Chapell Meeks 3 F2 Church History - History Of The Pca

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Distinctives of Southern Presbyterianism

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1. The most prominent characteristic is jealous loyalty to the Westminster Standards. It holds with unwavering firmness to the undiluted Calvinism of these Standards. It acknowledges no need of any new statement of old truth.
2. This jealous loyalty demands of the minister and elders strict creed subscription to WCF.
3. The church stresses the principle of the spiritual mission of the church, and excludes from its courts all discussions of political questions.
4. It stands by the plenary, verbal inspiration of the Bible, believing that this is the claim which the Bible makes for itself.
5. It is clearly forbidden in the Scriptures for women to teach, exhort or to lead in prayer in public and promiscuous assemblies
6. Development of Presbyterian polity with the complete parity of the ruling and teaching elders.

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Key Southern Presbyterian Leaders

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James Henley Thornwell
Robert Lewis Dabney
Benjamin Morgan Palmer
John L. Girardeau.

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James Henley Thornwell

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19th century 1812-1862

A Southern Presbyterian theologian who converted to Calvinism through reading the Westminster Confession of Faith.

A passionate defender of the Westminster Standards and labeled a hyper-Calvinist.

He purged South Carolina College of strong deist and Unitarian influences.

While serving as South Carolina College's president he endeavored to bring reason and faith, theology and philosophy, dogma and ethics, into systematic unity.

He contended for the two-office system and Presbyterian committee views of church government.

Best known for his ecclesiology, he opposed church involvement in social reform, defended slavery, and was a founder of the Southern Presbyterian Church denomination which separated at the onset of the War between the States.

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R.L. Dabney

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19th century (1820-1898)

A prominent Southern Old School Presbyterian pastor and professor.

He propounded Scottish CommonSense Realism,
and is noted for his careful
adherence to and use of
Scripture in his argumentation.

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John Girardaeu

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19th Century 1825-1898

A pastor in Charleston and Columbia South Carolina. He dedicated a significant part of his life to evangelizing the poor, low-country African American population.

After completing seminary, he was called to pastor the Anson Street Mission of the Presbyterian Church. Later, it would become the
particular congregation of Zion Presbyterian Church, growing to be the largest Presbyterian Church in
South Carolina, and possessing the largest building in of any denomination in that state.

After serving as a military chaplain in the War between the States, the Zion church began to falter as newly-freed African Americans left white denomination to form their own.

Girardeau would go on to pastor several other churches in Charleston, and would eventually be called to a pastorate and professorship in Columbia.

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Benjamin Morgan Palmer

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Pastor & Teacher (Columbia Theological Seminary)

Preached the opening sermon at the first General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church U.S.

Also served as Moderator of that first Assembly (4 Dec 1861).

defended both slavery and succession

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Five Essentials

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General Assembly of 1910 proposed and adopted five “essential and necessary” doctrines (which paralleled the five points of Fundamentalism) and became the debate between the fundamentalists and the modernists. The Essentials were adopted and reaffirmed in 1916 and again in 1923.
1. inerrancy of the Bible
2. the Virgin birth of Christ
3. the substitutionary atonement
5. the bodily resurrection of Christ
6. and the authenticity of miracles.

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Auburn Affirmation

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1. Issued by a group of Presbyterians meeting in Auburn, New York this was designed to safeguard the
unity and liberty of the Presbyterian Church. The affirmation was intended to display tolerance, but
became a marker on the battle field between conservative and liberals in the church. The Affirmation
denied the need of ordained Ministers to commit to the five essentials.
2. Published in 1924 with 150 original signatures
3. Eventually signed by nearly 1,300 ministers and elders.
4. During the General Assembly of 1926 the assembly nullified the five essentials and brought the denomination into conformity with the Auburn Affirmation - dealing a tragic blow to orthodoxy.

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Fosdick vs. Machen

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In 1922, (liberal Baptist preacher) Harry Fosdick preached his famous sermon, Shall the Fundamentalists Win? In this sermon he argued for the validity of liberal Christianity. It became the object of many
responses from the pens of Conservative Presbyterians. In particular, J. Gresham Machen of
Princeton Theological Seminary. He responded by publishing the book, Christianity and Liberalism
in which he powerfully argued that “liberalism, despite its traditional phraseology, was not some
harmless variant of Christianity; it was, in fact, not Christianity. And all but a new and different
religion.”

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What is the RPCES?

