The History of Presbyterianismin the United States

Part 7: Recovering Lost GroundB – “The Split Ps” and “The End of the Civil

War”

Master TimelineUnited States Europe

• 1620 – Mayflower lands• 1730s-1743 – 1st Great Awakening• 1776-1783 – American Rev.• 1790-1840 – 2nd Great Awakening• 1830 – Book of Mormon• 1850-1900 – 3rd Great Awakening• 1861-1865 – American Civil War• 1870 – Scottish Common Sense• 1889 – Moody Bible Institute• 1891 – Briggs’ address• 1909 – Scofield Reference Bible• 1910 – Pres. G.A.: 5 Fundamentals• 1914-1919 – World War I• 1922 – “Shall Fund.s Win?”• 1923 – The Auburn Affirmation• 1925 – The Scopes Trial• 1929 – Westminster Theo.

Seminary• 1936 – Orthodox Presbyterian Ch.• 1936 – John Mackay, Princeton

Sem.

• 1643 – Westminster Confession of Faith• 1650-1800 – Age of European

Enlightenment& of Scottish Common Sense

Philosophy• 1770s-1900 – Rise of German Higher

Criticism• 1789-1799 – French Revolution• 1827 – Plymouth Brethren begin meeting• 1833 – Slavery Abolition Act of England• 1859 - Charles Darwin – Origin of Species• 1862-77 – Darby travels to the United

States• 1919 – Rise of Neo-Orthodoxy

United States (cont.)

1937 – Death of J. Gresham Machen - Bible Presbyterian Ch. (McIntyre)1955, 1960 – Inherit the Wind 1966 – RTS, Jackson, MI1967 – Confession of ‘67, Book of Confessions1973 – PCA

The Auburn

Affirmation, 1923

The Foreign Missions Crisis, 1936

The Change Made at

Princeton Seminary,

1929

last half of the 20th century

Ernest Trice Thompson, 1894-1985Prof. of Church HistoryUnion Seminary, Richmond, VA

The Changing South and the PCUS:Two key moments in southern history:1) colonial period – met by the Baptists2) 19th c. – won by Methodists

The 20th c. should be the Presbyterian moment!

H&M

The Auburn

Affirmation, 1923

The Foreign Missions Crisis, 1936

The Change Made at

Princeton Seminary,

1929

last half of the 20th centuryWilliam Cameron Townsend

Billy Graham

Meanwhile, …•The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church

(ARP)

Meanwhile, …•The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church

(ARP)▫Its seminary, Erskine, was significantly affected

by Neo-Orthodoxy in the ‘60s▫The church gained control of the seminary

board and ejected Neo-Orthodoxy later, reaffirming commitment to inerrancy and confessionalism.

Meanwhile, …•The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church

(ARP)•Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical

Synod▫A denomination with “Covenanter” roots as

well as roots going through the formation of the OPC by way of the Bible Presbyterian Church.

▫Merged with the PCA in 1982, bringing with it: Covenant College Covenant Seminary

▫The original denominational affiliation of NCPC.

Meanwhile, …•The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church

(ARP)•Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical

Synod•Orthodox Presbyterian Church

▫Continues to focus on a clear distinction between Reformed doctrine and fundamentalism.

▫Maintains a commitment to Old School Presbyterianism.

▫Created Great Commission Publications, along with the PCA, which created the Trinity Hymnal, etc.

Meanwhile, …•The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church

(ARP)•Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical

Synod•Orthodox Presbyterian Church•Reformed Presbyterian Church, North

America▫Holds forth its historic, “Covenanter” roots▫Continues in worship with Psalms only &

without instruments▫Has seen slow but steady growth since 1980.

Meanwhile, …•The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church

(ARP)•Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical

Synod•Orthodox Presbyterian Church•Reformed Presbyterian Church, North

America•Bible Presbyterian Church

•Bible Presbyterian Church▫Split off from the OPC, 1937

Established original Covenant College & Seminary

▫Split again in 1957 led by Francis Schaeffer and Jay Adams Eventually wound up merging with RPCES =>

PCA▫Split again in 1979▫Split again in 2008

The Bible Presbyterian Church1936

1937

1957

2008

PC of A => Orthodox Presbyterian Church

Bible Presbyterian Church

Bible Presbyterian Church, Collingswood SynodBible Presbyterian Church,Columbus Synod

Bible Presbyterian Church, =>Columbus Synod

EvangelicalPresbyterian Church (1961)

EvangelicalPresbyterian Church (1961)

Reformed Presbyterian ChurchGeneral Synod

Reformed Presbyterian ChurchEvangelical Synod

1979Bible Presbyterian Church, Collingswood Synod American Presbyterian

ChurchBible Presbyterian Church, Collingswood Synod

Faith Presbytery, Bible Presbyterian Church

Carl McIntire, 1906-2002

McIntire was "a classic example of abrilliant and winsome man who chosehis battles badly. Unyielding on petty issues, he divided where division was both unnecessary and costly to the very causes he championed. Too often, he seemed to love the fight more than the very valid issues over which the fights raged.”

