Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church

Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church
The seal of the ARPC
AbbreviationARPC
ClassificationProtestant
TheologyEvangelical Calvinist
GovernancePresbyterian
AssociationsWorld Reformed Fellowship,
NAPARC
RegionUnited States, Canada, Mexico
Origin1803
Winnsboro, South Carolina
Merger ofAssociate Presbytery (Seceder) and almost all of the Reformed Presbytery
Congregations264 (2018)[1]
Members22,459 (2018)[1]
Official websitearpchurch.org

The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARPC) is a theologically conservative denomination in North America. The ARPC was formed by the merger of the Associate Presbytery (seceder) with the Reformed Presbytery (covenanter) in 1782. It is one of the oldest conservative denominations in the United States.

History

After the Westminster Confession was signed by its drafters in 1643, some of the "Covenanters", a Presbyterian group, left the Church of Scotland for the New World to avoid signing an oath to the monarch. These early believers seceded from the Church of Scotland 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 some of Ebenezer Erskine's followers to the northern Irish province of Ulster to quell religious disputes among Catholics and Protestants. These Ulster Scots Seceders and the Catholics continued to battle and some of the Scots Irish later emigrated to the American colonies with Seceder ministers from Scotland in the mid-1700s. They settled with the Covenanters in Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.[citation needed]

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. For decades, the Associate Reformed Church denounced slavery; however, in 1831, the church passed a resolution that members must free their slaves immediately or be denied communion. This led to a severance of churches in the Southern Synod--particularly in the Carolina presbytery--from the Northern Synod.[2][3] In 1858, the Northern Synod of the Associate Reformed Church merged with the Associate Presbyterians to form the United Presbyterian Church of North America.

Southern synod

The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church of today traces its roots to the Synod of the South, formed in 1803. 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.[citation needed] 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.

Western synod

While the larger Presbyterian Church was a mix of Scottish and English Presbyterians, several smaller Presbyterian groups were almost entirely Scottish Seceders, 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 bodies to form the United Presbyterian 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 Confessional disagreements regarding the administration of sacraments.[4]

The Associate Reformed Synod of the West maintained the characteristics of an immigrant church with Scottish roots, emphasized the Westminster Standards, used only the Psalms in public worship, was Sabbatarian and was strongly abolitionist and anti-Catholic. In the 1850s however, it exhibited evidence of assimilation. It showed greater ecumenical interest, greater interest in the evangelization of the West and of the cities, and a declining interest in maintaining the unique characteristics of its Scotch-Irish past.[5]

The ARPC today

In 2018, the ARPC had 22,459 members in 264 churches.[1] The denominational office is located in Greenville, South Carolina. Also, the denomination operates a conference center, Bonclarken, in Flat Rock, North Carolina. The conference center is surrounded by private property, many of whose owners 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.[6] There are also numerous congregations in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Virginia.[6] The ARPC has churches in Canada and in most states of the United States. There are separate synods in Mexico and Pakistan. The ARP Church was among the first to send missionaries to China as early as 1880. The ARP Church sponsors missionaries internationally through World Witness.[citation needed]

The ARP Church is affiliated with the North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council and shares a common theology with other 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 female 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 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.[citation needed]

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.

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 and of other denominations. Recent years,[when?] however, have witnessed ARP ministers graduating from other seminaries.[citation needed]

Basic beliefs

Bethel ARP Church in Oak Hill, Alabama

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.[7] 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, including tithing of time, talents, and money.
  • Loving and caring for one another and for other people.
  • Excellence in education and equipping leaders for tomorrow.
  • Spreading the Gospel to all parts of the world.
  • Evaluating and changing church structures and priorities to meet the challenges of the future while preserving the best of the past.[8]

The ARPC takes a conservative view of the Bible, 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."[citation needed]

Interchurch organizations

The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church is a member of the World Reformed Fellowship,[9] and the North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council.[10] Membership in the International Conference of Reformed Churches was dropped in June 2011.[11]

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.[12] In addition, the denomination officially calls homosexuals "to repentance, cleansing, and deliverance in the saving power of Jesus Christ."[12]

Members and ministers

Evangelist Billy Graham attended the Chalmers Memorial ARP Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, as a child; his parents were members of the congregation. Graham was later ordained as a Southern Baptist minister.[citation needed]

The noted Southern writer Erskine Caldwell was the son of an ARP minister in Georgia.

