The World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) was a fellowship of more than 200 churches with roots in the 16th century Reformation, and particularly in the theology of John Calvin. Its headquarters was in Geneva, Switzerland. They merged with the Reformed Ecumenical Council in 2010 to form the World Communion of Reformed Churches.

History

The World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) was created in 1970 by a merger of two bodies, the Alliance of the Reformed Churches holding the Presbyterian System, representing Presbyterian and Reformed churches, and the International Congregational Council. The Alliance of the Reformed Churches holding the Presbyterian System was formed in London in 1875. It held councils which had no legislative authority but great moral weight. In them the various Augustinian non-prelatical and in general presbyterial bodies found representation. They were upward of 90 in number, scattered all over the world, with 25,000,000 adherents. The published reports of the proceedings of these councils contain much valuable matter of all kinds, as papers are read, statistics presented, and many speeches made. Councils were held at London, 1875; Edinburgh, 1877; Philadelphia, 1880; Belfast, 1884; London, 1888; Toronto, 1892; Glasgow, 1896; Washington, 1899.

The World Alliance of Reformed Churches had 218 member churches in 107 countries around the world, with some 75 million members. Churches represented in the WARC included Congregational, Presbyterian, Reformed and United churches which have historical roots in the 16th century Reformation.

The WARC Secretariat was located in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. It worked closely with the World Council of Churches.

In 2000, the WAR was critical of Dominus Iesus, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith's document, and considered calling off a formal dialogue in Rome that year.

On 1 February 2006, Clifton Kirkpatrick, president of the WARC, and Douwe Visser, president of the Reformed Ecumenical Council (REC), said in a joint letter, "We rejoice in the work of the Holy Spirit which we believe has led us to recommend that the time has come to bring together the work of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Reformed Ecumenical Council into one body that will strengthen the unity and witness of Reformed Christians." The resulting new organisation is the World Communion of Reformed Churches.

Assemblies

Presidents

WARC presidents are elected for seven years at every General Council (held septennially):

General Secretaries

From 1970 to 1989 the General Secretary was Rev. Edmond Perret from Switzerland. In 1988 the Executive Committee meeting in Belfast, Northern Ireland elected Rev. Dr. Milan Opočenský (Czech Rep.) who held office until 2000. In 2000 Rev. Dr. Setri Nyomi (Ghana) became the General Secretary of WARC, and later WCRC.

Members (2006)

The WARC brought together more than 75 million Christians in over 100 countries around the world.

Member churches were Congregational, Presbyterian, Reformed and united and uniting churches.

Most of these are in the southern hemisphere with many being religious minorities in their countries.

Algeria

• Protestant Church of Algeria

American Samoa

• Congregational Christian Church in American Samoa

Angola, Republic of

• Evangelical Reformed Church of Angola

Argentina

• Evangelical Church of the River Plate

• Reformed Churches in Argentina

• Evangelical Congregational Church

• Swiss Evangelical Church

Australia

• Uniting Church in Australia

• Congregational Federation of Australia

Austria

• Reformed Church in Austria

Belgium

• United Protestant Church in Belgium

Bermuda

• Church of Scotland

Bolivia

• Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Bolivia

Botswana

• Dutch Reformed Church in Botswana

Brazil

• Presbyterian Church of Brazil

• Independent Presbyterian Church of Brazil

• United Presbyterian Church of Brazil

• Christian Reformed Church of Brazil

• Evangelical Reformed Churches in Brazil

• Arab Evangelical Church of Sao Paulo

Bulgaria

• Union of Evangelical Congregational Churches in Bulgaria

Burkina Faso

• Reformed Evangelical Church of Burkina Faso

Burma

• Mara Evangelical Church

• Independent Presbyterian Church of Myanmar

• The Presbyterian Church of Myanmar

Cameroon

• Presbyterian Church in Cameroon

• Presbyterian Church of Cameroon

• African Protestant Church

Canada

• The Presbyterian Church in Canada / L'Église presbytérienne au Canada

• United Church of Canada

Central African Republic

• Protestant Church of Christ the King

Chile

• Presbyterian Church of Chile

• National Presbyterian Church

• Presbyterian Evangelical Church in Chile

Colombia

• Presbyterian Synod

Congo, Democratic Republic

• Presbyterian Community in the Congo

• Presbyterian Community of Eastern Kasai

• Reformed Community of Presbyterians

• Presbyterian Community of Kinshasa

• Evangelical Community in Congo

• Protestant Community of Shaba

• Presbyterian Community of Western Kasai/Reformed Presbyterian Community in Africa

