About New Hope : Our Denomination
Our church is part of the greater Reformed Church in America, which includes some of the best-known congregations in North America. It was established on this continent 150 years before the Revolutionary War.The word "Reformed" comes from the Protestant Reformation, which swept across Europe in the 1500s under the leadership of Martin Luther, John Calvin and others. Calvin's reformation at Geneva spread to many countries, including Scotland (where it led to the Presbyterian Church) and the Netherlands (where it became our ancestor, the Dutch Reformed Church). Our history is a rich and colorful tapestry.
Roots and branches:
The Dutch Reformed Church established its first congregation in New Amsterdam in 1628. Although Dutch in origin, the Reformed Church in America has for decades included people of many races and nationalities in its congregations. The denomination has some 950 churches in the United States and Canada, with 200,000 members.
Each congregation is unique, shaped by the needs of its people and its particular community. Worship services range from highly formal to very informal. In nearly all of them, however, you'll find good preaching, a strong program of Christian education and sympathetic pastoral counseling. To belong to a Reformed Church is to be embraced by a warm and caring Christian family.
How we're organized:
Local churches are governed by elders and deacons who, together with the pastor, form the consistory, which is the church's leadership body. Regional governing bodies are called classes and regional synods. The denomination includes eight regional synods and 46 classes. The highest representative body of the church, the General Synod, meets each year to make decisions that affect the life and work of the entire Reformed Church. The mission and educational programs of the denomination are designed by the General Synod Council, a body that represents the membership.
The RCA's colleges and seminaries:
The denomination maintains three colleges and two theological seminaries. The colleges - all liberal arts institutions with a Christian emphasis - are Central College in Pella, Iowa; Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa; and Hope College in Holland, Mi. Students are trained for Christian ministry at New Brunswick Theological Seminary in New Brunswick, N.J.; and at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Mi.
RCA News and Resources:
The RCA publishes a blog, The Church Herald, and offers a number of devotionals and other resources on its website that provide information on growth opportunities and church activities worldwide.
For more information on New Hope Church, please contact the church office at office@NewHopeWorship.com or 614.766.5445.