Trace the historical roots of the RPCES (Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod Flashcards
From which major branch of Presbyterianism did the RPCES comes? Why is the RPCES important to PCA history? Identify and explain the significance of the Independent Board for Presbyterian Foreign Missions, J. Oliver Buswell, Robert Rayburn, Francis Schaeffer, and Carl McIntire.
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
Independent Board for Presbyterian Foreign Missions
(1933) Formed by Machen and other conservatives in opposition to the Northern Presbyterian Church’s foreign missions agencies; important in the founding of the OPC
J. Oliver Buswell
(1895-1977) Theologian and educator; president of Wheaton College; Dean of Covenant Seminary; wrote 2 volume ST; together with Machen and Harold S. Laird took his stand against modernists in PCUSA, helped form OPC, yet soon joined McIntire in the Bible Presbyterian Church (due to his premillennialist views, and social views)
Robert Rayburn
First president of Covenant College and Seminary; played a major role in the events that lead to the split of the BPC
Francis Schaeffer
(1912-1984) Formed L’Abri; promoted a middle path between evidentialism and presuppositionalism; part of Bible Presbyterian Church; wrote A Christian Manifesto (political activism); film, Whatever Happened to the Human Race?
Carl McIntire
(1906-2002) Founder of and minister in Bible Presbyterian Church (after split with OPC)—emphasized Fundamentalist distinctives, such as supporting political involvement (anti-communist, etc.), a premillenarianist view of eschatology, abstinence of tobacco and alcohol, and separatism; founder and long president of International Council of Christian Churches (as opposed to World Council of Churches); radio program, “The Twentieth Century Reformation Hour”; pastor of Collingswood (60 years); all his ministries collapsed
Where did the modern EPC come from?
- Formed in 1981 by pastors from the northern and southern mainline Presbyterian denominations
- Started as a series of prayer meetings