Noted ARP ministers of today and the recent past include Jay E. Adams, Sinclair Ferguson, Derek Thomas, Michael A. Milton, and Frank Reich.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Minutes of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (USA) 2020 Synod" (PDF). Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  2. ^ Carrol, H.K. (1893). The Religious Forces of the United States: Enumerated, Classified, and Described on the Basis of the Government Census of 1890. New York: The Christian Literature Co. pp. 306–307.
  3. ^ Lathan, Robert (1882). History of the Associate Reformed Synod of the South (PDF). Harrisburg, PA. pp. 300–301.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ^ Associate Reformed Synod of the West, John Steele, "A Statement of the Grievances, on Account of Which, that Section of the Church Now Called the 'Associate Reformed Synod of the West,' Separated From, and Declared Themselves Independent of: The 'Associate Reformed Synod of North America.'," 1823
  5. ^ William L. Fisk, "The Associate Reformed Church in the Old Northwest: A Chapter in the Acculturation of the Immigrant," Journal of Presbyterian History, 1968 46(3): 157–174.
  6. ^ a b "2000 Religious Congregations and Membership Study". Glenmary Research Center. Retrieved December 9, 2009.
  7. ^ "Standards". Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. Archived from the original on 2015-11-24. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  8. ^ "What We Believe". Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  9. ^ "Denominational Members". WRF. 22 January 2013. Archived from the original on 2014-10-15. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  10. ^ "Member Churches". NAPARC. Archived from the original on 2018-05-28. Retrieved 2015-09-29.
  11. ^ Minutes of the General Synod – 2011, p. 74.
  12. ^ a b "Position Statements". Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. Archived from the original on 2015-11-24. Retrieved 2015-11-23.

Further reading

  • King, Ray. The History of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.
  • Fisher, Edward. The Marrow of Modern Divinity with notes by Thomas Boston. Fearn: Christian Focus Publications, 2009.
  • The History of Erskine Theological Seminary 1837–1976, by Maynard Pittendreigh
  • Centennial History of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, 1903.
  • Sesquicentennial History of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church
  • "100 Years of Erskine College," Joab M. Lesesne, Dissertation for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree, University of South Carolina
  • Private Papers of 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 Stafford Currie Millen, 1871
  • Essays and Sermons of R. Calvin Grier, President of Erskine College and Seminary 1851–1871
  • Private Letters and essays of W. Moffatt Grier, President of Erskine College and Seminary, 1871–1890
  • Private Letters and essays of J. S. Moffatt, President of Erskine College and Seminary, born 1908.
  • Minutes of the General Synod of the ARP Church
  • Associate Reformed Presbyterian. Published by the ARP Church. Editor, W. Moffatt Grier

Vann, Barry. "In Search of Ulster-Scots Land: The Birth and Geotheological Imagings of a Transatlantic People, 1603–1703", Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 2008.

Read other articles:

Keekonomian moda angkutan barang dengan volume besar Efisiensi transportasi adalah suatu ukuran besarnya biaya (dalam rupiah, waktu, energi atau tambahan lainnya) untuk menggerakkan sesuatu dalam hal ini bisa (penumpang ataupun barang) dari satu tempat ke tempat lain. Efisiensi transportasi ini tergantung kepada karakteristik mode angkutan yang digunakan, sebagai contoh suatu kapal akan semakin efisien kalau ukuran kapalnya semakin besar untuk perjalanan jarak jauh dan permintaannya besar. Ef...

この項目では、日本の接客飲食店について説明しています。名称の由来となった欧米の遊興施設については「キャバレー」を、その他の用法については「キャバレー (曖昧さ回避)」をご覧ください。 キャバレー花園 名駅店 日本におけるキャバレーとは、ホステスと呼ばれる女性従業員が客をもてなす飲食店の一業態で、ダンスフロアを備えていた。第二次世界大戦後に

Вулиця 9 Липня Аргентинаісп. Avenida 9 de Julio Вид на вулицю 9 Липня з висоти пташиного польотуНаселений пункт Буенос-АйресІсторичні відомостіНазва на честь Дня Незалежності АргентиниДата початку забудови 1937Загальні відомостіПротяжність 3 кмКоординати 34°36′28″ пд. �...

