Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church
Encyclopedia
The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church as it exists today is the remnant of a small denomination
, which was formed from the Synod of the South, a division of the Associate Reformed Church. The original Associate Reformed Church resulted from a merger of the Associate Presbytery (from the Seceder tradition of the 18th century
) and most of the Reformed Presbytery (from the Covenanter tradition of the 17th century
) in Philadelphia in 1782. It is a theologically and socially conservative denomination and one of the oldest in the United States.
over doctrinal differences. Some ministers stayed in the Church of Scotland to work out their differences. By 1739, a Scottish Presbyterian pastor Ebenezer Erskine
led a group of ministers to leave the Church of Scotland
who formed a separate group the Seceders which again opposed the main group and had doctrinal differences. Ebenezer Erskine and his brother Ralph Erskine preached sermons that later became the inspiration for the Associate Reformed Church in the American colonies. The monarch moved the some of Ebenezer Erskine's followers to Ireland
to quell religious disputes among Catholics and Protestants. These Scots-Irish Seceders and Catholics continued to battle in what is known as The Killing Time
and some of the Scots-Irish later emigrated to the American colonies with Seceder ministers from Scotland in the mid 1700's. They settled with the Covenanters in Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
Some churches of the Covenanter tradition and the Seceder tradition came together officially in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
in 1782. The Synod of the South was formed consisting of churches in North and South Carolina and Georgia in 1803 and still another in Texas. Each tradition put aside doctrinal differences to come together as long as oath-signing to a central government could be avoided. The Northern Synod merged with the Associate Presbyterians in 1858 to form the United Presbyterian Church of North America
.
in 1858. It became the Associate Reformed Synod of the West and remained centered in the Midwest. It withdrew from the parent body in 1820 because of the drift of the eastern churches toward assimilation into the larger Presbyterian Church with its Yankee traits. The Associate Reformed Synod of the West maintained the characteristics of an immigrant church with Scotch-Irish roots, emphasized the Westminster Standards, used only the Psalms in public worship, was Sabbatarian, and was strongly abolitionist and anti-Catholic. In the 1850's it exhibited many evidences of assimilation. It showed greater ecumenical interest, greater interest in evangelization of the West and of the cities, and a declining interest in maintaining the unique characteristics of its Scotch-Irish past.
. Also, the denomination operates a conference center, Bonclarken
, in Flat Rock, Henderson County, North Carolina
. The conference center is surrounded by private property owners, many of whom trace their ARP roots to the beginnings of the denomination. Membership in the ARP Church is concentrated in the Southeastern United States, especially North Carolina and South Carolina. There are also numerous congregations in Florida
, Georgia
, Tennessee
, and Virginia
. The ARPC has churches in Canada
and in most states of the United States. Separate synods exist in Mexico
and Pakistan
. The ARP Church was among the first to send missionaries overseas to China as early as 1880. The ARP Church sponsors missionaries internationally through World Witness.
The ARP Church is affiliated with the North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council
and shares a common theology
with conservative Presbyterian denominations. It holds to the infallibility and inerrancy of the Bible. The church does not ordain women as ministers or elders, though it does permit local sessions to determine whether to ordain women deacons. Having been originally formed by a merger of two denominations holding to exclusive psalmody
, this was the practice of the ARP Church until 1946, when its synod allowed for the use of hymns other than the Psalms; each congregational session has right of discretion concerning the matter of music in worship. At the 207th General Synod, a new ARP psalter was approved for use in the denomination to encourage the increased use of Psalm singing in public worship.
In 1837 the church established an academy for men in Due West, S.C.
, which in 1839 became Erskine College
, the first four-year church-related college in that state. The small liberal arts college is highly ranked for academic quality http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drglance_3432_brief.php.
Erskine Theological Seminary
, established as Clarke and Erskine Seminary in 1837, is the professional school of Erskine College; it was incorporated into Erskine College when the latter was founded two years later. The Seminary became a separate but associated school in 1858, and was reincorporated into the College in 1925. Erskine merged with the Due West Female College in the first decade of the 20th century. Erskine became the first private denominational school in South Carolina to allow women instructors at that time. Since its inception, Erskine has provided training for students of the ARPC as well as other denominations. Recent years, however, have witnessed ARP ministers graduating from other seminaries.
