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THE REFORMED CHURCH OF QUÉBEC

L'ÉGLISE RÉFORMÉE DU QUÉBEC
(En français )

l. Who are we? - Our identity

l. The name of our Church is The Reformed Church of Québec (RCQ), otherwise known as "L'Église Réformée du Québec" (ERQ). It is a Christian church, founded on faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of the world. The Reformed Church of Québec is a Church recognised as such by other Christian churches. We are not a sect, pretending to be the sole holders of the truth, nor do we claim to be closer to God than other Christians. We share with all other Christians a common inheritance of which we are proud. Our specific identity is that of being Reformed, which means we are descendants of the Church Reformation that took place in the 16th century in most European countries. Moreover, the Lord's Church is in constant need of reforming its faith and actions in the light of the Bible.

2. On November 6th l988, the date of the official establishment of the Reformed Church of Québec, we already numbered nine founding churches, or local churches, eight of which are situated in different areas of Québec; in Ste-Foy (Québec), Montréal, Trois-Rivières, St-Georges de Beauce, St-Lambert (south shore of Montréal), Repentigny, Ste-Croix de Lotbinière (Charney), St-Romuald - one is outside of Québec, in Ottawa. The majority of our members are French-speaking Québecers practising various occupations in society, blue and white collared workers. People coming from a wide range of cultural, regional and national backgrounds also contribute to a rich diversity. People of all ages can be found amongst us: young children, adolescents, students, the middle-aged and the retired. The dynamic nature of our church can be seen in the presence of many young families. We recognise that the Lord Jesus Christ, head of the Church, has assembled us, with our children in a community which holds one vision, one love, one faith and one hope: to live for His Glory and to serve Him where He has placed us.

3. In spite of the fact that its official foundation has not yet taken place, the Reformed Church of Québec is not new on the Quebec or Canadian scene. We have both a recent history and one reaching further back in time. The Reformed Church of Québec identifies itself, of course, with witnesses to the faith reaching back to the most ancient Christian traditions. More recently, we share a heritage with Reformed Christians who preceded us here in Quebec, earlier in New France as well as in the old French-speaking European countries. Our roots also reach into the history of the great Reformed family existing all over the world in numerous countries and speaking many different languages.

4. We also have a creed, a faith of which we are particularly proud. We want to live this faith today in our society and proclaim it to the nation of which we are a part, and to all those surrounding that nation. The unity of the Reformed Church of Quebec is woven out of faith in the Gospel. An expression or summary of this faith is formulated in texts we call "confessions of faith". Some of these confessions come to us from the Reformation, some have been composed more recently.

5. We also have an organisation which permits the administration of church affairs and ensures its direction, particularly as concerns the preaching of the gospel, administration of sacraments, instruction in faith, and co-ordination and development of the church. The general principles of this organisation are presented in a text approved by the parish representatives and leaders of the Reformed Church of Quebec.

6. Our Christian commitment and service is expressed in our worship of God as well as through studying and heeding His Word. These are also visible in our service and mutual aid within the Christian community, as well as in our outreach to society as a whole. Each individual within the Reformed Church of Québec occupies a privileged role in the task confided in us, so that each person's talents are appreciated, developed and put to use. The Church's life is manifest particularly in the areas of worship services, education, mutual and pastoral aid, evangelization and service in society.

7. The Reformed Church of Québec also has a vision and is preparing plans for its future. We plan to increase the number of our local churches and to establish Churches in city centres and principle areas of the Quebec Province. Other French-speaking communities outside of Quebec will also benefit from our services. Our basic concern is to spread the gospel to today's society and to demonstrate how Christian faith relates to present day life and questions. We are working on the improvement of services already offered in our local communities with the aim to contribute further in these areas and to participate as much as our means will permit.

8. For a better understanding of the Reformed Church of Québec, the following is a more detailed description of our history, our faith, our organisation, our commitment and service and of our plans for the future.

2. Where are we from? - Our history

1. The Reformed Church of Québec is not a "new religion". It's roots go as deep and are as old as those of Quebec itself. A certain popular conviction would have it that French is synonymous with Roman Catholicism and that Protestantism is "the religion" of non-French-speaking races or nations. In reality, the Protestant Reform ("pro" meaning "for", "testatus" meaning "that which is attested to or proven": in favour of the truth) was initiated by a renowned Frenchman, Jacques Lefevre d'Etaples, professor of theology of the University of Sorbonne. His commentary on the Epistle to the Romans, written in l512, was God's instrument in the life of the famous German Reformer Martin Luther, and of many French Reformers, amongst whom were William Farel and John Calvin.

2. We often jump to the conclusion that there was no relationship between the French Reformers - also named Huguenots, Protestants or Reformed Catholics, - and Canada's beginnings. As in the preceding opinion, this latter shows itself to be false in the light of history. The Huguenots' initiative and economic expertise, and their desire to found a colony loyal to the French throne where they would be free to worship God as Reformed Catholics were the foundations of Québec and Canada. Without them, it is difficult to imagine a modern French-speaking population in North America. If France had allowed a greater number of Reformed Christians to emigrate to New France in the 17th century, in all probability the English would not have taken Canada. The following list of governors of New France reveals the influence of Reformed Christians in the colony.