Peter Hanke (2015) Peter Hanke (* 28. März 1964 in Wien[1][2]) ist ein österreichischer Manager und Politiker (SPÖ). Von 2002 bis Mai 2018 war er Geschäftsführer der Wien Holding. Seit 24. Mai 2018 ist er amtsführender Stadtrat von Landesregierung und Stadtsenat Ludwig I bzw. Ludwig II.[3][4][5] Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Leben 2 Auszeichnungen (Auswahl) 3 Kontroverse 4 Weblinks 5 Einzelnachweise Leben Peter Hanke ist Sohn des 1933 geborenen sozialdemok...

Capungan api Apogon maculatus A young Apogon maculatusStatus konservasiRisiko rendahIUCN185937 TaksonomiKerajaanAnimaliaFilumChordataKelasActinopteriOrdoKurtiformesFamiliApogonidaeGenusApogonSpesiesApogon maculatus Poey, 1860 lbs Apogon maculatus, umumnya dikenal sebagai capungan api, adalah spesies capungan dari Atlantik barat. Apogon maculatus adalah ikan nokturnal, dan biasanya bersembunyi di tempat teduh. Ikan ini dapat dilihat dengan lampu merah di ruangan gelap jika diperlukan. Kadang-k...

Haka AstanaKepala Kepolisian Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta ke-16Masa jabatan8 April 2013 – 17 Juli 2014PendahuluSabar RahardjoPenggantiOerip Soebagyo Informasi pribadiLahir16 Mei 1957 (umur 66)YogyakartaAlma materAkademi Kepolisian (1982)Karier militerPihak IndonesiaDinas/cabang Kepolisian Negara Republik IndonesiaMasa dinas1982—2015Pangkat Inspektur Jenderal PolisiSatuanSDMSunting kotak info • L • B Irjen. Pol. (Purn.) Drs. R.M. Haka Astana Mantika ...

Geographic region of Lebanon South Lebanon redirects here. For other uses, see South Lebanon (disambiguation). Southern Lebanon (Arabic: جنوب لبنان, romanized: janoub lubnan) is the area of Lebanon comprising the South Governorate and the Nabatiye Governorate. The two entities were divided from the same province in the early 1990s. The Rashaya and Western Beqaa Districts, the southernmost districts of the Beqaa Governorate, in Southern Lebanon are sometimes included. The main ci...

Scottish painter Jack VettrianoBornJack Hoggan (1951-11-17) 17 November 1951 (age 72)Methil, Fife, ScotlandEducationSelf-taughtKnown forPaintingNotable workPoppy Fields (1973)[1] The Singing Butler (1992) A Voyage of Discovery (1992) The Innocents (1993) Bad Boy, Good Girl (1994) After The Thrill Is Gone (1994) And So to Bed (1996) The Longing (1997) Dance Me to the End of Love (1998) Suddenly One Summer (2000)MovementContemporary Jack Vettriano OBE (born Jack Hoggan, 17 Nov...

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages) This article does not cite any sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Technologie – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (November 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this template message...

You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in French. (April 2023) Click [show] for important translation instructions. View a machine-translated version of the French article. Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedi...

Official flag of the U.S. state of Texas State of TexasThe Lone Star FlagUseCivil and state flag Proportion2:3Adopted January 25, 1839 (by the Republic of Texas) Readopted: August 31, 1933 (De facto use 1879–1933)[1] DesignOne-third of the hoist is blue containing a single centered white star. The remaining field is divided horizontally into a white and red bar.Designed byUnknown[2] The flag of Texas is the official flag of the U.S. state of Texas. It is well known for ...

This article is about the Japanese film. For the 2010 Telugu-language Indian film, see Raavanan (2010 film). 2010 Japanese filmVillainDirected byLee Sang-ilStarringSatoshi TsumabukiEri FukatsuMasaki OkadaHikari MitsushimaKirin KikiAkira EmotoRelease date September 11, 2010 (2010-09-11) Running time139 minutesCountryJapanLanguageJapaneseBox office$22,383,806[1] Villain (悪人, Akunin) is a 2010 Japanese drama film directed by Lee Sang-il, based on Shuichi Yoshida's crim...

