Calvin’s 500th birthday celebrated with merger

GENEVA — Celebrations around the 500th birthday of 16th century Protestant Reformer John Calvin include plans to merge two global Reformed church organizations into one worldwide communion.

The weeklong meeting of the executive committees of the

Geneva-based World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Reformed Ecumenical Council marks the first time the two groups have met in the city where Calvin promoted the Protestant Reformation. A group of 40 leaders from 37 churches will gather at Geneva’s John Knox Centre May 21–31 to lay the foundations of an organization that will unite 75 million Reformed church members around the world.

Discussions will focus on plans for the merger of the two organizations to form the World Communion of Reformed Churches. The merger is scheduled to take place at Grand Rapids, Mich., in June 2010.