Reformed Ecumenical Council

The World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and the Reformed Ecumenical Council (REC) have merged to form a new body representing more than 80 million Reformed Christians worldwide. This united body is called the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC). The Uniting General Council (UGC) that launched this new Reformed organization was held in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States, from 16 to 26 June 2010.

The Reformed Ecumenical Council (REC) is a smaller grouping than WARC, mainly bringing together those churches whose adherence to the Reformed Confessions was a strongly held, defining principle. It began in 1946. Its founders believed that the adherence to the truth of these Confessions was the only ground for unity. In the six decades since, these churches have journeyed into a deeper understanding of ecumenicity, have qualified their demands for confessional unity, but retain confessional integrity as a high value. Along the way, some members would not accept these changes, and two other international groupings have emerged, the International Conference of Reformed Churches with a more doctrinaire emphasis, and the World Reformed Fellowship, which combines stricter doctrinal coherence with an evangelical mission emphasis. Today, the REC still captures the values of the pietist and separatist tradition. In its purpose and values statement of 1998, it highlights biblical and confessional integrity as a primary value. At the same time, the Council has expanded its relationships with other ecumenical organizations and Christian communions. This is most striking in its closer relations with the WARC. Besides direct conversations and some collaboration, 27 of its 39 members are also affiliated with the WARC. The REC has expanded its contact with the World Council of Churches. After sending observers to WCC meetings for decades, it has become a consultant to the Conference of World Mission and Evangelism, and has sent delegates to meetings of the Commission of Faith and Order.

REC membership is strongest in Africa and Asia, and relatively weaker in Europe, North America and South America. The Council has four permanent commissions: Human Relations, Theological Education and Interchange, Mission and Diakonia, and Youth and Christian Nurture. It speaks out where its members suffer hardship or discrimination and has supported specific peace processes that affect its members. Since 1996 the Council has addressed the issue of religious pluralism, exploring what it means to live with neighbours of other faiths. It also provides a forum where members consult and compare their relationships to their governments. In 1999 the REC urged its members to join in the Jubilee 2000 campaign for the forgiveness of international debt. 

In 2006 the leaders of REC and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) proposed the merger of the two organizations into a new global Reformed body. The Executive Committees of REC and WARC agreed with the proposal at their 2007 meetings. The WARC Executive called for a uniting General Council in 2010 and would like to call the new body the World Communion of Reformed Churches. The Christian Reformed Church in North America, which is a member of REC and WARC has accepted to host the uniting General Council in 2010 in Grand Rapids, USA.

The REC groups 39 churches representing 12 million believers; 10 of its member churches are also members of the WCC. The REC has its office in Grand Rapids, USA.

Periodicals: REC News Exchange; REC Focus.