Final Piala Winners Eropa 1986TurnamenPiala Winners Eropa 1985–1986 Dynamo Kyiv Atlético Madrid 3 0 Tanggal2 Mei 1986StadionStade de Gerland, LyonWasitFranz Wöhrer (Austria)Penonton39.300← 1985 1987 → Final Piala Winners Eropa 1986 adalah pertandingan final ke-26 dari turnamen sepak bola Piala Winners Eropa untuk menentukan juara musim 1985–1986. Pertandingan ini mempertemukan tim Uni Soviet Dynamo Kyiv dengan tim Spanyol Atlético Madrid dan diselenggarakan pada 2 Mei ...

ألفية: ألفية 3 قرون: القرن 20 – القرن 21 – القرن 22 عقود: عقد 1980  عقد 1990  عقد 2000  – عقد 2010 –  عقد 2020  عقد 2030  عقد 2040 سنين: 2015 2016 2017 – 2018 – 2019 2020 2021 2018 في التقاويم الأخرىتقويم ميلادي2018MMXVIIIتقويم هجري1439–1440تقويم هجري شمسي1396–1397تقويم أمازيغي2968من بداية روما2771ت...

American lawyer (1808–1846) James Hoban Jr.1846 lithograph of Hoban by Albert NewsamBorn1808 (1808)DiedJanuary 19, 1846(1846-01-19) (aged 37–38)OccupationLawyerSpouse Marion Blackwell French ​ ​(m. 1831)​Children6ParentJames Hoban (father)Signature James Hoban Jr. (1808 – January 19, 1846) was an American lawyer who served as United States Attorney for the District of Columbia in the 1840s. Early life James Hoban Jr. was born to James Hoban. ...

José Ivo Sartori38th Governor of Rio Grande do SulMasa jabatan1 January 2015 – 1 January 2019Wakil GubernurJosé Paulo CairoliPendahuluTarso GenroPenggantiEduardo Leite Other positions 36th Mayor of Caxias do SulMasa jabatan1 January 2005 – 1 January 2013PendahuluPepe VargasPenggantiAlceu Barbosa VelhoFederal Deputy for Rio Grande do SulMasa jabatan1 February 2003 – 1 January 2005President of the Legislative Assembly of Rio Grande do SulMasa jabatan31 January...

Bridge in Amsterdam IJburg neighbourhoodNescio BridgeNesciobrugView of the bridge from underneathCoordinates52°21′20″N 4°58′16″E / 52.3555°N 4.9711°E / 52.3555; 4.9711Carriescyclists, pedestriansCrossesAmsterdam–Rhine CanalLocaleAmsterdam IJburg neighbourhoodOther name(s)Palingbrug(literally Eel bridge)Named forDutch writer NescioOwnerCity of AmsterdamID numberAmsterdam bridge № 2013CharacteristicsMaterialMain span: steelramps: concreteTotal length780&#...

Memorial plaque on Cockburn Island to those who lost their lives in the explosion and sinking of the John B. King drill boat History Canada NameJohn B. King Launched1863 FateSank June 26, 1930 General characteristics Length140 ft (43 m) Beam50 ft (15 m) John B. King explosionDateJune 26, 1930Time16:30 ESTLocationBrockville, OntarioCoordinates44°33′46″N 75°42′42″W / 44.56283°N 75.71179°W / 44.56283; -75.71179CauseLightningCasualties30 The...

Viral disease of cereals Barley yellow dwarf viruses Scientific classification (unranked): Virus Realm: Riboviria Kingdom: Orthornavirae Groups included Barley yellow dwarf virus GPV Barley yellow dwarf virus kerII Barley yellow dwarf virus kerIII Barley yellow dwarf virus MAV Barley yellow dwarf virus PAS Barley yellow dwarf virus PAV Barley yellow dwarf virus SGV Barley yellow dwarf (BYD) is a plant disease caused by the barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV), and is the most widely distributed v...

Norwegian military officer Kristian Kristiansen LaakeBorn(1875-04-09)9 April 1875Ullensaker, NorwayDied3 August 1950(1950-08-03) (aged 75)Allegiance NorwayService/branchNorwegian ArmyYears of service1897–1940RankGeneralCommands heldCommanding General of the Norwegian Army(1931–1940)Battles/warsSecond World War:Operation WeserübungAwardsRoyal Norwegian Order of St. Olav (Commander with Star)Order of the White Rose of Finland (Grand Cross)Order of the Sword (Grand Cr...