The Reformation of 1857
Russell Dykstra examines the 1857 secession from the Reformed Church of America that led to the formation of the Christian Reformed Church, situating it within the broader context of Reformed church reformation and the preservation of the Dutch Reformed heritage in America. The article traces how this reformation produced subsequent denominations including the Protestant Reformed Churches, and argues that understanding this history is essential for the church's identity and faithfulness. Through exploring the doctrinal and practical issues involved in 1857, Dykstra demonstrates God's providential work in preserving and advancing the Reformed tradition in the New World.
Church reformation is God's work. The church is God's, and when it deforms, He raises up the necessary leaders; but God reforms His church. Reformation involves a rejection of errors present in the church and a return to biblical teaching and practice as summarized in the confessions of the church. Reformation almost always results in the church being re-formed, i.e., a new institute forms, because an apostatizing church rarely returns to the biblical pattern. A reformation occurred in...
Full article available on sb.rfpa.org