1540 Jean-François de la Rocque, sieur de Roberval Huguegot

1598 Le marquis de la Rocque Roman catholic

1599 Pierre Chauvin de Rouen Huguenot

1602 De Chastes, gouverneur de Dieppe Huguenot

1604 Pierre de Gua, sieur de Monts, gouv. de Pons Huguenot

1611 Charles de Bourbon, comte de Soissons Huguenot

1612 Le prince de Condé Huguenot

1620 Le prince de Condé sells control of the colony to Roman catholic Admiral de Montmorency, Champlain assumes responsibility (Huguenot)

1625 Henri de Levy, duc de Ventedour Roman catholic

1629 Louis de Kerke assumes responsibility as Huguenot governor of New France refugee in England

1632 Traité de St-Germain. New France is ceded to the king of France by the English

3. The year 1540 marks the beginning of French expeditions and endeavours to colonise New France. François the First ordered Jacques Cartier to have the natives (Indians) taught "in love and in fear of God, in the holy faith and Christian doctrine". There was no question at that point of distinguishing "Roman faith" from "Reformed faith".

4. In 1541, the Huguenot sieur de Roberval received the same instructions, still with no distinction made between Roman and Reformed faith, when he was named Viceroy and Lieutenant-Governor of New France. It wasn't until 1588, forty-eight years later, that Henry III, fearing the power of the Reformers in possession of two hundred cities in France, including La Rochelle, Montauban and Montpellier, declared that henceforth, the Huguenots should submit themselves to the Catholic Apostolic and Roman Religion (letter from Henry III, January 12th, 1588).

5. Nevertheless, the Reformation continued to make its way in France and "Christianity" was no longer necessarily a synonym of "Roman Catholicism". Ten years later, Reformed Christians reappeared in full force in New France. Pierre Chauvin "a very expert man though of the faith that claims to be Reformed" Sieur De Monts, founder of Port Royal and colleague of Samuel de Champlain (also of Huguenot origin), became Governor of New France.

6. In 1608, Champlain arrived in Quebec and in 1610 he married a Reformed Christian, Hélène Boullé, with full agreement from De Monts. Until 1625, on the arrival of the Jesuits, the economy was dominated and daily life greatly influenced by the large number of Huguenots present. In 1625, with the Jesuits, up-holders of countre-reform, we note the existence of a steady and persistent campaign to "free" New France from the Huguenot presence and influence. In France, Cardinal Richelieu had become powerful on a political level and, with the Jesuits, proceeded to crush the Huguenots. La Rochelle fell under armed forces and henceforth Richelieu requested that the Huguenots be considered enemies of the crown of France because of their "false religion".

7. In 1627 Richelieu revoked the charter of De Caen, Governor of New France. De Caen, a Reformer, saw his position as Governor, as well as his Huguenot commercial monopoly yielded up to a new Roman Catholic company. Richelieu created the company "les cents associés" "to promulgate the Roman faith in the colony". In spite of this pressure, the Huguenots continued to emigrate to New France. The Vatican archives contain two acts dated 1635 and 1637 insisting that French authorities prevent non-Roman Catholics from settling in the colonies. On a practical level it was impossible to apply the ban of 1627 to the letter. In 1661 His Lordship de Laval wrote Rome complaining that the French authorities forgot to put into effect the king's orders concerning the non-establishing of "protestants". But in 1665 after a series of measures were taken against the Reformers (abjuration, obliging them to attend Roman mass, obliging them to marry before a priest, dragonnades, explicit exclusion from certain professions and occupations, slander, etc.), His Lordship de Laval wrote to Pope Alexander that almost all "protestants" leave the hospital to "enter into heaven or the Roman Church." But five years later in 1670 His Lordship de Laval sent a new memorandum to France aimed at denying reformers access to the colonies. In the same year, de Laval had Daniel Veiel executed, probably as an example, for having once again taken up with the Reformed faith.

8. Even so, in spite of the staunch opposition of the clergy there was a certain tolerance on the part of lay people. With the revoking of the Edict de Nantes in 1685, the Huguenots sought to flee renewed religious oppression in France. Many found refuge in the colonies, including those of New France. Unfortunately their suffering continued there. In 1715 Louis XIV died and the worst era was terminated for Reformed Christians. Real tolerance spread throughout France and to her colonies. There was a new wave of arrivals of Protestant settlers and, maybe more important, a return of the Reformed La Rochelle merchants. Nevertheless, a great many restrictions continued to apply. Reformers were denied the right to practice medicine, to be pharmacists, midwives, lawyers, notaries, judges and civil servants. It was impossible for them to become citizens, because this was the sole privilege of those of Roman faith. Children of Reformed Christians were obliged to enrol in Roman Catholic schools and no Reformed worship services were permitted.

