The Free Reformed Churches in South Africa (also known as the Vrye Gereformeerde Kerke in Suid Afrika) is a bond of Protestant Christian churches. It follows Reformed Calvinist theology and has adopted three forms of unity as its doctrinal standards: Canons of Dordt, Belgic Confession and the Heidelberg Catechism and subscribes to the three Ecumenical Creeds: The Apostles' Creed, The Nicene Creed and The Athanasian Creed.
The first church was established in Pretoria on 8 October 1950. Eventually other churches were established; they are, in order of institution:
- FRC Pretoria, 1950
- FRC Cape Town, 1952
- FRC Johannesburg, 1957
- FRC Bethal, 1995
- FRC Pretoria-Maranata, 1997
- FRC Mamelodi, 2002
- FRC Soshanguve North, 2003
The FRC's Church Order is based on that which was written at the Synod of Dort 1618/19.
The Churches have sister-church relationships with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated), the Canadian and American Reformed Churches, the Presbyterian Church in Korea and the Free Reformed Churches of Australia.
Brotherly contacts are also maintained with the following churches:
- The Free Church of Southern Africa (Suid Afrika)
- The Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (Malawi & Zimbabwe)
- African Evangelical Presbyterian Church (Kenia)
- Reformed Church in East Africa (Kenia)
- Church of Christ in Sudan amongst the Tiv
In addition to these contacts the FRC is also a member of the International Conference of Reformed Churches (ICRC)
Famous quotes containing the words free, reformed, churches, south and/or africa:
“There are some who praise a man free from disease; to me no man who is poor seems free from disease but to be constantly sick.”
—Sophocles (497–406/5 B.C.)
“To what a bad choice is many a worthy woman betrayed, by that false and inconsiderate notion, That a reformed rake makes the best husband!”
—Samuel Richardson (1689–1761)
“Universities are, of course, hostile to geniuses, which seeing and using ways of their own, discredit the routine: as churches and monasteries persecute youthful saints.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“Even when seen from near, the olive shows
A hue of far away. Perhaps for this
The dove brought olive back, a tree which grows
Unearthly pale, which ever dims and dries,
And whose great thirst, exceeding all excess,
Teaches the South it is not paradise.”
—Richard Wilbur (b. 1921)
“Are you there, Africa with the bulging chest and oblong thigh? Sulking Africa, wrought of iron, in the fire, Africa of the millions of royal slaves, deported Africa, drifting continent, are you there? Slowly you vanish, you withdraw into the past, into the tales of castaways, colonial museums, the works of scholars.”
—Jean Genet (1910–1986)