Along with other Presbyterian churches, the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church uses the Westminster Confession of Faith
, the Larger Catechism
and the Shorter Catechism
as subordinate standards.http://www.arpsynod.org/standards.html In its 1990 Purpose Statement, the church declared that "we express our desire to continue to be a Presbyterian and Reformed church, committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and to the Bible as the Word of God." It listed some of its core commitments as:
The ARPC takes a conservative view of the Bible, officially stating that "the Bible alone, being God-breathed, is the Word of God
written, infallible in all that it teaches, and inerrant in the original manuscripts." The Holy Spirit reveals through the text that "God the Father gave His Son to save us from our sins."
, Rev. Boyce, Rev. Bonner, Rev. Hemphill, Rev. McCutchen, James Brice, William Moffatt, Dr. R. C. Grier, Rev. Jonathan Galloway and Rev. Simpson.
Evangelist Billy Graham
attended the Chalmers Memorial ARP Church in Charlotte, North Carolina
, as a child; his parents were members of the congregation. Mr. Graham was, however, later ordained as a Southern Baptist minister.
Noted Southern writer Erskine Caldwell
was the son of an ARP minister in Georgia.
Noted ARP ministers of today and the recent past include Dr. Kuykendall, Dr. Chap Lauderdale, Rev. C. Caldwell, Dr. Ray King, Dr. Neely Gaston, Rev. Bob Elliott, Rev. Eddie Spencer, Rev. Mark Brown Grier, Rev. Kit Grier, Rev. William Evans, Rev. Tom Richie, Rev. Randy Ruble, Rev. John Carson, Rev. Tim Phillips, Jay E. Adams
, Sinclair Ferguson
, Derek Thomas
, John R. de Witt, Mark Ross, and Frank Reich
.
Associate Reformed Presbyterian. Published by the ARP Church. Editor, Dr. W. Moffatt Grier.
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
, which was formed from the Synod of the South, a division of the Associate Reformed Church. The original Associate Reformed Church resulted from a merger of the Associate Presbytery (from the Seceder tradition of the 18th century
United Presbyterian Church of Scotland
The United Presbyterian Church of Scotland was a Scottish Presbyterian denomination. It was formed in 1847 by the union of the United Secession Church and the Relief Church, and in 1900 merged with the Free Church of Scotland to form the United Free Church of Scotland, which in turn united with...
) and most of the Reformed Presbytery (from the Covenanter tradition of the 17th century
Covenanter
The Covenanters were a Scottish Presbyterian movement that played an important part in the history of Scotland, and to a lesser extent in that of England and Ireland, during the 17th century...
) in Philadelphia in 1782. It is a theologically and socially conservative denomination and one of the oldest in the United States.
History
After the Westminster Confession was signed by its drafters in 1643, the "Covenanters," a Presbyterian group, left the Church of Scotland for the New World in order to avoid signing an oath to the monarch. These early believers seceded from the Church of ScotlandChurch of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
over doctrinal differences. Some ministers stayed in the Church of Scotland to work out their differences. By 1739, a Scottish Presbyterian pastor Ebenezer Erskine
Ebenezer Erskine
Ebenezer Erskine was a Scottish minister whose actions led to the establishment of the Secession Church ....
led a group of ministers to leave the Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
who formed a separate group the Seceders which again opposed the main group and had doctrinal differences. Ebenezer Erskine and his brother Ralph Erskine preached sermons that later became the inspiration for the Associate Reformed Church in the American colonies. The monarch moved the some of Ebenezer Erskine's followers to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
to quell religious disputes among Catholics and Protestants. These Scots-Irish Seceders and Catholics continued to battle in what is known as The Killing Time
The Killing Time
thumb|240px|[[Margaret Wilson |Margaret Wilson]], one of the 'Wigtown Martyrs', executed by drowning in the incoming tide of the Solway Firth ....