9. Even so, in 1741, the Reformed presence was so large that the clergy judged it necessary to warn the Marine Council. Many Protestant enterprises such as La Rochelle, de Montauban and de Roven had set up their commerce there. In 1757, Bishop de Pontbriand, again complained of the great number of "protestants" established in Quebec, and this in spite of explicit decrees and in spite of the insistent opposition of the clergy. In 1759, New France was taken by the English. A British soldier wrote in his diary that a number of French Protestants were at a Protestant worship service with the English soldiers (Captain Knox's Diary). Henceforth the new government permitted religious liberty. After the French revolution in 1789 and Napoleon Bonaparte's seizure of power in France. The identity and worship services of the Reformed faith were officially recognised in 1804. But it was not until 1835 and the arrival at Montréal of two Swiss missionaries, Louis Roussy and Mrs. Henriette Feller from the Swiss Missionary Society, that Reformed faith began to be organised. The Therrien stated the Society's objectives:

"When the Lausanne mission's committee resolved to send its first workers to the Canadian Indian tribes, a decisive motivation was the hope that they could also proclaim the gospel to Roman Catholic Canadians who were all French-speaking... This is what decided some of our compatriots to dedicate themselves exclusively to this people."

10. Through their initiative the first parish was set up in 1837. In 1839 with the help of the missionaries and English Protestants the Franco-Canadian Missionary Society was established "to teach (French Canadians) the great doctrines of the Reformed faith:

"the complete fallen nature of man (total depravity) the supreme divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ the sacrificial nature of Jesus Christ's death the divinity, person and saving work of the Holy Spirit justification through faith in Jesus Christ alone the necessity to live a holy life through the working of the Holy Spirit in us the eternal Glory of God's people the eternal condemnation of God's enemies."

11. Well before the beginning of the modern ecumenical trend, this Society was already ecumenical. Presbyterians, Baptists, Anglicans and Congregationalists together founded this Society to spread the Gospel of Christ in French to all the inhabitants of Canada.

12. With the termination in 1921 of the Society's work, the Presbyterian Church in Canada inherited most of the established parishes. It is interesting to note that the Franco-Canadian Missionary Society aimed at the establishment of a French-speaking indigenous church, not segments of French-speaking assemblies in a predominantly English denomination. In 1860, and again in 1874, the Society reiterated this goal:

"the deepest desire of this Society is to see itself transformed into a French-speaking church... freed from difficulties, divisions so visible in the British Churches, but following all that is biblical in doctrine and in practice. Such an ecclesiastical organism is most suitable and appropriate for the French Canadian people."

13. In 1875 The Presbyterian Church in Canada established a committee for French Canadian evangelization "to continue with the multidenominational work of the French Canadian Missionary Society." A bilingual secretary was appointed and the committee adopted the following objectives and programme:

1. to do door-to-door work

2. to provide basic training for all, including boarding schools for those coming from afar

3. to offer aid to all groups, large and small, in need of a pastor

4. to offer financial aid and Bible study to parishes

5. to establish a place for a French-speaking theology professor at the Presbyterian College.

14. The results of the committee's work were considerable. Twenty-five schools and as many parishes were established. "Our objective is to offer the Bible to all in view of their receiving Jesus Christ as their only Saviour." More than six thousand students were trained at the French Institute in Pointe-aux-Trembles, not to speak of the other schools . Their contribution and influence on the provincial educational system were felt as much by Roman Catholics as by Protestants.

15. From l881 on, the Presbyterian Church's missionary resources were directed more and more toward development in the Canadian West. Each year immigrants arrived in successive droves and the Church's mission tried to keep up with this increase in population. The West succeeded in attracting the attention of the hearts and purses of Presbyterian Church members. Of course, the result was that from 1912 on, the Quebec mission weakened. This reorientation of the mission together with a lessening interest in evangelization due to a new liberal theology, resulted in a decline of the French-speaking work. In 1922, three years prior to its uniting with other denominations to become the United Church, only nine parishes still belonged to the Presbyterian Church, a considerable decline over a short period. This decline was to continue during the following fifty years. In 1975, St. Luc's in Montréal, St. Marc's in Ste-Foy and St.Paul's in Melbourne were the only remaining parishes of the French work. André Poulain, pastor of St.Luc, had launched the journal "La Vie Chrétienne", the only Presbyterian publication in French, while the United Church, having a few more parishes than the Presbyterians, published "L'Aurore".

16. In spite of the limited size of the work, a new beginning was being prepared. After having served at St.Marc's in Sainte-Foy, Ross Davidson became pastor of St.Paul's Church in Melbourne. David Craig became pastor at St.Marc's in January 1976 after his return from studies in Switzerland. His considerable contribution to the development of a church for Quebecers increased the growth of his own parish and that of the work of the region.

17. In 1978, the Rev. Harold Kallemeyn of the Christian Reformed Church did an in-depth analysis of French Reformed work in the province. The results, which were enthusiastically received both by his church and by the other Reformed workers in the province, were largely responsible for the considerable contribution of the Christian Reformed Church to the common work in Quebec. Convinced that there was much work needed in Quebec, the CRC nevertheless refused to give to that work its own denominationers name. Their vision was that of our spiritual forebearers: a single French Reformed church. In this framework, Harold Kallemeyn began a new parish on the south shore of Montréal.

