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The Alliance of Reformed Churches (ARC) is a Reformed Christian denomination formed in 2021 by a group of churches that had grown frustrated with, and broke away from, the Reformed Church in America.[2][3] The separation occurred amid ongoing internal disputes within the RCA over theology, governance, the role of women, and human sexuality.

History

In the 2010s, the Reformed Church in America (RCA) faced pressure to clarify its position on same-sex marriage and homosexuality.[4][5] Specifically, there were disputes over what ramifications should exist over clergy conducting same sex weddings, which were being permitted by individual local classes [presbyteries] even while it was against a broader denominational doctrine and policy.

In 2021, after failing to find an agreement amongst the RCA’s diverse membership, there emerged a growing dissatisfaction from the more conservative members, who saw with the RCA’s inability to deal with enforcement as implicit permission for churches to celebrate same-sex marriage when they form classes that support this conduct.[6]

In response, 55 dissatisfied churches left the RCA in 2021 and formed the Alliance of Reformed Churches.[2][3] The ARC was initially co-led by Dan Ackerman and Tim Vink though after a short tenure they were replaced by Greg Alderman. Leadership transitions in its early period were relatively rapid compared to longer-established denominations. It has continued as a denomination, primarily drawing in other dissatisfied conservative churches looking to disaffiliate from the RCA.

Doctrine

The ARC affirms the Apostles’ Creed, Athanasian Creed and Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed. It considers the ordination of women as a matter for the individual church. However, the majority of local churches do not ordain female clergy.

It subscribes to the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession, the Canons of Dort, and the Belhar Confession. It also subscribes to the Great Lakes Catechism on Marriage and Sexuality,[7] a non-historic statement drafted in concurrence with the establishment of the ARC a that serves as clarification for a stronger conservative stance on human sexuality that the denomination built its foundation on.

References

  1. ^ https://arc21.org/churches
  2. ^ a b “Reformed Church in America Splits as Conservatives Form New Denomination”. Christianity Today. January 7, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  3. ^ a b “A New Organization: Alliance of Reformed Churches (ARC)”. The Aquila Report. August 19, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  4. ^ “As RCA churches talk about splitting, they do so with grace”. Calvin University Chimes. October 31, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  5. ^ “Division of the Reformed Church in America over LGBT issues”. Fox 17. November 11, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  6. ^ “Reformed Church in America splits a conservative churches from new denomination”. Word and Way. January 11, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  7. ^ “Doctrine of the Covenants of the Reformed Churches”. Archived from the original on January 12, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2022.