Introduction: The Three Forms of Unity
A new six-part series on the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism and the Canons of Dort: the confessions that have united Reformed churches for 400 years.
By John Johnson, Redeemer Reformed Church Plant, Reno metropolitan area, Nevada
Every church believes something. Reformed churches write it down.
For more than 400 years, Reformed churches around the world have confessed their faith in three documents: the Belgic Confession (1561), the Heidelberg Catechism (1563) and the Canons of Dort (1618–1619). Together they’re called the Three Forms of Unity, because churches that hold them agree to believe and teach the same faith.
Redeemer Reformed Church Plant holds all three, as do the United Reformed Churches in North America (URCNA), the federation Redeemer is waiting to join as a mission church plant.
Why a series?
Many people have heard of these documents but never read them. Others have never heard of them at all. The URCNA’s own introduction puts it simply:
“The Church has always stated its faith for many reasons and these Three Forms of Unity perform many roles.”
They were written in different places, for different reasons, by people facing real pressures, from persecution to controversy. Michael Horton, a URCNA minister, notes that the Belgic Confession represents “the continental Reformed churches,” the family of churches from the European mainland that the URCNA belongs to.
What’s ahead
Every Tuesday for the next six weeks:
- What Are the Three Forms of Unity? An overview of all three.
- The Belgic Confession: a faith written under persecution and sealed with a martyr’s life.
- The Heidelberg Catechism: “What is your only comfort in life and in death?”
- Preaching Through the Catechism: why Reformed churches preach it every Lord’s Day.
- The Canons of Dort: grace from start to finish, and how “TULIP” fits in.
- Why Confessions Still Matter: unity, protection and a faith to pass on.
On Fridays, our companion series Coming Home looks at what it’s like to move to a confessional Reformed church. The two series run side by side, one on what we believe and the other on how we live it out together.
Come and talk with us
Redeemer Reformed Church Plant is gathering a core group in the Reno area. If you’d like to read these documents with others, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us.
First up: What Are the Three Forms of Unity?
Want to go deeper?
- URCNA, “Introduction to the Three Forms of Unity”: urclearning.org
- Kim Riddlebarger, “What Should I Read to Learn About the Three Forms?”: kimriddlebarger.com
Sources
URCNA, “Introduction to the Three Forms of Unity,” urclearning.org: https://urclearning.org/2006/09/24/introduction-to-the-three-forms-of-unity
Michael Horton, “What Are the Prospects for Greater Unity?”, Modern Reformation (Sept/Oct 1998): https://www.modernreformation.org/resources/articles/what-are-the-prospects-for-greater-unity-by-michael-horton-mr-septoct-1998
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Written by
John Johnson, Redeemer Reformed Church Plant, Reno metropolitan area, Nevada
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