18. The Presbyterian Church in America was also interested in the mission in Québec. Their own analysis of the situation convinced their representatives of the importance of working in Quebec. Representatives of their missionary agency, Mission to North America, accepted the principle of forming a single French-speaking Reformed church, and they became active participants in this work as had the CRC.

19. The Evangelical Reformed Alliance (Alliance réformée Évangélique or A.R.E.) was founded in 1978 at Montmorency in the region of Québec, on the basis of the Montmorency Manifesto. In order to promote Reformed work in Québec, the members of A.R.E. formulated three objectives :

(a) to help in the establishment of Farel Institute, a theological faculty, so that students could complete theological education;

(b) to launch a magazine of biblical and theological reflection, to be called Parole;

(c) to revise and publish French Reformed works such as "l'Institution chrétienne" by John Calvin.

A.R.E. called on the Rev. Martin Geleynse to work on the formation of Farel Institute. His parish, the Christian Reformed Church of Montreal, graciously liberated him to permit him to become the head of Farel Institute. Daniel Racine was named editor-in-chief of Parole, and Harold Kallemeyn was put in charge of publications for Farel.

20. It is in the image of the proverb which says "God does not scorn small beginnings" that Farel Institute announced its beginnings. For some time a need for such an organism had been felt in Québec. After several negative experiences in which French-speaking Québecois tried to study in the established anglophone theological institutions the pastor of St.Marc's Church in Sainte-Foy agreed to offer courses in history and in dogmatics. It was truly a "small beginning", with only two students in the first course. But the enthusiasm of the students communicated itself to others and so other courses could be offered. Thus it happened that John Miller began to teach biblical languages. And it was he who suggested that the new-born theological faculty be named "Institut Farel". An extension course was offered to a Christian community in Montmorency, and the demand for teaching grew. Daniel Racine, who was the French secretary of the Canadian Bible Society and one of the founding members of the South Shore Church in Montreal, was invited to teach at Farel. The arrival of Martin Geleynse as co-ordinator and dean of the Institute permitted the faculty to develop a structure and to make itself known more widely. It was then a question of administering the offices and the personnel, of establishing a teaching programme, and of promoting the faculty in other institutions. When Martin Geleynse left in 1986, Jean-Guy deBlois became the new co-ordinator, and thus part of the administrative council, which also includes Jean Zoellner, Ross Davidson and David Craig. After a period of questioning and reorientation, Farel returned to more modest dimensions, even as it offered a new program of studies leading to a Bachelor's degree in theology.

21. A short time after the formation of Farel, a group of young professionals from St-Georges de Beauce, who had participated in the Navigators' movement during their university years, requested a course on the history of the Church. And in 1980, Guy Dubé, who had obtained his diploma at the Faculty of Theology at Aix-en-Provence, prepared the foundations of a new parish at St-Georges, later becoming the first person called there.

22. As the church grew it became evident that a more formal structure than A.R.E. was needed. Thus on January 5, 1984, upon the request of the elders of the Reformed Church of St-Georges de Beauce and in the presence of representatives of the Christian Assembly of Sainte Croix de Lotbinière, St.Marc's Reformed Church, the Christian Community of the South Shore of Montréal, a resolution was passed : "Be it resolved that the Conseil des Églises Réformées du Québec (C.E.R.Q) be established and that it include representatives of the Churches and Christian communities who are co-operating in the Reformed mission in Quebec, based on the Montmorency Manifesto". The objectives of C.E.R.Q. were:

(a) to establish and maintain an official liaison with the mother churches, i.e. the Christian Reformed Church, the Presbyterian Church in America and the Presbyterian Church in Canada;

(b) to co-ordinate strategy and activities of the Reformed mission in Quebec;

(c) to assemble the parishes, which result from the Reformed mission, into a visible Church.

23. Another important step in our work took place on the 10th and 11th of February, 1984. During a meeting to which representatives of the three mother Churches had been invited, Luc Thibodeau presented the following propositions formulated by the new Conseil des Eglises réformées du Québec :

(a) that the mother Churches recognise the C.E.R.Q. as spokesman for the Reformed Churches in Quebec;

(b) that the mother Churches accept the creation of a French-speaking evangelical Reformed Church;

(c) that the mother Churches recognise that the mission of C.E.R.Q. is a co-operative mission involving the Presbyterian Church in Canada, the Presbyterian Church in America and the Christian Reformed Church.

During this meeting emphasis was placed on the common base unifying francophone workers from these three denominations ; the historic lines between Reformed Churches and the ecumenical history of francophone work from the beginning and especially in the previous five years. Need for francophone work became more and more apparent and reflected in a sense the objectives and sentiments of the old Société missionnaire franco-canadienne of 1860, "that such a church organism seems the most appropriate to the French Canadian people".

24. The Christian Reformed Church and the Presbyterian Church in America welcomed these propositions with enthusiasm and their representatives signed an agreement in principle with C.E.R.Q. The Presbyterian Church in Canada, on the other hand, expressed more hesitation. Though they understood the desires and intentions of C.E.R.Q. and were individually in favour of the formation of this Church, Ralph Kendall and Sam Priestly refused to sign because of their different convictions and because of the doctrinal pluralism of their own Church.