and some of the Scots-Irish later emigrated to the American colonies with Seceder ministers from Scotland in the mid 1700's. They settled with the Covenanters in Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
Some churches of the Covenanter tradition and the Seceder tradition came together officially in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
in 1782. The Synod of the South was formed consisting of churches in North and South Carolina and Georgia in 1803 and still another in Texas. Each tradition put aside doctrinal differences to come together as long as oath-signing to a central government could be avoided. The Northern Synod merged with the Associate Presbyterians in 1858 to form the United Presbyterian Church of North America
United Presbyterian Church of North America
The United Presbyterian Church of North America was an American Presbyterian denomination that existed for exactly one hundred years. It was formed on May 26, 1858 by the union of the Northern branch of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church with the Associate Presbyterian Church at a...
.
Southern synod
The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church of today traces its roots to the Synod of the South, formed in 1803 by Rev. Lindsay, Rev. Finney, Rev. Stafford Currie Millen, Dr. Pressly, Dr. Isaac Grier, Dr. Boyce, Rev. McCutchen and a handful other early ARP ministers. Almost immediately after forming the Synod of the South, the ministers looked into forming a seminary closer to home for the education of the ministry and the growth of the church. Many of the ministers were traveling for more than thirty days on horseback to attend Synod meetings in the North. While they were gone, the churches and the congregations suffered in their absence. The solution they agreed to work towards was an academy called the Clarke and Erskine Seminary, which later became known as Erskine College and Seminary.Northern synod
While the larger Presbyterian Church was a mix of Scots-Irish and Yankees from New England, several smaller Presbyterian groups were almost entirely Scots-Irish, and they displayed the process of assimilation into the broader American religious culture. Fisk (1968) traces the history of the Associate Reformed Church in the Old Northwest from its formation by a union of Associate and Reformed Presbyterians in 1782 to the merger of this body with the Seceder Scots-Irish bodies to form the United Presbyterian ChurchUnited Presbyterian Church
United Presbyterian Church was the name of multiple Christian denominations in the world, among which are the following:*The United Presbyterian Church of Scotland , a union of the United Secession Church and the Relief Church which joined the Free Church of Scotland to form the United Free Church...
in 1858. It became the Associate Reformed Synod of the West and remained centered in the Midwest. It withdrew from the parent body in 1820 because of the drift of the eastern churches toward assimilation into the larger Presbyterian Church with its Yankee traits. The Associate Reformed Synod of the West maintained the characteristics of an immigrant church with Scotch-Irish roots, emphasized the Westminster Standards, used only the Psalms in public worship, was Sabbatarian, and was strongly abolitionist and anti-Catholic. In the 1850's it exhibited many evidences of assimilation. It showed greater ecumenical interest, greater interest in evangelization of the West and of the cities, and a declining interest in maintaining the unique characteristics of its Scotch-Irish past.
The ARPC today
In 2004, the ARPC had 41,019 members in 256 churches. The denominational office is located in Greenville, South CarolinaGreenville, South Carolina
-Law and government:The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976.-History:The area was part of the Cherokee Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families...
. Also, the denomination operates a conference center, Bonclarken
Bonclarken
Bonclarken is a conference center located in Flat Rock, North Carolina operated by the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church . It is used as a conference center by the ARP church, and is used to accommodate guests of 500 people during the summer and 400 people during the winter...
, in Flat Rock, Henderson County, North Carolina
Flat Rock, Henderson County, North Carolina
Flat Rock is a village in Henderson County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,565 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The village is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Flat Rock Historic District.- Culture :Flat Rock is...
. The conference center is surrounded by private property owners, many of whom trace their ARP roots to the beginnings of the denomination. Membership in the ARP Church is concentrated in the Southeastern United States, especially North Carolina and South Carolina. There are also numerous congregations in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, and Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. The ARPC has churches in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and in most states of the United States. Separate synods exist in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. The ARP Church was among the first to send missionaries overseas to China as early as 1880. The ARP Church sponsors missionaries internationally through World Witness.
