Glossary of Acronyms - Christian Reformed Church

Glossary of Acronyms

Please note that the following acronyms are used throughout this site:

CRC: The Christian Reformed Church in North America. The CRC is a denomination with approximately 300,000 members in 1,000 congregations across the United States and Canada .
SMCC: The Synodical Ministerial Candidacy Committee. This denominational committee oversees the nurture and training of those preparing for ordained ministry in the Christian Reformed Church under the provisions of Church Order Articles 6, 7, and 8.
CMLT : Classis Ministerial Leadership Team. Within the denominational structure, there are almost 50 groupings or “families” of Christian Reformed Church congregations based on geographical boundaries. Each family of congregations is known as a classis (plural: classes). The Christian Reformed Church Synod has encouraged all classes to establish a CMLT. These CMLTs work closely with individuals preparing for ministry in the Christian Reformed Church by providing support and encouragement.
CTS : Calvin Theological Seminary. As the theological school of the Christian Reformed Church, CTS offers a number of degree programs, including the Master of Divinity program which prepares students for the Ministry of the Word in the Christian Reformed Church.
M.Div : Master of Divinity Degree. This degree, obtained at Calvin Theological Seminary or elsewhere, is the degree required by those who are preparing for the Ministry of the Word in the Christian Reformed Church under the provisions of Church Order Article 6.
EPMC : The Ecclesiastical Program for Ministerial Candidacy. This program, unique to Calvin Theological Seminary, is designed to give individuals an orientation to the theology and ministry of the Christian Reformed Church. This program is required by all those entering the Ministry of the Word in the Christian Reformed Church under the provisions of Church Order Article 6, but who have obtained their Master of Divinity degree from a seminary other than Calvin Theological Seminary. A modified EPMC program is also required for those entering the Ministry of the Word in the Christian Reformed Church under the provisions of Church Order Article 7 or 8.