25. Since that time, numerous pastoral and missionary activities have continued. The establishment of new parishes and the contributions of new people came to enrich the work. Guy Dubé had left St. Georges de Beauce to continue his theological studies at Calvin Seminary at Grand Rapids. In 1983, Jean Zoellner, who had obtained his Master's degree (M.Th.) from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, was named pastor at St.Georges after his ordination by the presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America. On his return in the summer of 1984, after being ordained by the Christian Reformed Church, Guy Dubé assumed responsibility for the parish at Sainte Croix de Lotbinière. When François Cordey who had studied at Institut biblique Emmas in Switzerland and at Farel Institute, took over pastoral responsibility for St.Marc's, Church in Sainte-Foy, a new parish could be born in Trois.Rivières, presided over by David Craig. In addition, francophone work has developed in Ottawa since 1985, through Yannick Baudequin and with the collaboration of the Christian Reformed Church in Ottawa and of C.E.R.Q. In July 1986, while still studying at Farel, Mario Veilleux replaced Guy Dubé at Sainte-Croix de Lotbinière. For the first time, in October of that same year, the pastors and elders associated with C.E.R.Q. participated in the ordination of an elder: Mario Veilleux, at the Church of Lotbinière. In the meantime, Guy Dubé formed a parish in Montreal. In the autumn of 1987, Jeff Marlowe, who had studied first at Farel and then at the Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi and at the Faculty of Aix-en-Provence, took the place of Harold Kallemeyn by accepting the call to the Church in St-Lambert on the South Shore of Montreal. At the same time, a group of people from this church called another graduate of Aix-en-Provence, Francis Foucachon, to found a church at Repentigny. Another elder, Georges Boisvert, was ordained in September at Sainte-Croix de Lotbinière. Two months later the same church, on September 29, 1987, the first pastor was ordained: Mario Veilleux. In the Quebec City area, effort was also made to permit the establishment of a parish on the south shore of the St-Lawrence in September 1988, the project involving several families from St. Marc's and another graduate of Farel, Jean-Guy deBlois. Recently other development projects are being studied in the area of Lac St-Jean, and the Beauce.

26. Since the establishment of the Conseil des Églises Réformées du Québec in 1984, structuring and development of the work has continued, but there remained numerous tasks to be accomplished before the official establishment of the Église Réformée du Québec (E.R.Q.). The work was distributed among different committees in C.E.R.Q. Elaboration of governing principles and ecclesiastic structure was entrusted to the Committee on church organisation, whose mandate was to write a document on Church order and ecclesiastic discipline. On July 8, 1985, representatives of the different parishes put this document into effect and thus became associate-members of C.E.R.Q. L' Église Réformée du Québec was henceforth established in principle. The Committee on the Confession of faith, whose mandate was to provide the new Church with an adequate confessional base, adopted the Heidelberg Catechism on November 6, 1987 and the Westminster Confession on August 19, 1988. The Committee on vision and mission strategy continued with the co-ordination of mission development. Finally, the Committees on the education of leaders and on the translation of educational material provided and additional contribution in the education sector.

27. All was in place for the next step, the official inauguration of the Église Réformée du Québec, which was held the Sunday commemorating the Reformation, November 6, 1988 at the Château Frontenac in Québec.

28. As God said to his people through His prophet Ezekiel : "I have promised you faithfulness and I have concluded a convenant with you. In this way you became my people. I (the Lord) have said it".

3. What are our beliefs? - Our faith

1. Historically, Reformed Christians have attributed primary importance to the content of their faith. "In What or in Whom do we believe?" In the same way, the Reformed Church of Quebec stresses spiritual education for children as well as for adults.

2. Above all, we believe in The Bible as the tool God uses to guide His Church and to reveal the truth to us. Through it we learn who we are, how to live in happiness, what we must believe and above all, who God is and what He does in order that we may live in happiness. Thus we hold firmly to the Bible, desiring to make it known to all. This is also the reason why studying and reading the Bible is so important in each home. We believe that God expresses Himself clearly in His Word so that anyone is able to read and understand its message with the help of the Holy Spirit.

3. We believe that God is The Creator of the world and that He sustains and governs all creation. He takes an interest in all humans in all situations, and every area of our existence belongs to Him. All aspects of life, public and private, contain a religious dimension. We are responsible before our Creator for the administration of all possessions he has bestowed upon us, for it is He who gave us life, and our place in society. He created human beings good, gifted with intelligence, and moral discernment. He desires above all that we live in harmony with Him. We were created to know God, to love Him, to serve Him and to live in perfect righteousness. He confided responsibilities to us in the areas of work, family and society. We believe especially that the family was given to humanity by God for its happiness. Hence the family has a special place of importance for us.

4. But we also believe that man created good by God fell into a state of miserable sin out of which he is incapable of extracting himself. By our rejection of God and of His commandments, we seriously trespass against Him and we all deserve His most severe judgement. We have upset all harmony with Him and have fled before the responsibilities He gave us. Thus we deprive ourselves of lasting happiness. By our own strength, we are not capable of solving the problems of society so generated, problems such as crime, injustice, ecological disasters, moral, psychological and physical suffering and death. We need help.