The ARP Church is affiliated with the North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council
North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council
The North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council is an association of several Presbyterian and Reformed churches in the United States and Canada...
and shares a common theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
with conservative Presbyterian denominations. It holds to the infallibility and inerrancy of the Bible. The church does not ordain women as ministers or elders, though it does permit local sessions to determine whether to ordain women deacons. Having been originally formed by a merger of two denominations holding to exclusive psalmody
Exclusive psalmody
Exclusive psalmody is the particular worship practice of several small Protestant denominations worldwide which use a metrical version of the Book of Psalms from the Bible as the only manual of songs that may be sung in their services...
, this was the practice of the ARP Church until 1946, when its synod allowed for the use of hymns other than the Psalms; each congregational session has right of discretion concerning the matter of music in worship. At the 207th General Synod, a new ARP psalter was approved for use in the denomination to encourage the increased use of Psalm singing in public worship.
In 1837 the church established an academy for men in Due West, S.C.
Due West, South Carolina
Due West is a town in Abbeville County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 1,209 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Due West is located at ....
, which in 1839 became Erskine College
Erskine College
Erskine College is a four year, Christian liberal arts college located in Due West, South Carolina.-Early history:Established in 1839 by the Associate Reformed Synod of the South as an academy for men, Erskine College became the first four year, church-related college in South Carolina...
, the first four-year church-related college in that state. The small liberal arts college is highly ranked for academic quality http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drglance_3432_brief.php.
Erskine Theological Seminary
Erskine Theological Seminary
Erskine Theological Seminary is an institution of graduate theological and pastoral education. The Seminary is based in Due West, South Carolina, United States, and also offers classes at four extension sites in the region: Augusta, Georgia, Charleston, South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina and...
, established as Clarke and Erskine Seminary in 1837, is the professional school of Erskine College; it was incorporated into Erskine College when the latter was founded two years later. The Seminary became a separate but associated school in 1858, and was reincorporated into the College in 1925. Erskine merged with the Due West Female College in the first decade of the 20th century. Erskine became the first private denominational school in South Carolina to allow women instructors at that time. Since its inception, Erskine has provided training for students of the ARPC as well as other denominations. Recent years, however, have witnessed ARP ministers graduating from other seminaries.
Basic Beliefs
Westminster Confession of Faith
The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith, in the Calvinist theological tradition. Although drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly, largely of the Church of England, it became and remains the 'subordinate standard' of doctrine in the Church of Scotland, and has been...
, the Larger Catechism
Westminster Larger Catechism
The Westminster Larger Catechism, along with the Westminster Shorter Catechism, is a central catechism of Calvinists in the English tradition throughout the world.- History :...
and the Shorter Catechism
Westminster Shorter Catechism
The Westminster Shorter Catechism was written in the 1640s by English and Scottish divines. The assembly also produced the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Westminster Larger Catechism...
as subordinate standards.http://www.arpsynod.org/standards.html In its 1990 Purpose Statement, the church declared that "we express our desire to continue to be a Presbyterian and Reformed church, committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and to the Bible as the Word of God." It listed some of its core commitments as:
- The worship of the Triune God.
- The Holy Scriptures as the basis for our faith and activity.
- Unity with other believers in Christ.
- Total stewardship of life - time, talents, and money - including tithing through the local church.
- Excellence in education and equipping leaders for tomorrow.
- Loving and caring for one another and for other people.
- Spreading the Gospel to all parts of the world.
- Evaluating and changing church structures and priorities in order to meet the challenges of the future while preserving the best of the past.
The ARPC takes a conservative view of the Bible, officially stating that "the Bible alone, being God-breathed, is the Word of God
written, infallible in all that it teaches, and inerrant in the original manuscripts." The Holy Spirit reveals through the text that "God the Father gave His Son to save us from our sins."