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Reformed Presbyterian Church Evangelical Synod
A church formed by the 1965 merger of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America General Synod and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church

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Who was the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America General Synod

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1. 1720s brought wave of Reformed Presbyterians (Scottish Covenanters) to America who founded their own synod – Associated Reformed Presbyterians (ARP).
2. A split came about over pledging allegiance to the state, the side we are following became the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America, General Synod (this group was the one willing to pledge allegiance). This group also split off once more (New/Old Light General Synod Reformed) - the New Light split actually merged with the EPC.

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Who was the Evangelical Presbyterian Church?

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1. A 1936 split from the PCUSA under J. Gresham Machen, Carl McIntire, Harold S. Laird, J. Oliver Buswell and Paul Wooley formed the Presbyterian Church of America (eventually renamed the Orthodox Presbyterian Church )
2. A 1938 split the PCA favoring premillennial and issues of liberty under Buswell, Laird, and McIntire formed to the Bible Presbyterian Church – Bringing with them the earlier established Westminster Theological Seminary and the Independent Board of Foreign Missions (which had been Machen’s “undoing.”
3. A 1957 split (away from what became a McIntire dictatorship) under R. Laird Harris, Robert G. Rayburn, Donald J. MacNair, Francis Schaeffer, William Mahlow and Thomas G. Cross (and the majority of the synod) formed the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. This group established Covenant College & Covenant Seminary.

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Why is the RPCES important to the PCA?

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1. Kennedy Smart (I Am Reminded, 156), “RPCES buried their very significant past history, and came to the PCA with all their institutions and agencies, their leadership and resources, their missionaries and church planters, and in a very very real sense just gave it to us all”
2. (Seminary, College, 514 churches, 665 TEs, 380 Res, 117,000 members).
3. Joined and Received in 1982.

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Which Organizations had been formed to preserve the gospel witness in the PCUS?

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1. Presbyterian Journal – 1942 - (voice for conservative writings in the church)
2. Concerned Presbyterians – 1965 (organizing conservative laymen)
3. Presbyterian Churchman United - 1969
4. Presbyterian Evangelistic Fellowship -1964 (missions)

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What was the National Presbyterian and Reformed Fellowship?

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The brain child of Dr. Aiken Taylor made up of Bible believing Reformed and Presbyterian churchmen from the PCUS, NPC, RCA, CRC, ORPC, RPCES

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What is the significance of the Presbyterian Evangelical Fellowship?

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Begun in 1964, forerunner to home missions called Missions to the United States and overseas missions called Executive Committed on Overseas Evangelism. Under the PCA these became known as MNA and MTW.

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What is the significance of the Presbyterian Journal?

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It was started in 1942 as the voice of conservative writings in the PCUS church. Dr. Aiken Taylor was on the board of this journal and would be a key individual in the future steering committee of the Continuing Presbyterian Church. When The PCA was formed the Journal had worked itself out of a job, Aiken moved on and died soon after.

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What is the significance of Concerned Presbyterians?

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Begun by Kenneth Keyes in 1965. This group organized conservative laymen in the church. Keyes would later represent (with 2 other men) the Steering Committee for “a continuing Presbyterian Church before the General council of the PCUS.

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Priorities of the PCA

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1. Purity of the Word of God.
2. Preservation of Historic Presbyterianism, Biblical Faith, WCF, BCO.
3. Proclamation of the Gospel, World missions & evangelism.
4. Provide funding for the Gospel Mission
5. Property is owned by local church.
6. Peace, Spirit of Love and Encouragement.

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Distinctives of the PCA

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1. God alone is the Lord of the conscience - leaving it free from doctrines or commandments contrary to the Word of God or that are not governed by it.
2.Freedom to declare terms of admission to communion, qualifications of ministers & members, system of internal government
3. X has appointed officers to preach and administer Sacraments, and exercise discipline for the preservation of truth and duty. They must do this with all care according to the Word.
4. Godliness is founded on truth. Truth is tested by its power to promote holiness according to X's rule - "by their fruit you shall know them."There is an inseparable connection between faith and practice, truth and duty.
5. Teachers must be (examined and found to be) sound in faith.
6.The power to elect persons to the exercise of authority in any particular society resides in the society (assuming the Word is the guide in directing them)
7.All church power is only ministerial and declarative (not legislative) since the Word is the only rule of faith and practice.
8. ecclesiastical discipline must be purely moral or spiritual in its object and not attended with any civil effects (or force).

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What are some associations that the PCA belong to?

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1. North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council (NAPARC), an interchurch body representing traditional denominations in the Calvinist tradition.
2. National Association of Evangelicals - made up of over 40 denominations with the idea that that together more can be accomplished.
3. World Reformed Fellowship - exists to provide networking links among evangelical Reformed Christians world-wide