Joel Belz, World Magazine

Meanwhile, …•The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church

(ARP)•Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical

Synod•Orthodox Presbyterian Church•Reformed Presbyterian Church, North

America•Bible Presbyterian Church•United Presbyterian Church, USA

▫Progression among Feminists

Walter Wynn Kenyon

• Expressed a conscientious objection to participation in services of ordination for women.

• Pittsburgh Presbytery narrowly approved his ordination.

• A complaint to the Permanent Judicial Commission of the G.A. overturned the ruling in 1975.“[I]t is the responsibility of our Church to deny ordination

to one who has refused the ordination of women,”•1979 – G.A. ruled that all congregations must

elect men and women to the office of ruling elder.

40 churches leave includingTenth Presbyterian Church, Phil., PA

Dr. James Boice

Dr. Don Barnhouse

Meanwhile, …•The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church

(ARP)•Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical

Synod•Orthodox Presbyterian Church•Reformed Presbyterian Church, North

America•Bible Presbyterian Church•United Presbyterian Church, USA

▫Progression among Feminists▫Test of the Confession of 1967

Mansfield Kaseman•National Capital Union Presbyterydetermines to receive a UCC ministerwho denied the deity of Christ, his sinless

natureand bodily resurrection.Question: “Is Jesus

God?”Answer: “No, God is God.”

Local Churches in that Conflict:•Wallace Memorial Presbyterian Church

▫Hyattsville, MD, Pastor Glen Knecht•Church of the Atonement

▫Silver Spring, MD•Babcock Presbyterian Church

▫Towson, MD

Dr. John Gerstner

Prof., Pittsburgh Seminary

Mansfield Kaseman•National Capital Union Presbyterydetermines to receive a UCC ministerwho denied the deity of Christ, his sinless

natureand bodily resurrection.

•The complaint to the Permanent Judicial Commission was denied. Kaseman’s beliefs were within the “acceptable range of interpretation” of the church’s confessions.

Question: “Is Jesus God?”Answer: “No, God is God.”

Local Churches in that Conflict:•Wallace Memorial Presbyterian Church

▫Hyattsville, MD, Pastor Glen Knecht•Church of the Atonement

▫Silver Spring, MD•Babcock Presbyterian Church

▫Towson, MD

Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. (Ps. 2:12)

Dr. John Gerstner

Prof., Pittsburgh Seminary

Meanwhile, …•The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church

(ARP)•Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical

Synod•Orthodox Presbyterian Church•Reformed Presbyterian Church, North

America•Bible Presbyterian Church•United Presbyterian Church, USA

▫Progression among Feminists▫Test of the Confession of 1967▫Homosexual Agenda

New York Presbytery

•1976 – Petition made to G.A. for guidance re: ordaining a “person who is an avowed homosexual, and is well qualified in every other part of the trials for ordination.”

•1978 – G.A. voted overwhelmingly that “unrepentant homosexual practice does not accord with the requirements of ordination as set forth in the Book of Order.”

Meanwhile, …•The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARP)•Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod•Orthodox Presbyterian Church•Reformed Presbyterian Church, North America•Bible Presbyterian Church•United Presbyterian Church, USA

▫Progression among Feminists▫Test of the Confession of 1967▫Homosexual Agenda▫Church Property rights – both northern and southern

churches amend a “loophole” in their constitutions to secure ownership of individual church property.

Meanwhile, …•The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church

(ARP)•Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical

Synod•Orthodox Presbyterian Church•Reformed Presbyterian Church, North

America•Bible Presbyterian Church•United Presbyterian Church, USA•Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 1981

Evangelical Presbyterian Church•75 ministers representing 12 churches leave

PCUSA•Adopted a modern-language version of the

Westminster Standards as well as a list of “Essentials to Our Faith”.

• Individual congregations are free:▫to elect women elders▫to determine worship style,▫to exercise charismatic gifts.

• It has become the “preferred” denomination for continuing individual “refugee” Presbyterian congregations.

Meanwhile, …•The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church

(ARP)•Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical

Synod•Orthodox Presbyterian Church•Reformed Presbyterian Church, North

America•Bible Presbyterian Church•United Presbyterian Church, USA•Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 1981•1983 – Union with the UPCUSA to form the

PCUSA

The Union of the“Mainline” Presbyterians

“For mainline American Presbyterians, the Civil War finally ended on June 10, 1983. The reunion was held in Atlanta, GA, where the division began in 1861.”

“The first Assembly affirmed the rights of minorities and women in the church, … and the moderator … stressed the need for the united church to be ‘affirming’ homosexuals.”

H&M

Decades ofSerious Declinein the PCUSA

•from 1967-1983: from 4.2 million members to 3.2 million.

•from 1983-2003: from 3.2 million to 2.45 million.

•In 2012: 1.849 million“Cynics predicted that if the rate of decline

continued, the mainline Presbyterian Church would disappear before its 350th anniversary.”

H&M

New CovenantPresbyterian Church

Preaching God’s Sovereign Grace

to a World of Need128 St. Mary’s Church Rd.,

Abingdon, MD 21009410-569-0289

www.ncpres.orgwww.ephesians515.com