About IRECT

IRECT was founded by a group of Indonesian immigrants in Canada in 2001. From its beginning, IRECT has been a place of worship for both Indonesians and non-Indonesians across the Greater Toronto area. This means that IRECT seeks to be a church that welcomes people from different backgrounds. We gladly welcome and receive anyone of different ethnicities, languages, and cultures as members of our church. For we long to reflect the vision of the Church in Revelation 7:9, where “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb,” worshipping Him in unity.

Reformed

The Reformed tradition stands within one of the important branches in the history of the universal Christian Church in general, and the Protestant churches in particular. We follow the teaching of John Calvin, a 16th-century reformer who labored to return Christianity to its biblical roots. IRECT holds to the confessional standards of the Three Forms of Unity, the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Larger Catechism, and the Shorter Catechism.

Evangelical

The term Evangelical comes from the Greek word euangelion, meaning “gospel” or “good news.” We admire and seek to follow the example of historic evangelical figures such as Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758) and George Whitefield (1715–1770), who led the Christians of their day to experience a spiritual revival, marked by repentance and holy living. It is this enthusiasm, fervor, and zeal for the Gospel of Jesus Christ that we pray and hope will continually burn in our hearts.

Mission

As God’s people, we are a missional church that gathers to worship the Triune God, to hear and study the Word of God, to live out the Word of God in loving fellowship, to bring renewal of vision and life, to proclaim the Word of God faithfully and fully, to develop new communities, and to seek shalom in every area of life.

Vision

“Behold, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:5).

We will see the words of Jesus Christ, Lord over all things, fulfilled — namely, the renewal of every aspect of life: the individual, the family, the Church, society, the city, and the whole of God’s creation.

Our Basis

The Bible

The foundation of Indonesian Reformed Evangelical Church in Toronto (IRECT) is the Bible, consisting of the 66 canonical books of the Old and New Testaments, as recognized in the Reformed confessions.

 

Confessional Standards

IRECT holds to the following Reformed confessions:

The Three Forms of Unity:

  • The Belgic Confession (1561)
  • The Heidelberg Catechism (1563)
  • The Canons of Dort (1619)

The Westminster Confession of Faith (1647)

The Larger Catechism (1647)

The Shorter Catechism (1647)

 

Ecumenical Creeds

IRECT holds to the following ecumenical creeds:

The Apostles’ Creed

The Athanasian Creed

The Nicene Creed

The Characteristics of IRECT

The Primacy of the Word of God in Worship

The Word of God is central in IRECT’s worship, both in the preaching and in the sacraments. Living in a society that is increasingly secular, consumeristic, and materialistic, we are called to proclaim and teach the Word of Truth faithfully and fully (2 Tim. 2:15).

Biblically Faithful Songs

For us, the Word of God is so important that even the verses of the songs and hymns we sing in worship must be in accordance with the Bible.

System of Church Government: Presbyterian

In other words, IRECT is shepherded and governed by elders. The primary tasks of elders is to shepherd the congregation (Acts 20:28), lead and govern the congregation (Titus 1:7), and guard the purity of the church’s doctrine (1 Tim. 5:17). According to their duties, there are ruling elders and teaching elders. Both ruling elders and teaching elders are ordained and lead the church as the Church Council (Consistory or Session). The teaching elder, or Pastor, is responsible for teaching, worship, and the administration of the sacraments. The ruling elders are responsible for discipline, growth, and the mission of the church. The elders hold council meetings to consider, discuss, and decide the overall direction and ministry of IRECT.

The Family as an Important Unit

We worship together as families and believe that the Church is the family of God. We are committed to caring for, nurturing, and strengthening Christian families so that they may grow in the grace of the Lord, bear fruit for Him, and become a blessing in the communities where they live.

Children are also important to us. Therefore, in the sacrament of baptism, we as Christian parents bring our children to the Lord. We believe that our children are an integral part of God’s covenant family. When, in the baptism of our children, we promise to raise them in the faith, we know that we are not alone. Other members of the church also promise before the Lord to help us teach our children in the Christian faith and support their growth as believers.

The Priesthood of All Believers

All Christians are servants of the Lord wherever the Lord has placed them. Whether we work in schools, factories, fields, or in the church; whether we are at work or at home, we use the gifts for ministry that the Lord has given us for the good of His Kingdom (1 Pet. 2:9).

A Strong Commitment to Christian Formation

IRECT’s programs are designed to help the congregation grow in a whole and mature way. We long for every member of the church to become a Christian who knows what they believe, understands the Bible, and lives according to its teachings.