Relationship with Alliance Formalized

Following a meeting of the board of directors of the Alliance of Reformed Churches, the Christian Reformed Church in North America and the Alliance are now formally in relationship as “churches in communion.”

The Christian Reformed Church has a long tradition of valuing ecumenial relationships with like-minded church denominations around the world. According to the CRCNA’s Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations Committee (EIRC), the CRC “believes that the unity of the church reflects the unity Christians share as a gift from God. We also believe that as we draw closer to Christ, we draw closer to each other. Intrachurch activities celebrate this gift of the Holy Spirit.”

With this in mind, the CRCNA has formal relationships with many Christian organizations and is a member of several ecumenical organizations. The relationship designated as “church in communion” is for denominations that are especially close to the CRC.

Churches in this relationship may engage in joint ministries with the CRCNA or its various ministries; their representatives may be guest delegates at each other’s synods; they may welcome each other’s members at the Lord’s Supper; and their pastors may preach in each other’s pulpits.

The Alliance is a relatively new denomination that formed in 2021 when a group of churches broke away from the Reformed Church in America (RCA). While the CRCNA has a long-standing “church in communion” relationship with the RCA, it had yet to formalize its relationship with this new entity, which now consists of about 160 churches. 

In 2023 the synod of the CRCNA recognized the Alliance as a “church in cooperation” and stated that this decision was made with the intention of “continued pursuit toward designation as a church in communion.” At that time, synod also said that “by way of exception,” while the Alliance is “designated as a church in cooperation, congregations or officebearers with previous CRCNA/RCA dual-affiliation credentials [would] maintain their affiliation with the CRCNA” (Acts of Synod 2023, p. 990). These decisions required acceptance, or mutual affirmation, from the Alliance of Reformed Churches.

Synod 2023 asked the general secretary of the CRCNA to work with the Alliance toward “church in communion” status. That work has taken place over the past two years, and it culminated in the board of directors of the Alliance voting at their most recent meeting to become a “church in communion” with the CRCNA. 

“We want to express our gratitude for the positive response of the Alliance of Reformed Churches board to the CRCNA’s invitation into a ‘church in communion’ relationship,” said Zach King, general secretary of the CRCNA. “We are thankful for the opportunities we have had to engage in this conversation with Alliance leadership over the past few years.”

According to the CRCNA Church Order, this status will allow for a simplified process of transferring CRCNA members to Alliance congregations when requested. This status also allows opportunities to initiate union congregations within the two denominations, opportunities for CRCNA or Alliance congregations to dually affiliate, and opportunities for Alliance pastors to serve CRCNA congregations (and vice versa) while serving a ministry in their own denomination (see Church Order Art. 8 and 38 and supplements). 

As part of the “church in communion” relationship, the CRCNA will also invite Alliance representatives as ecumenical delegates to future CRCNA synods.

“It is our sincere hope that the ‘church in communion’ relationship between our two denominations would be a mutual blessing and a source of encouragement,” King said.