This was rooted in part as a result of a theological dispute that originated in the Netherlands in which Hendrik De Cock was deposed for his Calvinist convictions, leading there to the Secession of 1834–35.

The reasons given for leaving the Reformed Church were the use of hymns (versus Exclusive psalmody) during worship, allowing free access to communion, lax interpretation of grace, permitting membership in Freemasonry, and failure to provide catechetical instruction to young people.

During the 1890s congregations from the True Protestant Dutch Reformed Church (located in New York and New Jersey) joined the CRC.

Three ministers, Herman Hoeksema, George Ophoff, and Henry Danhof were deposed for rejecting three points as being contrary to the Reformed confessions.

The dispute led to the three ministers and their followers leaving the CRC and forming what is now the Protestant Reformed Churches in America.

The 1995 decision to ordain women led to the formation of the United Reformed Churches in North America (URC), and the severing of fraternal relationships between the CRC and the OPC and PCA in 1997.

This gradual shift has spurred some of the more conservative congregations to leave; a significant number of these have ended up in the PCA, OPC, or URC.

The CRC joined the World Alliance of Reformed Churches in 2002[3] after many years of hesitation due to what was seen as the more liberal membership and agenda of that body.

Kuyper, who served as the Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 1901 to 1905, promoted a belief in social responsibility and called on Christians to engage actively in improving all aspects of life and society.

Current scholars with wider reputations, such as philosophers Alvin Plantinga and Nicholas Wolterstorff, as well as Lewis B. Smedes, have associations with this denomination and with Calvin University.

Philip Yancey has stated, "I also admire the tradition of the Christian Reformed Church, which advocates 'bringing every thought captive' under the mind of Christ; that tiny 'transforming' denomination has had an enormous influence on science, philosophy, and the arts.

[8] In 1986, the CRC formulated a statement of faith titled "Our World Belongs to God:[9] A Contemporary Testimony" which addresses issues such as secularism, individualism, and relativism.

[10] While not having confessional status, it is meant to give a hymn-like expression of CRC beliefs within the heritage of the Reformed confessions, especially addressing issues that confront the church today.

It does, however, recognize that Scripture acknowledges the right of modern states to institute and practice capital punishment if it is exercised with utmost restraint.

[21] The CRC educates its constituency and mobilizes member advocacy on a wide range of social justice issues in Canada and the United States.

[22] It does so primarily through its Office of Social Justice and Hunger Action[23] (OSJ) and the Centre for Public Dialogue[24] (CPD) in Canada.

Major issues on which the CRC has clear, biblically rooted positions and an active advocacy effort include: Reducing or ending abortion, comprehensive reform of the U.S. immigration system, ending global poverty and hunger, fighting systemic racism in both Canada and the U.S., achieving more justice for aboriginal groups in the U.S. and Canada, organizing for a stronger governmental and private sector response to care for God's creation – including climate change, refugee protection and resettlement, and standing in solidarity with those who are persecuted for their faith.

Rehoboth was founded in 1903 and has grown significantly into a large church and has an independent school with over 500 students in grades K-12; Zuni has experienced the same in its community.

Governance by elders is assumed throughout the Christian Reformed Church Order, but CRC polity is not exactly like that of Presbyterian denominations.

Two particular differences include the fact that the CRC has limited tenure for officebearers (so elders and deacons serve terms, not forever), and ministers are ordained and credentialed by a local congregation, not the regional classis or presbytery.

)[26] The church's Synod meets annually in June, with 192 delegates: a minister, an elder and a deacon from each classis, plus one other officebearer.

CRC churches are predominantly located in areas of Dutch immigrant settlement in North America, including Brookfield, Wisconsin, Western Michigan, Chicago, the city of Lynden in Washington State, British Columbia, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Alberta, Iowa, suburban southern California, Ripon, California, and northern New Jersey.

[2] The church has grown more ethnically diverse with some congregations predominantly Native American, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, African-American and Hispanic.