The Hungarian Reformed Church (HRC) or Hungarian Reformed Communion () is a global fellowship of continental Reformed denominations historically related to the Reformed Church of Hungary.
The purpose of the organization is to maintain unity among Hungarian Reformed churches in different countries and to give joint representation of denominations in international organizations of Reformed denominations.
History
From the Dissolution of Austria-Hungary, after the First World War, the members of the Reformed Church of Hungary were spread over several countries. In each of these, Hungarian reformeds organized themselves as a new national denomination.
On May 22, 2009, 6 of the Hungarian Reformed denominations (Reformed Church in Hungary, Reformed Church in Romania, Reformed Church in Transcarpathia, Reformed Christian Church in Serbia, Reformed Christian Church in Slovakia and Reformed Church in Slovenia) decided to form a Hungarian Reformed Communion, also called the Hungarian Reformed Church.
In the same year, the Hungarian Reformed Church in America joined the organization.
In 2013, the Reformed Christian Calvinist Church in Croatia was accepted as a member.
In 2019, the Calvin Synod (United Church of Christ) was accepted as a member and in 2024, the Hungarian Reformed Church in Australia also joined.
Doctrine
All denominations part of the communion subscribe to the Second Helvetic Confession and Heidelberg Catechism as a faithful expression of biblical doctrines, such as the Reformed Church of Hungary.
Likewise, they differ from the other reformed denominations in that they call those responsible for a church jurisdiction "bishop".
Members
Communion members are:
Country Denomination Number of congregations Number of members Year Hungary Reformed Church in Hungary 1,230 943,982 2022 Romania Reformed Church in Romania 1,352 495,380 2021 Slovakia Reformed Christian Church in Slovakia 304 85,271 2021 Ukraine Reformed Church in Sub-Carpathia/ Reformed Church in Transcarpathia 108 70,000 2015 Western Europe Federation of Hungarian-Speaking Protestant Congregations in Western Europe 51 - 2024 Serbia Reformed Christian Church in Serbia 50 17,000 2004 United States Hungarian Reformed Church in America 27 6,080 2006 Croatia Reformed Christian Calvinist Church in Croatia 21 3,378 2006 United States Calvin Synod (United Church of Christ) 29 2,500 2016 Slovenia Reformed Church in Slovenia 4 400 2004 Luxembourg Hungarian Protestant Parish in Luxemburg 1 - - Australia Hungarian Reformed Church in Australia - - - Canada Association of the Hungarian Reformed Churches in Canada - - - Western Europe Hungarian Reformed Pastoral Service in Western Europe - - -Carpathian Basin Hungarian Reformed Communion 3,176 1,623,991 2004-2024
References