Alliance of Reformed Churches
The World Alliance of Reformed Churches is a fellowship of more than 200 churches with roots in the 16th-century Reformation, and particularly in the theology of John Calvin...
.
Conciliar movement
In the 1950s and 1960s an ecumenical spirit emerged in many churches in the United States of America, leading to a conciliar movement known in some circles as ConciliarityConciliarity
Conciliarity refers to the adherence of various Christian communities to the authority of ecumenical councils and to synodal church government. It is not to be confused with conciliarism, which refers to a particular historical movement within the Catholic Church...
. A product of this movement was the Consultation on Church Union
Consultation on Church Union
The Consultation on Church Union was an effort towards church unity in the United States, that began in 1962 and in 2002 became the Churches Uniting in Christ...
(COCU). COCU disbanded formally in 2002 but moved into the Churches Uniting in Christ
Churches Uniting in Christ
Churches Uniting in Christ brings together ten mainline American denominations , and was inaugurated on January 20, 2002....
movement.
United and Uniting Churches around the world
- Australia: Uniting Church in AustraliaUniting Church in AustraliaThe Uniting Church in Australia was formed on 22 June 1977 when many congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia, the Presbyterian Church of Australia and the Congregational Union of Australia came together under the Basis of Union....
, the 1977 union of CongregationalistCongregational churchCongregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches - Bangladesh: Church of BangladeshChurch of BangladeshThe Church of Bangladesh is a church of the Anglican Communion in Bangladesh. It is a united church formed by the union of various Christian churches in the region.The Church of Bangladesh came into being as the outcome of the separation from Pakistan...
- Canada: United Church of CanadaUnited Church of CanadaThe United Church of Canada is a Protestant Christian denomination in Canada. It is the largest Protestant church and, after the Roman Catholic Church, the second-largest Christian church in Canada...
, the 1925 union of CongregationalistCongregational churchCongregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
, Methodist, and a majority of Presbyterian churches (including Bermuda http://www.united-church.ca/ucc/history/) - China: China Christian CouncilChina Christian CouncilThe China Christian Council or CCC was founded in 1980 as an umbrella organization for all Protestant churches in the People's Republic of China with Bishop K. H. Ting as its president. It works to provide theological education and the publication of Bibles , hymnals , and other religious...
, founded in 1980 as an umbrella organization for all Protestant churches in the People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres... - Czech republic: Evangelical Church of Czech BrethrenEvangelical Church of Czech BrethrenThe Protestant Church of Czech Brethren , was formed in 1918 in Czechoslovakia through the unification of the Protestant churches of the Lutheran and Reformed confessions...
, formed in 1918 in Czechoslovakia through the unification of the Protestant churches of the Lutheran and Reformed confessions. However, the PCCB has deeper roots in the Czech reformation: in the Utraquist Hussite Church (1431–1620) and in the Unity of Brethren aka Moravian Church (1457–1620). - Germany: Evangelical Church in GermanyEvangelical Church in GermanyThe Evangelical Church in Germany is a federation of 22 Lutheran, Unified and Reformed Protestant regional church bodies in Germany. The EKD is not a church in a theological understanding because of the denominational differences. However, the member churches share full pulpit and altar...
, the 1948 federation of 10 Lutheran, 2 Reformed, and 11 United church bodiesLandeskircheIn Germany and Switzerland, a Landeskirche is the church of a region. They originated as the national churches of the independent states, States of Germany or Cantons of Switzerland , that later unified to form modern Germany or modern Switzerland , respectively.-Origins in the Holy Roman...
, the latter 11 are the Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper LusatiaEvangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper LusatiaThe Evangelical Church Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia is a Protestant church body in the German states of Brandenburg, Berlin and a part of Saxony. The seat of the church is in Berlin. It is the most important Protestant denomination in the area....
, Pomeranian Evangelical ChurchPomeranian Evangelical ChurchThe Pomeranian Evangelical Church is a Protestant church body in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, serving the citizens living in Hither Pomerania. It combines Lutheran and Reformed traditions...
, Evangelical Church in the RhinelandEvangelical Church in the RhinelandEvangelical Church in the Rhineland is a united Protestant church body in parts of the German states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Hesse . This is actually the area covered by the former Prussian Rhine Province until 1920. It is the most important Protestant...
