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The Reformation
To understand our church’s identity, we must trace our heritage back to the 16th century Reformation. At the time, Christianity in Western Europe was unified under the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church. However, over centuries, the Church had drifted from the teachings of Scripture. In response, reformers like Martin Luther and John Calvin called the church back to its biblical roots.
Luther’s central message was that salvation comes from God’s grace alone, through faith alone, apart from human works. When his call for reformation was rejected by the church leadership, Luther and his followers were excommunicated. While Luther’s teachings gained widespread support, the Reformation branched into three main traditions: the Lutheran churches in Germany and Scandinavia, the Anglican churches in England, and the Reformed churches in Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Scotland under the leadership of John Calvin.
The Netherlands
The Canadian Reformed Churches trace their roots to the Reformed branch of the Protestant Reformation as it developed in the Netherlands. The Reformed faith in the Netherlands flourished from the 1550s onward, with confessional documents such as the Belgic Confession (1561) and the Heidelberg Catechism (1563) forming the foundation of the Dutch Reformed Church.
However, during the early 17th century, a theological controversy arose regarding the sovereignty of God in salvation. Jacob Arminius challenged Reformed teachings by asserting that humans had the power to accept or reject God’s grace. In response, the Synod of Dort (1618-1619), with representatives from several Reformed countries, rejected Arminius’ views and affirmed the doctrines of predestination and God’s sovereign grace. The decisions of the Synod of Dort were codified in the Canons of Dort, which, along with the Belgic Confession and the Heidelberg Catechism, became known as the Three Forms of Unity.
North America
In the 19th century, Dutch Reformed believers faced challenges regarding church governance and the purity of Reformed doctrine, leading to two significant separations from the state church in 1834 and 1886. By 1892, these groups merged to form the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands. However, in 1944, a new controversy led to the Liberation, in which those who wished to remain faithful to the Three Forms of Unity broke away to form the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated).
Following World War II, many Dutch Reformed immigrants, committed to the Reformed faith, migrated to Canada. When they could not find a suitable church home, they established their own congregations, beginning with the first Canadian Reformed Church in Lethbridge, Alberta, in 1950. Since then, the Canadian Reformed Churches have grown into a federation of churches, united by a common faith and committed to the teachings of the Bible as summarized in the Three Forms of Unity.
Greater Toronto Area
Bethel Canadian Reformed Church was founded in Toronto in 1954 by Christians who embraced the Reformed faith and recognized the need for a Canadian Reformed congregation in the city. Initially, members met in a private home. In 1958, the church acquired its first building at 57 Centre Street in Thornhill, where they worshipped until 1971. As the congregation continued to grow, they built a new church at 148 Thornridge Drive, Thornhill, and worshipped there from 1971 to 2005. By God’s grace, the church continued to flourish, leading to the construction of a new building in Richmond Hill in 2005. Throughout the years, God has preserved Bethel as a faithful witness to biblical teachings and the Reformed faith. With a strong commitment to the gospel, we remain dedicated to sharing this message within our community.