The Evangelical and Reformed Synod is a recently organized Christian denomination that describes itself as a "new home for the historic faith."
Constituted in September 2024, the Synod presents itself as a spiritual successor to the historic Evangelical and Reformed Church while also bringing Anglican, Lutheran, and Reformed traditions together in a single ecclesiastical body. It seeks to preserve classical Protestant theology, uphold Scripture's authority, and maintain the confessional heritage of the Protestant Reformation.
Unlike the historic Evangelical and Reformed Church that existed from 1934 to 1957, the modern Synod is a new organization. Its leaders state that it formed through cooperation among churches connected with the United Episcopal Church of North America and emerged after an amicable separation from that jurisdiction. The Synod describes itself as carrying forward the legacy of the earlier Evangelical and Reformed tradition after the 1957 merger that created the United Church of Christ.
The Synod's founders view the old traditions as valuable examples of Protestant unity. Rather than reproducing a single historic denomination, they aim to recover what they regard as the best features of historic Lutheran, Reformed, and Anglican Christianity.
The Synod appears to use a blend of synodical and episcopal governance. According to its website, the denomination is led by officers, including a bishop and president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer, suggesting an episcopal element not found in the original Evangelical and Reformed Church.
This structure reflects one of the denomination's defining characteristics: a willingness to incorporate organizational features from multiple Protestant traditions rather than adhering exclusively to one historic model. The presence of bishops reflects Anglican influence, while the term "Synod" leans toward Lutheran and Reformed practices of representative governance.
The Synod strongly emphasizes the Bible's authority and reliability. Its website states that it holds to the inerrancy of Scripture and teaches that faith in Jesus Christ is necessary for salvation.
The word "Evangelical" in the Synod's name refers to its understanding of the gospel (the evangel). The denomination emphasizes Christ's atoning death, bodily resurrection, and present reign, as well as personal faith in Jesus Christ and Gospel-centered preaching. These themes place the Synod firmly within conservative Protestant evangelicalism.
The denomination identifies itself with the Protestant Reformers and historic confessions of the Reformation. It states that it is "not inventing something new" but seeking to return to historic Christian doctrine.
It traces its roots to several classic Protestant doctrinal standards, including the Augsburg Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, Luther's Small and Large Catechisms, and other historic confessional documents associated with the Reformation traditions represented within the Synod.
Although individual congregations may vary, the Synod's theological orientation suggests worship that is rooted in historic liturgical Christianity while maintaining an evangelical focus.
Its Lutheran, Anglican, and Reformed influences imply an appreciation for structured liturgical worship, historic creeds, frequent Scripture readings, sacramental ministry, traditional hymnody, and expository preaching, as well as a strong role for catechesis and doctrinal teaching.
Perhaps its most unusual characteristic is its attempt to unite what it calls the three great streams of the Magisterial Reformation: Lutheran, Reformed, and Anglican. Most denominations identify primarily with one of these traditions, while the Synod intentionally seeks to combine all three while maintaining theological orthodoxy.
The Synod also positions itself within the conservative and confessional wing of Protestant Christianity. Its emphasis on biblical inerrancy and historic Reformation doctrine distinguishes it from many contemporary mainline Protestant churches.
Another interesting feature of the Synod is its relationship to the old Evangelical and Reformed Church. It clearly claims historical inspiration and spiritual succession while not claiming to be the same legal institution that merged into the United Church of Christ in 1957. Its use of the historic name and logo symbolically connects to that earlier tradition.
While the historic Evangelical and Reformed Church emerged largely from German-speaking immigrant communities, the modern Synod appears to define membership primarily by adherence to historic confessional Christianity rather than by ethnicity or national heritage.
The Evangelical and Reformed Synod is a 21st-century confessional Protestant denomination that seeks to preserve and renew the legacy of the classic Evangelical and Reformed tradition.
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Boger Reformed is a congregation of the Evangelical and Reformed Synod in Concord, North Carolina. As a German Reformed church and a member congregation of the E&R Synod, the congregation follows closely in the footsteps of the Protestant Reformation. A profile of the church is provided on its website, its pastor is introduced, and its Sunday worship services, communion dates, a photo gallery, and an overview of what to expect during its services are included.
https://www.bogerchurch.org/
A part of the Evangelical & Reformed Synod, E&R World Missions is its mission and outreach wing, formed to spread the love of Christ by doing. Current World Missions projects are highlighted on the website, which includes a downloadable annual catalog of meaningful gifts. Ways in which others can help with the work of E&R World Missions include monetary contributions, its Amazon Wishlist, its online store, or volunteering for ERWM. A gallery of photographs is included.
https://erworldmissions.org/
Evangelical & Reformed Synod, The
Founded in 2024, the Synod positioned itself as a "United" church, bringing together the three great streams of the Magisterial Reformation (Lutheran, Reformed, and Anglican) into one body, as well as being Evangelical and Reformed. The denominational website presents a profile of the body, its roots, and its organizational structure. Synodical officers, member churches, missions, church membership requirements, affirmations, and application processes are included.
https://www.ersynod.org/
Trinity Covenant is a confessional congregation in Denver, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. A member congregation of the Evangelical and Reformed Synod, the church stands in the historic Reformed and evangelical tradition, holding to the confessional standards that have defined orthodox Christianity for centuries. The consistory, the governing body of the congregation, composed of ordained elders and deacons, is introduced, along with its pastor. Schedules and contacts are provided.
https://trinitycovenant.church/