, Evangelical Church of the Church Province of SaxonyEvangelical Church of the Church Province of SaxonyThe Evangelical Church of the Church Province of Saxony was the most important Protestant denomination in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. As a united Protestant church, it combined both Lutheran and Reformed traditions...
, Evangelical Church of WestphaliaEvangelical Church of WestphaliaThe Evangelical Church of Westphalia is a Protestant church body in the German state of Northrhine-Westphalia. It's the most important Protestant denomination in Westphalia...
(all the five are successors of the Evangelical Church of the old-Prussian Union), Evangelical State Church of Anhalt, Evangelical State Church of Baden, Bremian Evangelical Church, Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau, Evangelical Church of Hesse-Kassel and Waldeck and Evangelical Church of the Palatinate (Protestant State Church). - Hong Kong: Hong Kong Christian Council, the ecumenical body of Christian churches, organizations and institutions in Hong Kong, founded in 1954 http://www.almega.com.hk/acms/Default.asp
- India: Church of North IndiaChurch of North IndiaThe Church of North India , the dominant Protestant denomination in northern India, is a united church established on 29 November 1970 by bringing together the main Protestant churches working in northern India...
, the 1970 union of Anglican, Methodist, BaptistBaptistBaptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
, Disciples of Christ, Presbyterian, CongregationalCongregational churchCongregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
, and the Church of the BrethrenChurch of the BrethrenThe Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination originating from the Schwarzenau Brethren organized in 1708 by eight persons led by Alexander Mack, in Schwarzenau, Bad Berleburg, Germany. The Brethren movement began as a melding of Radical Pietist and Anabaptist ideas during the...
churches - India: Church of South IndiaChurch of South IndiaThe Church of South India is the successor of the Church of England in India. It came into being in 1947 as a union of Anglican and Protestant churches in South India. With a membership of over 3.8 million, it is India's second largest Christian church after the Roman Catholic Church in India...
, the 1947 union of Anglican, Methodist, CongregationalCongregational churchCongregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
, Presbyterian, and Reformed Churches. - Indonesia: Indonesia Christian ChurchIndonesia Christian ChurchThe Indonesian Christian Church is an Indonesian Christian denomination. GKI was established in continuity with the Indonesian Christian Church in West Java, Central Java and East Java. These three denominations were originally independent, each arising from separate missioniary initiatives...
or Gereja Kristen Indonesia, union of GKI East Java, GKI West Java and GKI Central Java in 1988 - Italy: Union of Waldensian and Methodist ChurchesWaldensiansWaldensians, Waldenses or Vaudois are names for a Christian movement of the later Middle Ages, descendants of which still exist in various regions, primarily in North-Western Italy. There is considerable uncertainty about the earlier history of the Waldenses because of a lack of extant source...
, the 1975 union of WaldensianWaldensian Evangelical ChurchThe Waldensian Evangelical Church is an Italian historical Protestant denomination.After Protestant Reformation, the small church absorbed Calvinist theology and became the Italian branch of Reformed churches....
and MethodistItalian Methodist ChurchThe Italian Methodist Church was a non-episcopal Methodist church which was integrated in 1975 into the Waldensian Evangelical Church, in order to form the Union of Methodist and Waldensian Churches.-See also:*Waldensians*Christianity in Italy...
Churches - Jamaica: United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman IslandsUnited Church in Jamaica and the Cayman IslandsThe United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands is a united church formed on 1 December 1965 as the "United Church of Jamaica and Grand Cayman" by bringing the Protestant denominations "Presbyterian Church in Jamaica" and "Congregational Union of Jamaica" together...
- Japan: United Church of Christ in JapanUnited Church of Christ in JapanThe United Church of Christ in Japan is the largest Protestant denomination in Japan. It was a union of thirty three diverse Protestant religious bodies forcibly brought together by the Japanese wartime government on June 24, 1941.The UCCJ is a member of the World Council of Churches .-Events...
(Nihon Kirisuto Kyōdan) - Melanesia: United Church in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon IslandsUnited Church in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon IslandsThe United Church in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands is a merged denomination dating from 1968 consisting of the former London Missionary Society , the relatively marginal Presbyterian church and the Methodist mission The United Church in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands is a...
- the Netherlands: Protestant Church in the NetherlandsProtestant Church in the NetherlandsThe Protestant Church in the Netherlands is the largest Protestant Christian denomination in the Netherlands. With 2,000 congregations and a membership of some 1.8 million , it is the second largest church in the Netherlands after the Roman Catholic Church.It was founded 1 May 2004 as a merger of...