5. We believe that Jesus Christ, God's Son, was miraculously born of the Virgin Mary, that He suffered on the cross, that He died and rose in the flesh to free us from our misery. Through all eternity, God had planned to send us His Son, and this project has been accomplished. Jesus Christ perfectly obeyed His Father's will: nevertheless, He took upon Himself God's just punishment for our sins. He won a brilliant and decisive victory over sin and death as well as over the devil and his evil deeds. God's goal in doing this was to restore creation and to reconcile us to Himself, to give life its real meaning and to provide happiness and eternal life for those who put their faith in Him. This new life is His free gift to us. All this demonstrates His Greatness and His Glory, His undeserved love and His irreproachable justice.

6. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, who was fully given to Christ's Church on the day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit gathers together people of all nations to unite them in Christ's body. Jesus is with us through His Spirit who comforts us and defends us. He speaks to us and leads us in truth through the Bible, the Word of God. We submit ourselves to God's Spirit who leads and renews His Church and enables us to live as real sons and daughters of God. The Spirit inspires the Church's mission. He uses the young and old , men and women to proclaim the Good news of God's Grace. He grants rich and varied gifts to each believer to use in praise of God and in service to his/her neighbours. We rejoice with gratitude for these gifts granted to others and we see ourselves as gifts offered to the congregation which rejoices in the creative works of the Spirit.

7. We believe that people must be profoundly changed and that only the Holy Spirit can operate such regeneration. This radical change is neither the product of a progressive development nor is it simply an improvement of one's habits, but it is an instant act, a deep renewal that God performs through His Spirit. This regeneration is visible in the new life it produces as we turn to God for conversion and faith in Jesus Christ. Faith is an act by which one accepts the truth of the gospel, trusts in its promises, believes in Jesus Christ as one's sole Saviour and Lord of one's life. This act is accompanied by repentance: regretting past errors and faults. Faith looks to God for forgiveness of sins and new life. Without faith and real conversion, no one can share in God's kingdom or expect to receive His salvation. God, having renewed the sinner's life, enables him to live in obedience and commitment. All Christians must thus demonstrate their faith through concrete action, inspired by love for God and for our neighbours. Although sanctification is a process and perfection isn't possible before crossing into eternal Glory, every believer must strive for it.

8. We believe that the Church was instituted by Jesus and that God planned and initiated it from the beginning of the world. The Church has visible and invisible aspects. All real Christians belong to the invisible Church. Jesus Christ alone is its supreme Head. In truth, the Church exists since humanity's origins; it is composed of all believers down through the ages, and it will continue to exist until the end of time. The Church is visible in the communion of those who confess the true faith along with their children. It is every Christian's duty to join the visible Church, to support those churches where the Word of God is faithfully proclaimed, the Sacraments correctly administrated and spiritual discipline exercised. The Reformed Church of Quebec with other Churches of the Reformation, believes that Jesus instituted two sacraments: Baptism and Communion. These sacraments accompany the proclamation of the Word and are witnesses to the promises of the New Covenant, particularly to the promise of forgiveness and eternal life to all those who believe in Jesus Christ.

9. We believe that God has fixed a goal for our world and that He is leading history toward this goal: Jesus will return to earth triumphing once and for all over evil. He will put a stop to the injustice that overwhelms us and establish lasting peace and harmony in a new creation. To accomplish this he will resurrect and judge each person, because he holds us responsible for our actions. Sadly, we must concede that He will eternally punish all those who will have rejected Him. However, He will freely give eternal life and happiness to His own who will have trusted in Him that they might rejoice and praise His Honour in His presence.

10. For a more detailed presentation of the beliefs and teachings of the Reformed Church of Quebec, official text, recognised by other Christian churches throughout the world are mentioned here as references. Of course, as do other Christians, we accept the great ecumenical creeds such as: the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, (Constantinople 325, 381), and the Athanasian Creed (5th or 6th century). We also draw on texts which come to us from the Church's Reformation or on more recent texts such as the La Rochelle Confession of Faith (France, 1559), the Heidelberg Catechism* (Germany, the Netherlands, Hungary, Switzerland... 1563) the Synod Canon of Dordrecht (the Netherlands, Great Britain, Germany, Switzerland 1618-1619) the Westminster Confession of faith* (England, Scotland 1643-1649) and "Our World Belongs to God" (the Contemporary Testimony) (1983). However, only those texts marked by an asterisk (*) have been officially adopted as basic doctrine for the Reformed Church of Quebec, and receive official support from its elders, pastors, evangelists and deacons.

4. How are we organised? - Our structure

1. Jesus certainly doesn't desire that the Church be lacking in organisation and direction. Although we do not find a detailed reference to this subject in the Bible, we can nevertheless extract a broad outline from it.

a) Jesus Christ alone is the Head of the Church and no one else has the right to take this position. The Bible is the only infallible and decisive rule for the life of the Church. Through it, Jesus speaks to His people. Other rules established by Church tradition may be useful and even important, but must always be evaluated and, if necessary, reformed in the light of the Bible's revelation.

b) The Church of Jesus Christ is made up of all those who with their children are called by Him and who answer this call with a living faith.

c) Jesus Christ groups His own together on a local and regional level, and He directs His Church on these levels through the elders. The council of elders has the right to pass judgement in the name of Jesus Christ.

d) The Church also recognises the ministry of deacons.