Congo, Republic

• The Evangelical Church of the Congo

Costa Rica

• Costa Rican Evangelical Presbyterian Church

Croatia

• Reformed Christian Calvinist Church in Croatia

Cuba

• Presbyterian Reformed Church in Cuba

Czech Republic

• Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren

Denmark

• Reformed Synod of Denmark

Dominican Republic

• Dominican Evangelical Church

East Timor

• Christian Church in East Timor

Ecuador

• United Evangelical Church of Ecuador

Egypt

• The Evangelical Church - Synod of the Nile

El Salvador

• Reformed Calvinist Church of El Salvador

Equatorial Guinea

• Presbyterian Church of Equatorial Guinea

Ethiopia

• Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus

France

• Reformed Church of France

• Reformed Church of Alsace and Lorraine

• Malagazy Protestant Church

French Polynesia

• Evangelical Church of French Polynesia

Germany

• Church of Lippe

• Evangelical Reformed Church

• Reformed Alliance

Ghana

• Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana

• Presbyterian Church of Ghana

Greece

• Greek Evangelical Church

Grenada

• Presbyterian Church in Grenada

Guatemala

• National Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Guatemala

Guyana

• Presbyterian Church of Guyana

• Guyana Congregational Union

• Guyana Presbyterian Church

Hong Kong

• Church of Christ in China, The Hong Kong Council

Hungary

• Reformed Church of Hungary

India

• Church of South India

• Church of North India

• Presbyterian Church of India

• Evangelical Church of Maraland

• The Church of Christ

• Reformed Presbyterian Church, North East India

Indonesia

• Karo Batak Protestant Church

• Evangelical Church in Kalimantan

• Indonesian Christian Church

• Evangelical Christian Church in West Papua

• Christian Churches of Java

• The East Java Christian Church

• Christian Church in Luwuk Banggai

• Pasundan Christian Church

• Protestant Christian Church in Bali

• Christian Church in Sulawesi

• Christian Church in Central Sulawesi

• Christian Church of Southern Sumatra

• Christian Church of Sumba

• Christian Evangelical Church in Bolaang Mongondow

• The Christian Evangelical Church in Halmahera

• Christian Evangelical Church in Minahasa

• Sangihe-Talaud Evangelical Church

• Christian Evangelical Church in Timor

• Protestant Church in West Indonesia

• Indonesian Protestant Church in Buol Toli-Toli

• Indonesian Protestant Church in Donggala

• Indonesian Protestant Church in Gorontalo

• Protestant Church in the Moluccas

• Protestant Church in Southeast Sulawesi

• Toraja Church

• Toraja Mamasa Church

Iran

• Synod of Evangelical Church of Iran

Ireland (Éire)

• The Presbyterian Church in Ireland

Israel

• St. Andrew's Scots Memorial Church (Church of Scotland)

Italy

• Waldensian Evangelical Church (Union of Methodist and Waldensian Churches)

Jamaica

• The United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands

Japan

• Church of Christ in Japan

• Korean Christian Church in Japan

Kenya

• Presbyterian Church of East Africa

• Reformed Church of East Africa

Kiribati

• Kiribati Protestant Church

Korea, Republic of

• KiJang

• TongHap

• DaeShin I

• HapDongJeongTong

Latvia

• Reformed Church in Latvia

Lebanon

• Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East

• National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon

• The National Evangelical Union of Lebanon

Lesotho

• Lesotho Evangelical Church

Liberia

• Presbyterian Church of Liberia

Lithuania

• Synod of the Evangelical Reformed Church - Unitas Lithuaniae

Luxembourg

• Protestant Reformed Church of Luxemburg H.B.