, the 2004 union of the Dutch Reformed ChurchDutch Reformed ChurchThe Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
, the Reformed Churches in the NetherlandsReformed Churches in the NetherlandsThe Reformed Churches in the Netherlands was the second largest Protestant church in the Netherlands until it merged into the Protestant Church in the Netherlands in 2004.-History:...
, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the NetherlandsEvangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the NetherlandsThe Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands was a denomination in the Netherlands which under that name existed from 1818 to 2004... - Pakistan: Church of PakistanChurch of PakistanThe Church of Pakistan is a united church in Pakistan, which is part of the Anglican Communion and a member church of the World Methodist Council. It was established in 1970 with a union of Anglicans, Scottish Presbyterians , Methodists, and Lutherans. It is the only United Church in the South...
, the 1970 union of Anglicans, Scottish Presbyterians (Church of Scotland), Methodists, and Lutherans. - Philippines: United Church of Christ in the PhilippinesUnited Church of Christ in the PhilippinesThe United Church of Christ in the Philippines is a Christian denomination in the Philippines...
- Sweden: Evangelical Free Church (EFK), the 2002 union of the Örebrö Mission, the Free Baptists in Sweden and the Holiness Union.
- Thailand: Church of Christ in ThailandChurch of Christ in ThailandThe Church of Christ in Thailand is a Protestant Christian association. It is the largest Protestant denomination in Thailand and is considered to be the largest by group of Protestant members in Thailand....
- United Kingdom: United Reformed ChurchUnited Reformed ChurchThe United Reformed Church is a Christian church in the United Kingdom. It has approximately 68,000 members in 1,500 congregations with some 700 ministers.-Origins and history:...
, the 1972 union of CongregationalistCongregational churchCongregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
and Presbyterian churches in England and Wales, later joined by the Churches of ChristRestoration MovementThe Restoration Movement is a Christian movement that began on the American frontier during the Second Great Awakening of the early 19th century...
and the Congregational Union of Scotland. United Free Church of ScotlandUnited Free Church of ScotlandThe United Free Church of Scotland is a Scottish Presbyterian denomination formed in 1900 by the union of the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland and the Free Church of Scotland...
. - United States: United Church of ChristUnited Church of ChristThe 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...
, the 1957 union of the two previously united churches:Congregational Christian ChurchesCongregational churchCongregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
and the Evangelical and Reformed ChurchEvangelical and Reformed ChurchThe 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...
. United Methodist ChurchUnited Methodist ChurchThe 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...
, the 1968 union of the The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren ChurchEvangelical United Brethren ChurchThe Evangelical United Brethren Church was an American Protestant church which was formed in 1946 by the merger of the Evangelical Church with the Church of the United Brethren in Christ...
. (Also see Churches Uniting in ChristChurches Uniting in ChristChurches Uniting in Christ brings together ten mainline American denominations , and was inaugurated on January 20, 2002....
.) - International: International Council of Community ChurchesCommunity Church movement- Community Churches :Community churches have existed in the United States since the early nineteenth century. Small communities did not always have the population or finances to sustain churches of all denominational types, so community leaders would cross denominational lines and pool their...
, International Council of Unitarians and UniversalistsInternational Council of Unitarians and UniversalistsThe International Council of Unitarians and Universalists is an umbrella organization founded in 1995 bringing together many Unitarians, Universalists and Unitarian Universalists.The size of the member organizations varies widely...
See also
- ChristianityChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
- Church unionChurch unionChurch union is the name given to a merger of two or more Christian denominations. Such unions may occur in one of two ways.- United churches :Some churches have formed as a result of a merger of churches of different denominations...
- Continuing churchContinuing churchContinuing Churches are often numerically small denominations that formed from disputes within a larger parent organization. The ‘continuing’ organizations may be old or the split between the parent Church and the Continuing Church may be recent....
- List of Christian denominations
- ProtestantismProtestantismProtestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
- Restoration MovementRestoration MovementThe Restoration Movement is a Christian movement that began on the American frontier during the Second Great Awakening of the early 19th century...
(related to the Church of ChristChurch of ChristChurches of Christ are autonomous Christian congregations associated with one another through common beliefs and practices. They seek to base doctrine and practice on the Bible alone, and seek to be New Testament congregations as originally established by the authority of Christ. Historically,...
)