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Continental European Protestantism

Reformed Church in America

Doctrines		The Reformed Church in America shares the principal doctrines of other reformed churches: the Bible is the Word of God and sole authority for Christian belief, Jesus is the incarnate Son of God, double predestination, justification by grace through faith, and the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper. The principal doctrinal statements are the Heidelberg Catechism and the Apostles' Creed.
History		The Reformed Church in America came into being as a result of the arrival of Dutch settlers in the United States in the 17th century. With the establishment of the colony the New Netherlands (now New York) the Dutch Reformed tradition became the official tradition of this part of North America. When the British took control of the colony in 1664 they allowed the Dutch settlers to continue to practice their beliefs. In the 18th century the church became divided over the issue of how much it should accommodate itself to the dominant English-speaking culture which surrounded it. One group wanted to free itself from the Dutch mother church and use English; the other wanted to retain its ties with Holland. The two factions reunited in 1771 and established a completely independent church following the American revolution. During the 19th century the church was strengthened as a result of growing Dutch immigration into the United States. In 1867 the Protestant Dutch Church changed its name to the Reformed Church in America. The 20th century has witnessed various attempts at union with other reformed traditions, but these have not been successful. The church has established daughter churches outside of the United States in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America.
Symbols		The logo of the Dutch Reformed Church in America consists of a red and white shield with pillars on either side.
Adherents		The church currently has 201,000 members in the United States and Canada (http://netministries.org/rca/reformed.htm).
Headquarters/ Main Centre		475 Riverside Drive, New York, New York 10115, U.S.A.