PCA History Review Flashcards
The First American Presbytery
The Presbytery of Philadelphia was formed in 1706. Francis Makemie was the first moderator.
The Adopting Act
When, at the First Synod (in Philadelphia), the WCF adopted as the confessional standard (1729)
The Old Side/New Side Division
In the 1730’s and 1740’s the Great Awakening brought division in the PC; one side favored revival (New Side) and other looked upon it as unorthodox and dangerous; Gilbert Tennent, leader of the revivalist party, preached “The Danger of an Unconverted Ministry”; The Old Side, lead by Robert Cross, protested to the Synod of 1741. At the synod, the New Side withdrew (formed New Side Synod of NY)
The Plan of Union
In 1801 the GA of the PCUSA and the Connecticut GA (Congregationalist); the plan allowed interchange among pastors as well as mutual forbearance and accommodation
- Was a compromising of confessional beliefs and let to the Old School/New School division
The Old School/New School Division
The New School (liberals, like Albert Barnes, Charles Finney) gained control of the GA; Old School (Charles Hodge)(conservatives, both theologically but some socially—believed in slavery); Split in 1837.
- The Old School adopted the Gardner Spring Resolution which committed their allegiance to the existing federal government (Confederate)—formed the Presbyterian Church in the Confederate States of the America (Southern Church) - 1861
The Presbyterian Church in the Confederate States of the America; Presbyterian Church in US; (Southern Presbyterian Church)
(1861), Benjamin Morgan Palmer was first moderator; James Henley Thornwell and Robert Lewis Dabney (Union Seminary) important figures
The Auburn Affirmation
(1924) Drafted by liberals of the Northern Presbyterian Church, such as Henry Slone Coffin and Robert Nichols, a history professor at Auburn Theological Seminary; this document challenged the procedure of repeatedly affirming additional standards of orthodoxy, besides the Bible and WCF; so in this specific case they challenged the right of the GA to impose the Five Fundamentals as a test of orthodoxy without the concurrence of a vote from the presbyteries; six sections, including—the Bible is not inerrant; the GA has no authority to dictate doctrine to the presbyteries, etc. viewed as the culmination for the Fundamentalist-Modernist controversy (1274 signed it)
The “Five Fundamentals”
The GA’s response to the controversy arising out of Fosdick’s sermon; the GA declared that every candidate seeking ordination ought to affirm:
(1) The inerrancy of Scripture
(2) The virgin birth (and the deity of Jesus)
(3) The doctrine of the substitutionary atonement
(4) The bodily resurrection of Jesus
(5) The authenticity of Christ’s miracles
J. Gresham Machen
(1881-1937) Last of the great Princeton theologians (Archibald Alexander, Charles Hodge, A. A. Hodge, B. B. Warfield)—he was a professor of NT (1915-29); when the Northern Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) and Princeton accepted some of modernist theology, he led a conservative revolt and formed Westminster; in opposition to his denomination’s foreign missions agencies, he created The Independent Board for Presbyterian Missions (1933), for which he was tried, convicted, and suspended—lead to the formation of the OPC; Came face to face with modernism in Germany, where he studied; became the chief defender of Christianity/orthodoxy, notably his books The Origin of Paul’s Religion and Christianity and Liberalism
Westminster formed in 1929
OPC formed in 1936
From What Branch (RPCES)
PCUSA (1869) to PCA (of America) becomes OPC (1936) to BPC (1937; GA in 1938)—two synods (1956): Collingswood (McIntire) and Columbus; Columbus Synod becomes Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC), then joined Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America, General Synod (RPCNA, GS) to form RPCES (1965), then joined into PCA (1982)
Joining and Receiving
When in 1982 the RPCES joined and was received by the PCA; RPCES, OPC, and RPNA invited (because all four hold to Standards); R. Laird Harris, from RPCES was the elector moderator of the GA
RPCES brought Covenant Seminary and Covenant College
GA was held in Grand Rapids, MI
Reasons for Separation (PCA)
30 year struggle between liberals and conservatives; Dr. L. Nelson Bell and others noticed that liberals (e.g., Ernest Trice Thompson) were trying to take over the denomination (e.g., secret organization “Fellowship of St. James”); Different views on Bible, Standards, participation in National Council of Churches and WCC, and their major goal was to unite with the far more liberal and three times larger PCUSA—the Northern Church. The Intolerable Situation.
What were the four key groups responsible for organizing the PCA (and combating the spread of liberalism in the PCUS)?
The Southern Presbyterian Journal (Editor: Aiken Taylor)
Concerned Presbyterians (Ken Keyes - Layman group)
Presbyterian Evangelistic Fellowship (Rev. William Hill)
Presbyterian Churchmen United (Dr. John Richards - Pastor group)
1st constitutional assembly (PCA)
December 4th-7th, 1973 at Briarwood in Birmingham, AL (260 congregations). Jack Williamson was the Moderator and Morton Smith the Clerk.
What are some of the distinctives of the PCA?
(1) According to PCA Vision 2000, “The distinctiveness of the PCA lies in our stress on both reformation and revival (so not sterile doctrine or shallow pietism)
(2) Purpose Statement: Faithful to the Scriptures, true to the Reformed faith, and obedient to the Great Commission of Jesus Christ
(3) Reformed Faith: Solas (grace, faith, scripture, Christ, glory)/Tulip (Total depravity…Unconditional election…Limited atonement…Irresistible grace…Perseverance of the saints
(4) Polity: Session, presbytery, GA
