Protestant Reformed Churches in America (1926 - Present) - Religious Group
Religious Family: Presbyterian/ReformedReligious Tradition: Evangelical Protestant
Description: The Protestant Reformed Churches in America (PRC) originated as a result of controversy in the Christian Reformed Church in 1924 involving the adoption of the "Three Points of Common Grace." Three ministers and their consistories rejected the doctrine and founded the new denomination in 1926.
Official Site: http://www.prca.org/
Interactive Timeline: Presbyterian/Reformed Family Interactive Timeline
Connections: Protestant Reformed Churches in America
| Group (Active) | Group (Defunct) | Other |
Maps: Protestant Reformed Churches in America1
Adherence Rate per 1,000 (2020)
Congregations (2020)
Top 5 Protestant Reformed Churches in America States (2020)1 [View all States]
| Rank | State | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan | 15 | 5,329 | 0.53 |
| 2 | Iowa | 3 | 946 | 0.30 |
| 3 | South Dakota | 1 | 64 | 0.07 |
| 4 | Colorado | 1 | 373 | 0.06 |
| 5 | Illinois | 3 | 673 | 0.05 |
Top 5 Protestant Reformed Churches in America Counties (2020)1 [View all Counties]
| Rank | County | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sioux County, IA | 2 | 756 | 21.07 |
| 2 | Lyon County, IA | 1 | 190 | 15.92 |
| 3 | Ottawa County, MI | 8 | 3,098 | 10.46 |
| 4 | Pipestone County, MN | 1 | 78 | 8.28 |
| 5 | Kent County, MI | 6 | 2,160 | 3.28 |
Top 5 Protestant Reformed Churches in America Metro Areas (2020)1 [View all Metro Areas]
| Rank | Metro | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area | 14 | 5,258 | 4.83 |
| 2 | Beaver Dam, WI Micro Area | 1 | 233 | 2.61 |
| 3 | Fort Collins, CO Metro Area | 1 | 373 | 1.04 |
| 4 | Bellingham, WA Metro Area | 1 | 103 | 0.45 |
| 5 | Kalamazoo-Portage, MI Metro Area | 1 | 71 | 0.27 |
Protestant Reformed Churches in America, Members (1955 - 2010)2
Protestant Reformed Churches in America, Ministers & Churches (1955 - 2010)2
Protestant Reformed Churches in America, Trends (1955 - 2010)2
| YEAR | MEMBERS | MINISTERS | CHURCHES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | 2,385 | 19 | 18 |
| 1956 | 2,462 | 19 | 17 |
| 1958 | 2,645 | 20 | 19 |
| 1959 | 2,754 | 18 | 19 |
| 1960 | 2,822 | 18 | 21 |
| 1961 | 2,924 | 20 | 21 |
| 1963 | 2,798 | 16 | 19 |
| 1964 | 2,885 | 17 | 19 |
| 1965 | 2,906 | 16 | 19 |
| 1966 | 3,061 | 15 | 19 |
| 1968 | 3,061 | 17 | 19 |
| 1970 | 3,187 | 17 | 19 |
| 1976 | 3,609 | 24 | 21 |
| 1977 | 3,900 | 24 | 21 |
| 1978 | 4,040 | 25 | 21 |
| 1979 | 4,383 | 30 | 21 |
| 1980 | 4,544 | 31 | 21 |
| 1995 | 6,318 | 38 | 27 |
| 1996 | 6,391 | 38 | 27 |
| 1997 | 6,494 | 39 | 27 |
| 1998 | 6,551 | 39 | 27 |
| 1999 | 6,730 | 41 | 27 |
| 2000 | 6,713 | 39 | 28 |
| 2001 | 6,825 | 38 | 27 |
| 2002 | 6,915 | 40 | 27 |
| 2003 | 7,080 | 41 | 28 |
| 2004 | 7,157 | 40 | 28 |
| 2005 | 7,328 | 41 | 28 |
| 2006 | 7,457 | 41 | 27 |
| 2007 | 7,630 | 41 | 29 |
| 2008 | 7,625 | 42 | 30 |
| 2009 | 7,651 | 42 | 30 |
| 2010 | 7,806 | 43 | 31 |
Sources
1 The 2020 data were collected by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB) and include data for 372 religious bodies or groups. Of these, the ASARB was able to gather data on congregations and adherents for 217 and on congregations only for 155. [More information on the data sources]
2 All data on clergy, members, and churches are taken from the National Council of Churches’ Historic Archive CD and recent print editions of the Council’s Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches. The CD archives all 68 editions of the Yearbook (formerly called Yearbook of the Churches and Yearbook of American Churches) from 1916 to 2000. Read more information on the Historic Archive CD and the Yearbook.
Membership figures are "inclusive." According to the Yearbook, this includes "those who are full communicant or confirmed members plus other members baptized, non-confirmed or non-communicant." Each denomination has its own criteria for membership.
When a denomination listed on the Historic Archive CD was difficult to identify, particularly in early editions of the Yearbook, the ARDA staff consulted numerous sources, including Melton’s Encyclopedia of American Religions and the Handbook of Denominations in the United States. In some cases, ARDA staff consulted the denomination’s website or contacted its offices by phone. When a denomination could not be positively identified, its data were omitted.
