Reformed Church in Japan
ClassificationProtestant
TheologyCalvinist, Evangelical
PolityPresbyterian
LeaderTakashi Yoshiba[1]
Associationswas a member of the Reformed Ecumenial Council
RegionJapan
Origin1946
Tokyo
Separated fromUnited Church of Christ in Japan
Congregations220
Members8,000-9,000
Ministers130

The Reformed Church in Japan is a confessional Calvinist denomination in Japan. It was formerly a member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, but it chose to suspend its membership.[2]

Origin

The Reformed Church in Japan was formed in 1946 in Tokyo. Before Japan entered World War II, all Protestants were forced to unite in one church, the United Church of Christ in Japan. Some congregations with Calvinist background left this denomination to form the Japan Reformed Church.[3] The Christian Reformed Church in North America sent missionaries to support the new denomination. At that time the church had nine pastors and three elders.[4][5] The Calvinist World Mission has planted two presbyteries and almost 50 new congregations since entering Japan in 1951. CRCNA focuses their efforts on the metropolitan Tokyo area, one of the largest metropolitan areas of the world.[6] The church has now 220 congregations and 8,000-9,000 members. The denomination is growing steadily. However, the congregations are small: the largest has about 210 members and the smallest has about 10 members.[7] It affirms the Westminster Confession of Faith.[8] Sister church relations with the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, the Presbyterian Church in Korea (Koshin), and the Reformed Church in the United States were established.[7][9][10] The Orthodox Presbyterian Church(USA) works with a presbytery of the Reformed Church in Japan in church planting and evangelism. The OPC provides a professor for the Kobe Theological Seminary.[11][12]

Structure

The church has five presbyteries, namely Northeastern, Shikoku, Western, Central and Tobochu.

Northeast Presbytery includes churches in Kyoto, Osaka, Shiga, Hyogo, Nara, Wakayama, Fukui, Tottori, Shimane, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, Kagoshima and Okinawa.[13]

Shikoku Presbytery churches are in Tokushima, Kagawa, Ehime, Kochi and Okayama Prefecture.

Central Presbytery has congregations in Gifu, Shizuoka, Aichi, Mie, Ishikawa, Fukui and Toyama.[14]

Tobuchu Presbytery has congregations in Saitama Prefecture, Kanagawa Prefecture, Greater Tokyo Area, Tochigi Prefecture, Gunma Prefecture and Yamanashi Prefecture.[15]

Theology

In 2004, the denomination had presbyterian-synodal church government with four districts and a Synod. As of November 2014, the denomination allows for the ordination of women. Formerly the church was a member of the Reformed Ecumenical Council.

Theological education

  • Reformed Theological Seminary [16]
  • Reformed Theological Institute [17]

Interchurch relations

The Reformed Church in Japan was a full member of the Reformed Ecumenical Council. It is an observer in the International Conference of Reformed Churches and the World Communion of Reformed Churches.[18]

References

  1. ↑ "Reformed Church of Japan Brings Thanks to Synod 2012".
  2. ↑ "Member churches | Bringing together 80 million Reformed Christians worldwide". Archived from the original on 2012-08-08. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
  3. ↑ "日本キリスト改革派教会の紹介". Calvin.org. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
  4. ↑ "沿革". Rcj-net.org. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
  5. ↑ Benedetto, Robert; McKim, Donald K. (6 October 2009). Historical Dictionary of the Calvinist Churches - Robert Benedetto, Donald K. McKim - Google Könyvek. ISBN 9780810870239. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
  6. ↑ "CRWM: Japan - Christian Reformed Church". .crcna.org. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
  7. 1 2 "BBK.GKV » Japan". Bbk.gkv.nl. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
  8. 1 2 "ウエストミンスター小教理問答書". Rcj-net.org. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
  9. ↑ Johannes a Lasco Library (2004-02-27). "Address data base of Calvinist churches and institutions". Reformiert-online.net. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
  10. ↑ http://www.rcj-net.org/History_of_Reformed_Church_in_Japan.pdf
  11. ↑ "Orthodox Presbyterian Church". www.opc.org.
  12. ↑ "声明". Rcj-net.org. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
  13. ↑ "教会案内 西部中会". Rcj-net.org. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
  14. ↑ "教会案内 中部中会". Rcj-net.org. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
  15. ↑ "教会案内 東部中会". Rcj-net.org. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
  16. ↑ "神戸改革派神学校". Rcj-net.org. 2014-12-16. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
  17. ↑ "改革派神学研修所". Rcj-net.org. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
  18. ↑ "教会案内 関係諸機関". www.rcj-net.org.
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