2. Out of these few biblical principles, the Reformed Church of Quebec has drawn rules for functioning, also called "an ecclesiastical order and discipline" - permitting its members and leaders to commit themselves together faithfully to the vocation to which God has called them. These rules are subject to change if the situation within the Reformed Church of Quebec so requires, providing that such a change be in accordance with the Bible. The rules contain sections on the following subjects: the Church, official duties of elders and of deacons, the special ministries of the pastors and evangelists local and regional councils as well as members and spiritual discipline.

3. The Church is composed of all the faithful, the living and the dead and has Jesus Christ as its real and living Head. In space and time this Church takes on a visible form: where the Word of God is faithfully proclaimed and heeded, where the Lord's sacraments are legitimately administered and received and where biblical discipline is maintained and respected. The Church trusts itself to the Holy Spirit who gives it life and enables it to fulfil its vocation in granting necessary gifts and talents to forward its mission. The Reformed Church of Quebec is a part of this visible Church, composed of French-speaking Christian communities situated in North America, mainly in Quebec.

4. In the Reformed Church of Quebec we recognise two official functions of elders and deacons. Elders are called and ordained to guide the local Church according to Scripture. They form the local council, which is composed of at least three elders including the pastor. The council of elders exercises the ministries of preaching, administering the Sacraments in worship services, Christian education and the administration of the Church's business. The elders provide pastoral aid for church members. They work towards harmony in relationships between members and encourage the latter to involvement in church growth. At least once a year the local council calls a general meeting of members to oversee church business together. The elders also officially represent the Church. They are chosen and ordained by the local church with the approval of the regional council.

5. The deacons are called and ordained for service to the local church and to the outside world in the name of the Lord according to Scripture. Through their ministry, Christ's love is demonstrated and made visible particularly to the needy and to those suffering materially, physically, emotionally and spiritually. The deacons serve the church by their commitment and by their example. A deacon is a model stimulating members to commit themselves faithfully to their particular service. The deacons are chosen and ordained by the local church.

6. Within the Church one also finds special ministries in which certain people are dedicated entirely to studying and teaching God's Word, and prayer: the historic and non-renewable ministries of apostle and prophet and the present day ministries of evangelist and pastor. The evangelist is an elder of the local church, called to this task by that same church. The principal duty of the evangelist is to form and to organise new local churches. Consequently, he must be able to evangelise, to bring people to Jesus Christ, to preach and teach the Word, to preside over worships services, to administer the sacraments, to provide basic training for children and adults, to exercise discipline and to manage the affairs of the new Church. The Pastor is also an elder of the local Church. His duty consists mainly in the edification of the already established local Church, providing the preaching and teaching of the Word, the administration of the Sacraments and pastoral aid. The supervision and remuneration of the evangelist as of the pastor are the responsibility of the local council that calls them. The Regional council is responsible for their spiritual, personal and professional training.

7. The Regional Council of Synod is a regional assembly of elders delegated by the local churches. Each local council delegates its pastor plus one elder to this council. The regional council meets periodically to oversee the Reformed Church of Quebec's business matters and questions brought forward by the local councils. Subjects discussed and decisions made especially concern doctrine, mission, worship services, and the organisation of the Church. The regional council is also responsible for the training of pastors, evangelists and elders, and it supervises their ordination.

8. It should also be emphasised that the Reformed Church of Quebec benefits from the services of missionaries from the Christian Reformed Church of North America, The Presbyterian Church in Canada and the Presbyterian Church of America who exercise their ministries in the Reformed Church of Quebec as evangelists and pastors. These missionaries have collaborated in the establishment of the Reformed Church of Quebec of which they are also co-founders.

9. The Reformed Church of Quebec is composed of members which freely join the local church in their vicinity. Communicant members are believers in Jesus Christ, having been baptised, having made a public profession of their faith before the elders and before the Church congregation and who are then fully accepted into the communion of the Church. Communicant members' children are likewise baptised because they participate in God's covenant. They are considered to be non-communicant members of the Church. To prepare them to enter fully into communion with the Church through their own profession of Christian faith, they are educated in that faith.

10. The communicant members benefit from the privileges and participate in the responsibilities of this covenant with God. They contribute to the well-being of the Church in giving voluntarily of their time, money and abilities. They attend the worship services and meetings of the congregation. They receive the support and encouragement of this spiritual family of which they are a part. The members of the church have been baptised to form one Body through God's Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit teaches the members of the Body and leads them to love one another, to help each other and to carry one another's burdens, thus obeying Christ's law. Unity and harmony in God's family are sought as ways to honour God. These members also are witnesses to God's Grace, and they live with their children in love and respect for the Lord. In society, they seek honesty and peace with all; they seek to be useful to others. They study God's Word, pray one for the other and for society as a whole, and participate in the Church's mission that others may be won to Christ and that God's kingdom be propagated.

