Lithuanian Evangelical Reformed Church

The Lithuanian Evangelical Reformed Church (Latin: Unitas

Lithuaniae; Polish: Jednota Litewska; Lithuanian: Lietuvos
evangelikų reformatų bažnyčia) is a Calvinist denomination in
Lithuania which uses a presbyterian polity.

History
The church was founded on December 14, 1557, during the Synod
of Vilnius. The General synod met annually in Lithuania from that
date. Started with 2 later grew to six districts Synods. The church's Evangelical Reformed Church in
Lithuania's capital Vilnius
Latin name is the " Unitas Lithuaniae " shortly UL. It sent its
representatives to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. But the
UL was an independent denomination. The parish network covered
all parts of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The first superintendent was Szymon Zacjusz. In 1565, the anti-
trinitarian Lithuanian brotherhood separated from the Calvinist church.

In 1695, Samuelis Bitneris by the order of the Vilnius Synod began translating the New Testament into the
Lithuanian language and completed the majority of this task.[1][2] S. Bitneris was assisted by Jonas
Božimovskis, while the translation for Lithuania Minor was adapted by P. Z. Šusteris.[1] This translation
from the Greek language was prepared according to a Lithuanian dialect of Kėdainiai and in 1701 was
published in Königsberg with a title Naujas Testamentas Wieszpaties musu Jezaus Kristaus.[1]

Parishes were in Vilnius, Biržai, Švobiškis (Pasvays region); Nemunėlio Radviliškis (Biržai region);
Salamiestis (Kupiškis region) Kėdainiai, Slutsk, Dzyarzhynsk (Koydanava), Zabłudów and later in Izabelin
(Belarusian: Ізабэлін). Before World War II, the church had 10,000 believers; in 2012 it had approximately
7,000 in 14 congregations.[3] In 1922 the denomination become a member of the World Communion of
Reformed Churches.[4]

Theology
The church adheres to the Sandomierz Confession (Confessija Sandomierska) (1570), Second Helvetic
Confession (1562), Heidelberg Catechism (1563). These are in Lithuanian and Polish language. The
Sandomierz Confession was based on the Second Helvetic Confession and adopted by the Polish-
Lithuanian General Synod, and was approved later by the Evangelical Reformed Church of Lithuania. The
Great Gdansk Agenda (1637) is a liturgical book approved and adopted by the Unitas Lithuaniae.[5]

International organisations
The church is a member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches and has fraternal relationships
with the Reformed Church in Hungary, the Church of Lippe. Denominational member of the World
Reformed Fellowship.[6]

Churches
In Lithuania, churches can be found in Biržai, Vilnius, Papilys, Kaunas, Nemunėlio Radviliškis, Švobiškis,
Šiauliai, Panevėžys, Kėdainiai, Salamiestis, Kelmė.

See also
Religion in Lithuania

References
1. "Istorija" (https://sviesioji.lt/veiklos-sritys/biblioteka/istorija/). Kėdainių šviesioji gimnazija (in
Lithuanian). Retrieved 1 July 2023.
2. Lukšaitė, Ingė. "Samuelis Bitneris" (https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/samuelis-bitneris/).
Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 1 July 2023.
3. "Lietuvos evangelikų reformatų bažnyčia - Unitas Lithuaniae Sinodas - EVANGELICAL
REFORMED CHURCH OF LITHUANIA" (https://web.archive.org/web/20120907030841/htt
p://www.ref.lt/index.php/en/english/1-english). Archived from the original (http://www.ref.lt/ind
ex.php/en/english/1-english) on 2012-09-07. Retrieved 2013-02-08.
4. www.wcrc.ch/node/164 (http://www.wcrc.ch/node/164) Archived (https://web.archive.org/we
b/20120808192417/http://www.wcrc.ch/node/164) 2012-08-08 at the Wayback Machine
5. "Lietuvos evangelikų reformatų bažnyčia - Unitas Lithuaniae Sinodas - Confession" (https://
web.archive.org/web/20140202154445/http://www.ref.lt/index.php/en/confession). Archived
from the original (http://www.ref.lt/index.php/en/confession) on 2014-02-02. Retrieved
2013-04-10.
6. "The World Reformed Fellowship - Membership List" (https://web.archive.org/web/20120730
014055/http://www.wrfnet.org/web/guest/aboutwrf/membershiplist). Archived from the
original (http://www.wrfnet.org/web/guest/aboutwrf/membershiplist/) on 2012-07-30.
Retrieved 2013-02-15.

External links
Official website (http://ref.lt/)

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?

title=Lithuanian_Evangelical_Reformed_Church&oldid=1162890449"