Stances regarding social issues
The ARPC designates the Sunday nearest to January 22 as "Sanctity of Human Life Sunday," encouraging non-violent opposition to legalized abortion.http://www.arpsynod.org/position.html In addition, the denomination officially calls homosexuals "to repentance, cleansing, and deliverance in the saving power of Jesus Christ."http://www.arpsynod.org/position.htmlNotable Members and Ministers
Erskine College and Seminary first honored Rev. Clarke as the father of the ARP Church. Other founders of the ARP Church include Rev. Harris, Rev. S. C. Millen, Rev. J. S. Pressly, Rev. Ebenezer Erskine PresslyEbenezer Erskine Pressly
Ebenezer Erskine Pressly was the first president of Erskine Theological Seminary, beginning his service in 1838.E. E. Pressly was a native of Cedar Springs, South Carolina...
, Rev. Boyce, Rev. Bonner, Rev. Hemphill, Rev. McCutchen, James Brice, William Moffatt, Dr. R. C. Grier, Rev. Jonathan Galloway and Rev. Simpson.
Evangelist Billy Graham
Billy Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
attended the Chalmers Memorial ARP Church in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, as a child; his parents were members of the congregation. Mr. Graham was, however, later ordained as a Southern Baptist minister.
Noted Southern writer Erskine Caldwell
Erskine Caldwell
Erskine Preston Caldwell was an American author. His writings about poverty, racism and social problems in his native South like the novels Tobacco Road and God's Little Acre won him critical acclaim, but they also made him controversial among fellow Southerners of the time who felt he was...
was the son of an ARP minister in Georgia.
Noted ARP ministers of today and the recent past include Dr. Kuykendall, Dr. Chap Lauderdale, Rev. C. Caldwell, Dr. Ray King, Dr. Neely Gaston, Rev. Bob Elliott, Rev. Eddie Spencer, Rev. Mark Brown Grier, Rev. Kit Grier, Rev. William Evans, Rev. Tom Richie, Rev. Randy Ruble, Rev. John Carson, Rev. Tim Phillips, Jay E. Adams
Jay E. Adams
Jay E. Adams is an American Reformed Christian author who is mostly known for his book, Competent to Counsel, in which he states that any Christian is more competent to counsel than any secular psychologist...
, Sinclair Ferguson
Sinclair Ferguson
Sinclair Ferguson is a Scottish theologian known in Reformed Christian circles for his teaching, writing, and editorial work. He is currently a professor at Redeemer Seminary in Dallas.-Career:Ferguson received his Ph.D...
, Derek Thomas
Derek Thomas (theologian)
Derek W. H. Thomas is a reformed pastor and theologian known for his teaching, writing and editorial work. He is currently the Distinguished Visiting Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, MS.-Career:...
, John R. de Witt, Mark Ross, and Frank Reich
Frank Reich
Frank Michael Reich, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, New York Jets, and the Detroit Lions. For a time, he had the distinction of having led his team to the biggest comeback victory ever in both the collegiate...
.
Further reading
- The History of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, by Ray King. http://www.arpsynod.org/.
- The History of Erskine Theological Seminary 1837-1976, by Maynard PittendreighMaynard PittendreighThe Rev. Dr. W. Maynard Pittendreigh is an astronomer, writer and an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church . As a minister, he has been a pioneer and leader in a movement toward multi-cultural/racial congregations, and in developing early Internet-based ministries.William Maynard...
. http://www.pittendreigh.com/ - Centennial History of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, 1903, available through Google Books.
- Sesquicentennial History of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church
- "100 Years of Erskine College," Dr. Joab M. Lesesne, Dissertation for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree, University of South Carolina.
- Private Papers of Rev. Izaac Grier, 1802, Receipts for books of the ARP Synod of the South for the A. R. Constitution and Pressly on Baptism, 1802.
- Private Letters of Rev. Stafford Currie Millen, 1871.
- Essays and Sermons of Rev. R. Calvin Grier, President of Erskine College and Seminary 1851-1871.
- Private Letters and essays of Dr. W. Moffatt Grier, President of Erskine College and Seminary, 1871-1890.
- Private Letters and essays of Dr. J. S. Moffatt, President of Erskine College and Seminary 1908-.
- Minutes of the General Synod of the ARP Church.
Associate Reformed Presbyterian. Published by the ARP Church. Editor, Dr. W. Moffatt Grier.