Reformed Churches in South Africa
The Reformed Churches in South Africa (Afrikaans: Gereformeerde Kerke in Suid-Afrika) is a Christian denomination in South Africa that was formed in 1859 in Rustenburg. Members of the church are sometimes referred to as Doppers.[4]
For other Reformed Churches in South Africa, see Reformed Church in South Africa (disambiguation). For the former Dutch denomination, see Reformed Churches in the Netherlands.Reformed Churches in South Africa
The Gereformeerde Kerke today[edit]
The official name of the church body today is Die Gereformeerde Kerke in Suid-Afrika (GKSA), translated into English as the Reformed Churches in South Africa (RCSA). It has 415 Congregations ministering to people in all 11 official languages of South Africa.[7] There are congregations in Zimbabwe, Namibia and Lesotho.
The General Synod meets every third year in Potchefstroom.
It has ecumenical ties with churches on all continents except Antarctica.
The Gereformeerde Kerke today uses only hymns from the Bible: the Psalms as well as Skrifberymings. Skrifberymings are hymns based on passages from the Bible.
Besides the Psalms and Skrifberymings, the hymnal contains the following:
Church government[edit]
The Reformed Churches have a Presbyterian – Synodal system of church government.[12] The church consists of the Eastern Regional Synod, the Bushveld Synod, the Northwest Synod, the Regional Synod of Free State and KwaZulu-Natal, the Southern Regional Synod, and the Randvaal Regional Synod.[13]
Missions[edit]
The Reformed Churches in South Africa has a number of growing local congregations. The denomination has local outreaches in Botswana and Mozambique. There are churches that support missionaries in Burundi. The Reformed Church in Rustenburg, South Africa has agreement with Koshin Presbyterian Church in Korea to support evangelism, and establishing new multicultural churches in Rustenburg area. The church cooperates with the Presbyterian Church of Brazil in missions in Angola and Mozambique. It is also involved in a Reformed church plant in Hanoi, Vietnam. Through membership in the World Reformed Fellowship, Gereformeerde Gemeenten collabotates WRF's works, also for example in the International Institute of Islamic Studies.[15]
Reformed Churches in South Africa is a member of the World Reformed Fellowship[16] and the International Conference of Reformed Churches[17]
The Gereformeerde Kerke has sister church relationship with the :