Madagascar

• Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar

Malawi

• Church of Central Africa, Presbyterian – General Synod

Malaysia

• Presbyterian Church Malaysia

Marshall Island

• Marshalls United Church of Christ-Congregations

• Reformed Congregational Churches

Mauritius

• Presbyterian Church of Mauritius

Mexico

• National Presbyterian Church in Mexico, A. R.

• Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church of Mexico

• Presbyterian Reformed Church of Mexico

Morocco

• Evangelical Church in Morocco

Mozambique

• Presbyterian Church of Mozambique

• United Congregational Church of Southern Africa

• United Church of Christ in Mozambique

• Evangelical Church of Christ in Mozambique

Namibia

• Namibia Regional Council

Netherlands

• The Protestant Church in the Netherlands (former: Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk and Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland)

• Remonstrant Brotherhood

New Caledonia

• Evangelical Church in New Caledonia and Loyalty Islands

New Zealand

• Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand

Niger

• Evangelical Church of the Republic of Niger

Nigeria

• Presbyterian Church of Nigeria

• Christian Reformed Church of Nigeria

• Universal Reformed Christian Church (NKST)

• Evangelical Reformed Church of Christ

• Reformed Church of Christ in Nigeria

• United Church of Christ in Nigeria

Niue

• Church of Niue

Pakistan

• Presbyterian Church of Pakistan

• Sialkot Diocese of the Church of Pakistan

Philippines

• United Church of Christ in the Philippines

• United Evangelical Church of Christ

Poland

• Evangelical-Reformed Church in Poland

Portugal

• Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Portugal

Reunion

• Eglise Protestante de La Réunion

Romania

• Reformed Church in Romania – Transylvanian District

• Reformed Church in Romania (Oradea)

Rwanda

• Presbyterian Church in Rwanda

Senegal

• Protestant Church of Senegal

Serbia and Montenegro

• Reformed Christian Church in Serbia and Montenegro

Singapore

• Presbyterian Church in Singapore

Slovakia

• Reformed Church of Slovakia

Slovenia

• Reformed Church in Slovenia

Solomon Islands

• United Church in Solomon Islands

South Africa

• Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk

• Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa

• Reformed Church in Africa (India)

• Reformed Church in Southern Africa

• Reformed Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa

• United Congregational Church of Southern Africa

• Peoples Church of Africa

• Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa

Spain

• Spanish Evangelical Church

Sri Lanka

• Dutch Reformed Church in Sri Lanka (Ceylon)

• Presbytery of Lanka

Sudan

• Presbyterian Church of the Sudan

Sweden

• The Mission Covenant Church of Sweden

Switzerland

• Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches, Schweizerischer Evangelischer Kirchenbund, Fédération des Eglises protestantes de la Suisse, Federazione delle Chiese evangelische della Svizzera

Taiwan

• Presbyterian Church in Taiwan

Thailand

• Church of Christ in Thailand

Trinidad and Tobago

• Church of Scotland

Tunisia

• Reformed Church in Tunisia

Tuvalu

• Church of Tuvalu

Uganda

• Reformed Presbyterian Church in Uganda

Ukraine

• Reformed Church in the Carpatho-Ukraine

United Kingdom

• Church of Scotland

• Presbyterian Church of Wales

• Union of Welsh Independents

• United Free Church of Scotland

• United Reformed Church

• The Presbyterian Church in Ireland

• Presbyterian Church of Africa

United States of America

• Reformed Church in America

• United Church of Christ

• Christian Reformed Church in North America

• Cumberland Presbyterian Church

• Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America

• Evangelical Presbyterian Church

• Korean Presbyterian Church in America

• Lithuanian Evangelical Reformed Church

• Presbyterian Church (USA)

Uruguay

• Valdensian Evangelical Church of the Rio de la Plata

Vanuatu

• Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu

Venezuela

• Presbyterian Church of Venezuela

Zambia

• United Church of Zambia

• Reformed Church in Zambia

Zimbabwe

• Reformed Church in Zimbabwe

• Church of Central Africa Presbyterian – Synod of Harare

• Ndebele

Central / Southern Africa

• Dutch Reformed Church – Synod of Central Africa

• Presbyterian Church of Southern Africa

References

External links

• Home page

• Member churches

• World Reformed Communion announcement