| Evangelical Association of Reformed and Congregational Christian Churches | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | EA, EARCCC |
| Orientation | Evangelical, Reformed |
| Polity | Congregational |
| Governance | Board |
| National Minister | The Rev. Jim Barnes[1] |
| President | The Rev. Dr. Thomas Hendershot[2] |
| Region | United States |
| Origin | 1998 New Braunfels, Texas |
| Branched from | United Church of Christ |
| Congregations | 260 (2024)[3] |
| Official website | evangelicalassociation.org/ |
| Slogan | revitalize. reproduce. |
The Evangelical Association of Reformed and Congregational Christian Churches is an evangelical protestant denomination in the United States.[4] It began as a fellowship of churches disaffected from the United Church of Christ[5] due to that denomination's liberal theology.[6] Churches of the Evangelical Association are free to hold dual affiliation with another denomination (mostly the UCC), as local churches observe congregational polity.
The association's name refers to those denominations that once merged to form the UCC: the Evangelical and Reformed and the Congregational Christian Churches.
- ^ "Evangelical Association Leadership | EA". Quality Approved. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
- ^ "Evangelical Association Leadership | EA". Quality Approved. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
- ^ "Evangelical Association Churches | EA". Quality Approved. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
- ^ Kurian, George Thomas; Day, Sarah Claudine (2017-03-14). The Essential Handbook of Denominations and Ministries. Baker Books. ISBN 978-1-4934-0640-1.
- ^ Peay, Steven A. (Spring 2009). "Congregationalism in the United States: A Brief Overview: International Congregational Journal". International Congregational Journal. 8 (1): 61–69.
A Church in New Braunfels, Texas and another in Cullman, Alabama initiated yet another expression of dissent from the UCC and another fragment of the Congregational Way. The Evangelical Association of Reformed and Congregational Christian Churches, which has now grown to 48 Churches in 17 states, began in 1999.
- ^ "Evangelical Association of Reformed and Congregational Christian Churches (1998 - Present) - Religious Group". The Association of Religion Data Archives. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
It began forming a few years before that, when members of the United Church of Christ became disgruntled with the spread of more liberal theology in that denomination.