5. What do we do and what do we offer? - our commitment and our service

1. The Reformed Church of Quebec, participating in the Great Commission of the universal Church, has received a specific mission and vocation from God. We seek to answer this call through our commitment and Christian service in the Church and in society. The preceding discussions of our history, faith and organisation indicate a number of aspects of this commitment and Christian service. Suffice to recall the main areas in which the life of the church and its services are demonstrated: through the worship service, education, mutual and pastoral aid, evangelization and service to society.

2. Let us first consider the worship service. God invites His children as well as all creation and all humanity, whatever their condition, to come to meet with Him in a special way: to worship Him. For this reason, we meet together regularly, normally on Sundays, to answer God's call. We come as a family to adore and praise Him and to sing about the wonderful things He has done, to pray to Him, asking forgiveness, presenting needs to Him and asking for help, to listen attentively to Him and to participate in the sacraments. We hope in this way to provide an opportunity to people of all ages to express their gratitude and affection to God, to celebrate together His works and blessings and to receive His direction for their lives.

3. Concerning education, we are taught by the Bible, God's Word, to come to know the Lord. We hope to enable each individual in this way to live responsibly, to develop habits that please God and conform to His will, in being committed at each moment and on all levels: individually, as a family and socially. In this perspective we offer a structured religious training program for children from 4-15 years of age, preparation for baptism, profession of faith and marriage. We hold meetings where we meditate on, discuss and study the Scripture themes. We also benefit from the presence of Farel Institute, the Reformed faculty of Theology in Quebec, that offers a training programme as much for future pastors as for elders, deacons and all who desire to serve in the Church or to simply know more about the Bible.

4. Concerning mutual and pastoral aid, we are a community united with Christ in which together we can experience God's forgiveness and healing. Thus we desire to become responsible to each other through visiting and helping each other, encouraging one another and sharing our joys and sorrows. We also hope to help each newcomer find his/her place in the Church, the Body of Christ, and to enable all to exercise the gifts that the Lord has given them. Developing a sense of family and of authentic love is our first priority. We offer and encourage an atmosphere of receiving, helping and sharing as a sign of gratitude for all that God has done for each of us. To those who are going through a critical period and to those in material need, we also offer, according to our means, assistance in the person of a marital, personal and spiritual counsellor.

5. Finally, let us consider evangelization and service to society. As partners in God's redemptive plan for His creation, we proclaim the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ, and we witness to His love in word and in action, wherever God has placed us. We want to use our means and resources to demonstrate to those around us our testimony as a community. We also want to help each person in the Church be a witness to their faith. According to the resources God has made available to us, we seek to help those in need.

6. What are our plans? - Our future

1. The main concern of the Reformed Church of Quebec is to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world of today, and to emphasise the richness of the Reformed faith. From our point of view, the Reformed Church's integrated vision of the world and life, rooted in Biblical revelation, best answers present-day society's searching and humanity's deepest needs. We seek to honour God's Glory, His Greatness, His Love and His Justice shown in all His Works and in a special way through Jesus Christ.

2. We desire to participate as God's associates in His great plan, which concerns as much the communication of the Gospel to contemporary society as the development of Jesus Christ's Church, God's people. We want to demonstrate in this way how Christian faith relates to today's living and questions. Problems and risks related to marriage, family education, work and health, are examples of our present concerns. We also aim to increase the number of members and their maturity. Each of our local churches is called to be autonomous financially and administratively and to shoulder the responsibility of their own growth, so that each parish must not only meet its own financial needs, but contribute in turn to the mission and to the starting of new churches. We anticipate an increase in the number of local churches, established especially in major urban areas of Quebec. Other French- speaking communities outside Quebec or elsewhere than in these urban centres will be served as well, as is the case presently.

3. One way in which our local churches will be solidified is through an improvement of services already offered in the areas of the worship services, education, mutual and pastoral aid as well as evangelization and services to society. In this way we will be able to develop, for example, a new hymn book, a more complete training programme for all ages, a training programme in counselling, a missionary strategy adapted to the urban milieu or to immediate needs, etc. Discovery, development and exercise of all members' talents will be encouraged and even required, since this mission belongs to the entire body in action.

4. Other more special projects, will either continue, or commence in the future, such as: advanced training, which is already offered in collaboration with Farel Institute for our future pastors, evangelists, elders and deacons and which will be improved on in the next few years. We plan to compose a new Confession of faith, conforming to the Confession of the Reformation but being more typical of Quebec. We have the possibility of developing specific services for universities, professionals or for other groups according to their age, occupation or situation. We would like to initiate, maintain or develop harmonious relationships with other ethnic communities that are settling into our areas. And the list continues...

5. The Reformed Church of Quebec is supported mainly by the providence of God, the One who created and maintains it. It is led by Jesus Christ its Head and Shepherd, and it is guided by the light of the Holy Spirit, its Comforter, who will Himself accomplish His redemptive plan, and will enable us to participate in this plan, while expectantly awaiting the final establishment of God's kingdom. As partners in His covenant we are, together with all Christ's Church, "God's minister", so to speak, on earth.

We seek to contribute substantially to the task He has entrusted to us.

7. For more information

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