CALVIN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

CRCPedia Article:

Is the CRC an Evangelical Church

Jason Wisselink

5584O: Christian Reformed Church History

Dr. Gayle Doornbos

4/24/26

Introduction:

At times in the history of the Christian Reformed Church, the church and its people have wrestled with whether the CRC is an evangelical church. To answer this question first, the term evangelical must be defined. Is evangelical defined by as a movement shaped by a set of beliefs, a collection of interdenominational churches, or rather a political movement within the church? Evangelical if described as movement is made up of a wide swath of Christian denominations, including Baptists, Pentecostals, Methodists, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, and non-denominational Christians. In a sense the movement is so broad and loose in core theological distinctions that it could include any church or denomination that agrees or even simply identifies as Christian. Clarity is kindness in definitions and clarity is needed in defining Evangelicalism. Within the CRC, there is debate on whether the term evangelical fits the unique mission and vision of the institution.

Historical Background of Evangelicals:

The word evangelical traces its roots to Germany in the 1500s and was used in two ways. First, it can refer to the salvific work of Jesus Christ on the cross. And secondly, it could refer to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The inception of Evangelicalism can be traced back to the 1800s in Great Britain to British Protestantism and a heartfelt pietism focused on a direct relational connection with God for the believer. At this time, the word took on a further meaning in reference to being missional and conversion. To be evangelical is to be engaged with the act of evangelizing. Then to evangelize is to convert someone’s religious beliefs or to spread a religion. However, starting in the 1900s, evangelical became connected with a movement of conservative Christians distancing themselves from fundamentalism. Mark Noll defines “Evangelicalism was never static nor simply given. Right from the start, the energy that brought the movement into existence pushed on to further innovations, expanded the depth and breadth of its reach, suffered from countless missteps, divided into hotly competing fragments, and entered into ever-new connections with the broader society. Always at the center was engagement with the gospel.” The definition and category of evangelical have been hotly contested since its inception, and countless people have tried to concretely define exactly who or what is evangelical.

Definition of Evangelical:

Evangelical, as a term, is a word derived from the Greek term euangelion (εὐαγγέλιον), and the meaning behind the word euangelion can include the gospel, “the proclamation of the grace of God manifest and pledged in Christ,” or simply the gospel.

Evangelical Defined by Bebbington’s Quadrilateral:

David Bebbington (1949) is a British historian and professor at the University of Stirling, Scotland, best known for articulating a definition of who or what is evangelical. Bebbington, in his definition, proposes four characteristics that characterize an evangelical. First, for an individual to be a follower of Christ, he or she must go through or have a “born again” experience. Bebbington references this born-again experience as conversionism. Second, the term Biblicism, which is defined as a high view of the Bible and that the scripture is the final authority in life. The third characteristic is activism, as defined as the enactment of the gospel in missions and culture through social reform efforts. The final characteristic of being an evangelicalism is Crucicentrism, a technical term that stresses that the redemption of humanity is made possible by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. These four characteristics from Bebbington give definition to who can be considered an evangelical and who is not.

Conversionism:

The first point of Bebbington’s quadrilateral is Conversionism, which stresses that for one to be a genuine Christian, there must be a “born again” experience. Conversion is defined as the turning away from sin in repentance and turning to Christ. One of the primary ways of conversion is the preaching of the word. Assurance of salvation is also deeply connected with conversion, argues Bebbington. A Christian cannot only believe they are a Christian but joyfully know that he or she is a Christian. However, the confessional mind of the CRC may object to this view, as it can present conversions as man-initiated, which contradicts the Reformed understanding of total depravity, to which a person cannot begin conversion on their own.

Biblicism:

The second marker of an evangelical is their high view of scripture and devotion to it. This is referred to as “biblicism” by Bebbington. To be evangelical is to be beholden to the principle that the Bible is inspired by God. The truth, for which humanity is looking, is found within the pages of the Bible. Evangelicals may be united on inspiration, but on the matter of infallibility and inerrancy of scripture, there is a wide divergence of views.

The confessional mind of CRC would be in agreement with the evangelical view of scripture as being authoritative, as articulated by the fifth article from the Belgic Confession: “We receive all these books and these only as holy and canonical for the regulating, founding, and establishing of our faith.” However, with the lack of a clear definition of what exactly biblicism entails. Does biblicism entail and stress reading scripture in isolation and separated from the historical church, creeds, and confessions? Bebbington has little to nothing to say on the historical creeds of the church. The three forms of unity (The Belgic Confession of Faith, the Canons of Dort, and the Heidelberg Catechism) are a core part of the CRC and shape her as an institution.

Activism:

Evangelicals can often be associated both positively and negatively with their activism, which is the third marker of the quadrilateral. Jonathan Edwards remarks that after a Christians’ conversion, they have a strong desire to see others converted to Christianity. Bebbington gives the example that in the 1700s, both congregants and the clergy were marked by an irresistible desire to serve the church in various ways, from visiting the sick to attending prayer and worship meetings throughout the entire day on Sunday. Often, the clergy would end up preaching five to six times a week. The National Association of Evangelicals defines activism as “the expression and demonstration of the gospel in missionary and social reform efforts.” Evangelical activism bears a similar resemblance to the Kuyperian mind of the CRC and the framing of Christians’ call to be missional in all spheres of life and to reach the nations with the gospel.

