Ukrainian Evangelical Reformed Church
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| Ukrainian Evangelical Reformed Church | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Protestant |
| Orientation | Calvinist |
| Polity | Presbyterian |
| Associations | Union of Evangelical Reformed Churches of Ukraine[1] |
| Region | Ukraine |
| Origin | 1989[2] |
| Branched from | Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated)[1] |
| Congregations | 8 (2010)[3] |
| Official website | uerc |
The Ukrainian Evangelical Reformed Church (UERC) – in Ukrainian Українська реформатська євангельська церква – is a Protestant Reformed Ukraine, formed from the work of missionaries from the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated).[4][1][5]
The Reformed Faith arrived in Ukraine since the 16th century, having spread throughout the territory that would form the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.[1][6][7] The region with the highest concentration of retired people until World War I was Transcarpathia, which formerly belonged to Austria-Hungary. Canadian Presbyterian missions served the expansion of the Reformed Faith in the country during the early 20th century. However, after the formation of the Soviet Union, religious freedom was severely restricted in the Ukrainian territory.[8]
Beginning in 1989, missionary Fylymon Semenyuk began missionary work in Rivne and Stepan, with support from Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated).[2] Subsequently, the denomination spread throughout the country, reaching Kyiv, Khmelnitsky, Svalyava and Tavrian. In 2010, it was formed by 8 churches.[3]