About the Heritage Reformed Congregations
The HRC is a solidly Biblical, orthodox denomination that is confessionally rooted in the Continental Reformation and influenced greatly by English Puritanism. The word “Heritage” in the title reflects a commitment and desire to be true to this rich legacy. Heritage Reformed churches are earnest about believing Reformed doctrine with our minds, experiencing Reformed truth in our hearts, and living the Reformed faith throughout our lives.
Goal and Vision
The primary goal of the HRC is discipling believers and evangelizing unbelievers for God’s glory by means of local churches, seminaries, and evangelism and missions. By the Spirit’s grace, we strive to prayerfully and actively communicate our Reformed heritage among our churches and throughout the world by being:
- Word-based and Christ-centered churches,
- Sacramental and disciplined churches,
- Confessing and worshiping churches,
- Learning and growing churches,
- Praying and working churches,
- Loving and sacrificial churches,
- Discipling and evangelizing churches,
- Servant-led and equipping churches,
- Sanctified and separated churches,
- Humble and penitent churches,
- Sin-hating and conscience-sensitized churches,
- Believing and praising churches.
In short, we strive to be churches that glorify God as commanded in His Word.
Origin and History
The Heritage Reformed denomination was established in 1993 after the Netherlands Reformed Congregations (NRC) underwent a split related to church-orderly and theological issues. The most substantive underlying issue to future HRC members and congregations was Christ-centered preaching, combined with the preaching of an unconditional offer of grace. In the first few years, churches were established in Grand Rapids, Michigan; Burgessville, Ontario; Jordan, Ontario; Hull, Iowa; Bradford, Ontario; Kinnelon, New Jersey; Plymouth, Wisconsin; Chilliwack, British Columbia; and Harrison, Arkansas.
Presently, the HRC consists of approximately two thousand members in North American churches from the East Coast (New Jersey) to the West Coast (British Columbia), a theological seminary in Grand Rapids and a commitment to Mukhanyo College in South Africa.