What does it mean to be Reformed?
That's a good question!
There are many different answers people might give to what being a Reformed church means; everything from a confused look to pointing to the 5 points of Calvinism.
When we call ourselves “reformed,” we are saying we are a church that stands in the tradition of the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. Simply put, we are a Protestant church. In some ways, you could sum that up doctrinally by saying two (2) things:
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We believe in the inspiration, inerrancy, authority, clarity, and sufficiency of Scripture. We hold that the Bible is the only rule for faith and practice. Ultimately, the Bible and the Bible alone settle all questions of faith (what we believe and teach) and practice (how we are to live in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ).
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We believe in the doctrine of justification by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone. We are forgiven and accepted by a holy God solely because of the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed or reckoned to us by faith alone. The Reformers described this as the "5 Solas" (Sola means "Alone"): Sola Scriptura, Sola Christus, Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Sola Deo gloria. In other words: we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, as revealed by Scripture alone, to the glory of God alone.
So we are a Protestant church, but we are also a Reformed church in that we hold to the doctrinal standards—explanations of faith—introduced by the churches of the Reformation.
In Europe (think: Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, etc.), Reformed churches came to hold to confessional documents known as the “Three Forms of Unity” (which consist of three things: the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession, and the Canons of Dort). These statements of belief "unite" Reformed churches.
You may be familiar with the Presbyterian tradition; Presbyterian and Reformed churches essentially teach the same system of doctrine and hold to most of the same creeds and confessions. (Great minds do think alike!)
Like many Christian Churches around the globe, we hold to three creeds written in the first few centuries after Christ's death and resurrection.
Hopefully this brief summary helps you understand what we mean by saying we are a Reformed church. Rather than identifying us as part of a denomination, it identifies us as part of the broader Reformation movement in the tradition of John Calvin and others.
