About the Orthodox Reformed Church of Edmonton

What's in a Name?

The Orthodox Reformed Church of Edmonton (ORC) is not Eastern Orthodox nor Ukranian Orthodox; we are a protestant church rooted in the Biblical teachings recovered during the Protestant Reformation of the 16th Century. The name of the congregation was chosen purposefully. A brief definition of the words in our name may help:

• Orthodox: holding to correct religious doctrine.
• Reformed Church: a Church that has accepted the principles of the Protestant Reformation, as expressed in the Reformed Confessions. Reformed Churches are sometimes called Calvinistic churches. See also What is Reformed.

ORC History

Jesus said, "I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). This means that wherever the true church of Jesus Christ is found, there is no mere human organization, but the supernatural work of the Son of God. With gratitude to God we believe that the Orthodox Reformed Church of Edmonton (ORC) is part of this church building work of Jesus Christ.

We are a church rooted in the Biblical teachings recovered during the Protestant Reformation. This Web site was produced to provide you with an introduction to who we are and what we believe. We invite you to give it careful consideration. We hope that comparing our testimony with what the Bible teaches about the church will lead you to recognize the work of Jesus Christ among us.

    – Rev. William Pols

A New Beginning

Our congregation was formed in 1989 with the leadership of a minister and former elders of other Edmonton churches. The need to form a new church was due to the fact that these other churches had for several years been departing from the authority of the Bible and from their own historic creeds and confessions.

This departure became especially evident in the influence which evolutionary science, humanistic psychology and feminism was having on the teaching and practices of these churches. Critical results were seen in a breakdown of biblical worship, preaching, and church discipline. After years of protest, prayer and efforts for reform, it became clear that obedience to God required the formation of a new church.

Keeping The Faith

The ORC was formed to maintain loyalty to what was old, reliable and unchanging: the Word of God (the Bible). The truth of the unchanging Word has been confessed and lived by the true Christian church down through the centuries. It is our solemn desire and purpose to confess and live that same truth and to stand with all others who share this commitment. On the pages that follow (links on right side) are further explanations of what this commitment means to us.

About the United Reformed Churches in North America (URCNA)

The United Reformed Churches in North America is a new federation of churches formed on October 1, 1996, at a synod meeting held in Lynwood, Illinois, succeeding an organization known as the Fellowship of Uniting Reformed Churches in North America which had been formed in 1995.

Two Web sites provide more indepth information on the URCNA:

• http://www.iserv.net/~bethany/URC.htm
• http://www.covenant-urc.org/urchrchs.html (www.urcna.org)