# Why did Gordon Clark refuse to join the PCA?



## CDM

Does anyone know why Gordon Clark did not join with the PCA when it was formed? What "doctrinal grounds" was Robbins referring to?

An excerpt from _The Trinity Review_, "An Introduction to Gordon H. Clark", July-August, 1993:

Clark entered the United Presbyterian Church -- not the large denomination, which was not called the United Presbyterian Church at that time – but a small, more conservative, denomination. There he fought another battle about both doctrine and church property. When the United Presbyterian denomination joined the mainline church in the 1950s, Clark left that church and joined the Reformed Presbyterian Church, which later merged with the Evangelical Synod to form the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod. He remained a part of that Church until it merged with the Presbyterian Church in America in 1983. *Clark refused to join the Presbyterian Church in America on doctrinal grounds, and for about a year he was the RPCES. Some months before his death in April 1985 he affiliated with Covenant Presbytery.*​
Reference came up on Wikipedia too.


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## Josiah

*bump*


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## Wayne

Chris:

When discussion began in 1980 towards the union of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod (RPCES) and the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), Dr. Clark found himself an opponent of that merger, perhaps in part because the plan also entailed the simultaneous union of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. While the OPC did not come into the merger, the 1982 joining and receiving of the RPCES into the PCA left Dr. Clark with the decision to be dismissed by the Tennessee Valley Presbytery of the PCA on September 11, 1982. He was received by the unaffiliated Covenant Presbytery in May, 1983.

-----Added 6/3/2009 at 04:24:25 EST-----

Chris:

I should have explained Dr. Clark's opposition to the OPC: He had charges brought against him when he was a member of the OPC and was seeking ordination to the ministry. Very complicated, largely philosophical matter, and still discussed to this day. Probably a thread about it laying around here somewhere. Hence his opposition to any affiliation with the OPC, realized or intended.


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## Calvin'scuz

Wayne said:


> Chris:
> Chris:
> 
> I should have explained Dr. Clark's opposition to the OPC: He had charges brought against him when he was a member of the OPC and was seeking ordination to the ministry. *Very complicated, largely philosophical matter, and still discussed to this day.* Probably a thread about it laying around here somewhere. Hence his opposition to any affiliation with the OPC, realized or intended.



Possibly something to do concerning his ongoing "fracas" with Van Til???


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## Oecolampadius

-----Added 6/3/2009 at 08:54:19 EST-----



Calvin'scuz said:


> Wayne said:
> 
> 
> 
> Chris:
> Chris:
> 
> I should have explained Dr. Clark's opposition to the OPC: He had charges brought against him when he was a member of the OPC and was seeking ordination to the ministry. *Very complicated, largely philosophical matter, and still discussed to this day.* Probably a thread about it laying around here somewhere. Hence his opposition to any affiliation with the OPC, realized or intended.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Possibly something to do concerning his ongoing "fracas" with Van Til???
Click to expand...


Got this from the OPC website:



> On August 9, 1944, the Presbytery of Philadelphia ordained Gordon Clark.
> 
> A complaint against his ordination, filed in the Presbytery and eventually reaching the General Assembly in 1945, launched the "Clark Controversy" within the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. The dispute took place on three levels. First, the complaints noted irregularities that attended the ordination (Clark was licensed to preach and ordained in the same meeting). The General Assembly agreed that the Presbytery erred, but it did not overturn the ordination. Secondly, there were concerns whether Clark's views on divine and human knowledge gave adequate account for the "incomprehensibility of God." Finally, the controversy was part of a larger debate over the direction of the denomination between more Reformed and more evangelical parties.
> 
> Convinced that the OPC was becoming too narrow and sectarian, Clark left in 1948, transferring his ministerial credentials into the United Presbyterian Church of North America. Later, he joined the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod. At the time of his death in 1985, he was retired from teaching philosophy at Butler University and Covenant College.
> 
> - John Muether


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## Josiah

Chippy said:


> -----Added 6/3/2009 at 08:54:19 EST-----
> 
> 
> 
> Calvin'scuz said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Wayne said:
> 
> 
> 
> Chris:
> Chris:
> 
> I should have explained Dr. Clark's opposition to the OPC: He had charges brought against him when he was a member of the OPC and was seeking ordination to the ministry. *Very complicated, largely philosophical matter, and still discussed to this day.* Probably a thread about it laying around here somewhere. Hence his opposition to any affiliation with the OPC, realized or intended.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Possibly something to do concerning his ongoing "fracas" with Van Til???
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Got this from the OPC website:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On August 9, 1944, the Presbytery of Philadelphia ordained Gordon Clark.
> 
> A complaint against his ordination, filed in the Presbytery and eventually reaching the General Assembly in 1945, launched the "Clark Controversy" within the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. The dispute took place on three levels. First, the complaints noted irregularities that attended the ordination (Clark was licensed to preach and ordained in the same meeting). The General Assembly agreed that the Presbytery erred, but it did not overturn the ordination. Secondly, there were concerns whether Clark's views on divine and human knowledge gave adequate account for the "incomprehensibility of God." *Finally, the controversy was part of a larger debate over the direction of the denomination between more Reformed and more evangelical parties.*
> 
> Convinced that the OPC was becoming too narrow and sectarian, Clark left in 1948, transferring his ministerial credentials into the United Presbyterian Church of North America. Later, he joined the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod. At the time of his death in 1985, he was retired from teaching philosophy at Butler University and Covenant College.
> 
> - John Muether
> 
> Click to expand...
Click to expand...


The bolded passage is key In my humble opinion


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## Scott1

I'm not familiar with the specifics of this individual's situation.

The history, though illustrates something important- there are important distinctions between conservative evangelical churches and reformed ones. Much in common but some important distinctions that were played out in the OPC's founding.

Over the doctrinal place of temperance, millennial eschatology, the doctrines of grace- the OPC stayed true to the historic, biblical reformed truths. The then Bible Presbyterian Church, in the 1930's separated as they went more "evangelical" fundamentalist. A series of mergers and changes brought the EPCES back into the PCA from the evangelical/fundamental line in the providence of God in the 1980's.

I'm not sure where the individual you mention was in all this, but likely, as he was a scholar, he saw and understood all this.

The OPC has always been faithful to the reformed faith- and we all owe them a debt of gratitude for that.


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## kalawine

I have the book, "The Clark-Van Til Controversy by Herman Hoeksema." It explains the ordeal pretty well. Here is a link to an overview of the book. Please excuse the John Robbins biased editor's note at the top of the page . The rest is pure Hoeksema.  
Hoeksema - The Clark-Van Til Controversy


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## rbcbob

kalawine said:


> I have the book, "The Clark-Van Til Controversy by Herman Hoeksema." It explains the ordeal pretty well. Here is a link to an overview of the book. Please excuse the John Robbins biased editor's note at the top of the page . The rest is pure Hoeksema.
> Hoeksema - The Clark-Van Til Controversy



Robert Reymond devotes several pages to the Clark-Van Til controversy in his book _Justification of Knowledge_ focusing on their epistemological disagreements.


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## Spinningplates2

Does anyone know why if Dr. Clark had problems with the PCA? If so what were they? I did not know that I needed to know, but like when Paul explained the 9th commandment, now there is nothing I need to know more.


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## CDM

Thanks, all.

I am left to wonder how and if Clark's rejection of the 'Free Offer' had anything to do with his rejection of the PCA as it apparently did with the OPC.


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