Crucicentrism:

The last of the four characteristics of Evangelicalism, defined by Bebbington, focuses on the doctrine of the cross. Crucicentrism centers around the cross, the work of Christ on the cross through his atonement, and the reconciliation to God achieved by Christ. The Evangelical movement placed a strong emphasis on the cross of Christ and is the epicenter of theological beliefs. This atonement is the substitutionary atonement, which has at times in history been a distinguishing marker between evangelicals and other Christians. This view of the atonement caused tension between the different traditions or camps within the net of evangelicalism.

Evangelical Redefined: Critical Engagement with Bebbington’s Quadrilateral:

With the globalization of Protestantism, the definition of evangelical has become more difficult to define. Scholars, including Daniel Silliman, argue against Bebbington’s Quadrilateral, as it cannot help historians examine how events in evangelical history are framed and understood. This definition, also according to Silliman, fails to give a proper definition if Evangelicalism is a movement, a spiritual orientation, or something altogether entirely different. Focusing on the characteristics given, Molly Worthen notes there is disagreement on exactly what conversion is: is it the instantaneous conversion of a person, or is it a slower, incremental process of someone coming to faith? The term “born-again” also does not fit all evangelicals. This could include CRC pastors and parishioners who identify as evangelical; does not fit this mold with a reformed understanding of conversion as being initiated by God.

Other controversies with evangelicals are who can be considered an evangelical. Can a Unitarian minister be included and recognized as evangelical by other evangelicals? Can a person who denies the trinity a 4th-century heresy be evangelical? Some Unitarians believe they are evangelical and try to argue their point to say they are more evangelical than those who are evangelical. This has led to significant criticism of evangelicalism for the appearance of cherry-picking of who is in and who is out. On the flip side, if the definition of evangelical is so broad that it could include those who hold heretical beliefs, there is no longer unity in essence or definition.

Is the CRC an Evangelical Church?

Is the Christian Reformed Church evangelical? Based on the definition given by Bebbington, the answer could be yes, as many denominations and traditions, including the CRC, can easily fit the definition simply based on sharing the same four characteristics of evangelicalism as defined. Some pastors and professors have argued that CRC is evangelical, and others have argued against using this label. In official publications of the CRC, including the What it Means to be Reformed promotional pamphlet, has helped define Evangelicalism by highlighting that there is significant overlap in the Reformed tradition and evangelism: “many Reformed folks positively (and rightly) identify themselves as evangelical.” Rather, the question should be, is it helpful for the pastors and parishioners of the CRC to be described as evangelical? Evangelical is a broad term or movement; as such, it may be helpful for the CRC not to refer to itself as an evangelical church but a Reformed church covenanting together, bound together by our shared creeds and confessions, and rooted in the Reformed Tradition. CRC churches, congregants, and pastors are better identified as Reformed Christian or a Reformed Church over an evangelical person or church. The CRC should not seek to define itself primarily as an evangelical church but instead find its roots in her Reformed tradition, predating the entire evangelical movement in depth and richness. To God be the Glory.

Personal Reflection on Evangelicalism and the CRC:

Evangelism, early on, has been broad in its understanding of who is evangelical. The CRC has taken on a similar mentality; this is inherently not bad and can lead to both a greater richness of fellowship and a community of belonging. The CRC had been straying from the confessions and her reformed roots to simply either appeal to culture or appear relevant. This has been a major cause of concern that has the next generation of pastors and leaders concerned. But in the past 10 years, I have seen the CRC has begun to return to her roots as a Reformed church. There has been a strong confessional movement to refocus on expository preaching, teaching catechism, a biblical understanding of membership, and a heartfelt desire to reach the nations.

Bibliography:

Michener, Ronald T. “The Diversity and Complexity of Evangelical Theology.” Religions 16.4 (2025): 522. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16040522.

Noll, Mark A. The Rise of Evangelicalism: The Age of Edwards, Whitefield, and the Wesleys. A History of Evangelicalism; Volume 1. InterVarsity Press, 2003.

Silliman, Daniel. “An Evangelical Is Anyone Who Likes Billy Graham: Defining Evangelicalism with Carl Henry and Networks of Trust.” Church History 90.3 (2021): 621–43. https://doi.org/10.1017/S000964072100216X.

Van Dixhoorn, Chad. Creeds, Confessions, and Catechisms: A Reader’s Edition. 1st ed. Crossway, 2022.

“Are We Evangelicals? | The Banner,” 15 February 2021. https://www.thebanner.org/features/2021/02/are-we-evangelicals.

“Evangelical or Reformed? | Christian Library,” n.d. https://www.christianstudylibrary.org/article/evangelical-or-reformed.

“G2098 - Euangelion - Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV).” Blue Letter Bible, n.d. https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/gen/1/1/s_1001.

“What Is an Evangelical?” National Association of Evangelicals, n.d. https://www.nae.org/what-is-an-evangelical/.

“What_it_means_to_be_reformed.Pdf,” n.d. https://www.crcna.org/sites/default/files/what_it_means_to_be_reformed.pdf.

Footnotes

Mark A. Noll, The Rise of Evangelicalism: The Age of Edwards, Whitefield, and the Wesleys, A History of Evangelicalism; Volume 1 (InterVarsity Press, 2003), 293.

“G2098 - Euangelion - Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV),” Blue Letter Bible, n.d., https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/gen/1/1/s_1001.

Chad Van Dixhoorn, Creeds, Confessions, and Catechisms: A Reader’s Edition, 1st ed. (Crossway, 2022), 81.

“What Is an Evangelical?,” National Association of Evangelicals, n.d., https://www.nae.org/what-is-an-evangelical/.

“What_it_means_to_be_reformed.Pdf,” n.d., https://www.crcna.org/sites/default/files/what_it_means_to_be_reformed.pdf.