InevitablyReformed
Puritan Board Freshman
What are the main differences between the OPC and the PCA? What keeps two presbyterian denominations who hold to the WCF from joining?
Thanks,
Daniel
Thanks,
Daniel
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*Watches from the sidelines in the ARP*
Honestly, I'd prefer the orthodox Presbyterian denominations stay split.
If the denominations were joined, then heresey would be able to traverse across congregations more rapidly. With things as they are now, only the PCA is suffering from the FV, while the ARP and, seemingly the OPC, seems to suffer no problems. If we were joined, I think there would be a greater propensity for widespread heresey. As it stands, heresey must traverse several barriers and is unlike the infiltrate ALL of the orthodox Presbyterian denominations. At least this way, while we might be seperate in name, at any one time one of us will at least, probably, uphold orthodoxy if the others should fall victim to heresey.
Also, all you have to do is look at the PCA BCO and the OPC BCO. Its like night and day.
I would agree with Glenn's post. Especially on government. How the OPC and PCA GA's are handled are completely opposite. I would say that the PCA GA is more like a convention. Also, all you have to do is look at the PCA BCO and the OPC BCO. Its like night and day.
The OPC BCO is also in a very nice clothbound book. Quite convenient and well-conceived.
I would agree with Glenn's post. Especially on government. How the OPC and PCA GA's are handled are completely opposite. I would say that the PCA GA is more like a convention. Also, all you have to do is look at the PCA BCO and the OPC BCO. Its like night and day.
For instance...?
American Presbyterianism has been in constant churn and realignment since the first presbytery was formed in 1706.
American Presbyterianism has been in constant churn and realignment since the first presbytery was formed in 1706.
I don't want to hear another criticism of independency!
My ARP BCO is loose-leaf as well. Though I think they just do that to keep up with the Jones's.
The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church as we know it today comes to us across a lengthy history of service in two lands, the British Isles and North America. It had its beginnings in the preaching of John Knox in Scotland when the Scottish Church became the official church of Scotland in 1560 A.D. As always the case when the church and state become too closely allied, controversy and bitter strife over control became a way of life for church and state alike.
Things improved somewhat under King William III in 1688 A.D. as he reorganized the Church of Scotland into the Established Presbyterian Church of Scotland. In spite of the improvement, however, a great number of problems still existed, and in 1733 a pastor by the name of Ebenezer Erskine led a group of Christians in forming a separate Associate Presbytery (from thence comes the first part of our name). Ten years later, another group of Christians who for years had suffered problems with the established church organized themselves into the Reformed Presbytery.
Both churches spread to Northern Ireland as the Scots were forced to emigrate and both came to America with those "Scots-Irish" folks. The immigrants came to the Pennsylvania area at first, and it was there that both the Associate and the Reformed Presbyteries of Pennsylvania were organized in the 1750-1770 time period.
It was a heady time in the new world, and all the "old alliances" were being called into question. The new America was emerging and at the same time our forefathers were seeking to create a new church as well. Formal union talks between the "Associates" and the "Reformed" began in 1777 and by 1782 the Associate Reformed Synod came to be in Philadelphia. This Synod, even though all "Associates" and "Reformeds" did not join, included churches in Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, North and South Carolina and Georgia.
ARP History
Eight years later, the Associate Reformed Presbytery of the Carolinas and Georgia was formed in Abbeville County, S.C., followed some twenty years later (1803) by the division of the entire church into four Synods and one General Synod. The Synods were those of the Carolinas, Pennsylvania, New York and Scioto with the headquarters of the church in Philadelphia. In 1822 the Synod of the Carolinas was granted separate status, and by the end of the century was the sole remaining body of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church as several mergers over the years had absorbed the rest of the denomination into the old United Presbyterian Church. The remaining "A.R.P.s" in the Southeast continued on as the denomination we have today.
There are now ten Presbyteries in North America: Canada Presbytery, the Presbytery of the Northeast (Northeastern United States), Virginia Presbytery (Virginia and West Virginia), First Presbytery (North Carolina), Catawba Presbytery (Eastern South Carolina), Second Presbytery (Western South Carolina and Georgia), Florida Presbytery, Tennessee-Alabama Presbytery (Eastern Tennessee and Alabama), Mississippi Valley Presbytery (Arkansas, Missouri, Western Tennessee, Kentucky, and Mississippi), and Pacific Presbytery (Washington, Oregon, and California).
One big difference in terms of practice is that the OPC is far less hesitant to appoint commissions when choosing between those and committees.What are the main differences between the OPC and the PCA? What keeps two presbyterian denominations who hold to the WCF from joining?
Thanks,
Daniel
*Watches from the sidelines in the ARP*
Honestly, I'd prefer the orthodox Presbyterian denominations stay split.
If the denominations were joined, then heresey would be able to traverse across congregations more rapidly. With things as they are now, only the PCA is suffering from the FV, while the ARP and, seemingly the OPC, seems to suffer no problems. If we were joined, I think there would be a greater propensity for widespread heresey. As it stands, heresey must traverse several barriers and is unlike the infiltrate ALL of the orthodox Presbyterian denominations. At least this way, while we might be seperate in name, at any one time one of us will at least, probably, uphold orthodoxy if the others should fall victim to heresey.
*Watches from the sidelines in the ARP*
Honestly, I'd prefer the orthodox Presbyterian denominations stay split.
If the denominations were joined, then heresey would be able to traverse across congregations more rapidly. With things as they are now, only the PCA is suffering from the FV, while the ARP and, seemingly the OPC, seems to suffer no problems. If we were joined, I think there would be a greater propensity for widespread heresey. As it stands, heresey must traverse several barriers and is unlike the infiltrate ALL of the orthodox Presbyterian denominations. At least this way, while we might be seperate in name, at any one time one of us will at least, probably, uphold orthodoxy if the others should fall victim to heresey.
Andrew, brother, I write as a great admirer of the ARP. My chief mentor was one of its most visible ministers. But, you are naive if you think the ARP is unaffected by the current controversy. Witness one of your primary seminary prof's unreserved testimonial to Norman Shepherd on the back cover of the Call of Grace, and then look at some of his other writings.
To say the OPC is similiarly immune is also false.
We all have this problem, and we all have to deal with it.