Gordon Clark and the PCA

[TylerRay]

Why did Gordon Clark refuse to join the PCA during the Joining and Receiving with the RPCES in 1984?

 

[Cedarbay]

I would contact the editor at The Trinity Foundation, as he's been helpful to me in the past.

 

[Rev. Todd Ruddell]

Tyler, have you read this paper from Clark?

http://gordonhclark.reformed.info/the-proposal-to-abolish-the-rpces-by-gordon-h-clark/

 

[Jake]

Is it true that the Covenant Presbytery he ended up in after the joining and receiving ending up becoming the RPCUS, or are the two not linked?

 

[TylerRay]

Tyler, have you read this paper from Clark?

http://gordonhclark.reformed.info/the-proposal-to-abolish-the-rpces-by-gordon-h-clark/

Not until just now! Thanks, Rev. Ruddell. That's very helpful.

 

[TylerRay]

Is it true that the Covenant Presbytery he ended up in after the joining and receiving ending up becoming the RPCUS, or are the two not linked?

Others are more qualified to answer, but my understanding is that, yes, it became the RPCUS, which then divided after agreement upon a constitution could not be reached. The resulting denominations are the RPCUS, the RPC(GA), and the RPC, Hanover.

 

[Wayne]

Rev. Ruddell's above-linked GHC article would be your best resource.

We did have a thread on this same question in 2009:
https://www.puritanboard.com/threads/why-did-gordon-clark-refuse-to-join-the-pca.49115/
[Douma corrects my prior thinking that GHC opposed merger due to his views of the OPC]

And for a more recent and much more thorough answer, see Doug Douma's bio of Clark (2016), specifically the section "The Presbyterian Church in America: To Join or Not to Join," pages 235-239.

Also, the Covenant Presbytery (unaffiliated), was a 1971 break-away from the Bible Presbyterian Church, Collingswood Synod. When Carl McIntire was finally shown the door by the Collingswood Synod group, Covenant Presbytery disbanded and rejoined the Synod, in 1986. The Synod group also renamed itself about that time, becoming the BPC, General Synod.

The RPCUS was formed in 1983 when Joe Morecraft led like-minded theonomists out of the PCA. That group had nothing to do with the Covenant Presbytery (unaffiliated).

 

[TylerRay]

Also, the Covenant Presbytery (unaffiliated), was a 1971 break-away from the Bible Presbyterian Church, Collingswood Synod. When Carl McIntire was finally shown the door by the Collingswood Synod group, Covenant Presbytery disbanded and rejoined the Synod, in 1986. The Synod group also renamed itself about that time, becoming the BPC, General Synod.

The RPCUS was formed in 1983 when Joe Morecraft led like-minded theonomists out of the PCA. That group had nothing to do with the Covenant Presbytery (unaffiliated).

This is very interesting. For the first couple of years of its existence, the group that was to be called the RPCUS was, indeed called Covenant Presbytery; however, I didn't know about the Bible Presbyterian group called Covenant Presbytery. So, for two or three years, there were two independent presbyteries with the same name! And during those few years, Clark joined one of them (the Bible Presbyterian group--thanks, Wayne). 20th century American Presbyterian history is mind-boggling!

 

[Jake]

This is very interesting. For the first couple of years of its existence, the group that was to be called the RPCUS was, indeed called Covenant Presbytery; however, I didn't know about the Bible Presbyterian group called Covenant Presbytery. So, for two or three years, there were two independent presbyteries with the same name! And during those few years, Clark joined one of them (the Bible Presbyterian group--thanks, Wayne). 20th century American Presbyterian history is mind-boggling!

I wouldn't be surprised if there might be some mixed up history internally, too. This is what the church that Joe Morecraft currently pastors says about the origin of the RPC Hanover Presbytery: "Hanover Presbytery has a colorful history. It began in the early 1700’s and Patrick Henry grew up in one of its churches. It was re-constituted in the early 1990’s." https://heritagepresbyterianchurch.com/about/

 

[TylerRay]

I wouldn't be surprised if there might be some mixed up history internally, too. This is what the church that Joe Morecraft currently pastors says about the origin of the RPC Hanover Presbytery: "Hanover Presbytery has a colorful history. It began in the early 1700’s and Patrick Henry grew up in one of its churches. It was re-constituted in the early 1990’s." https://heritagepresbyterianchurch.com/about/

Yeah, I'm curious what their claim to continuity with the historic Hanover Presbytery is.

 

[Pilgrim]

Tyler, have you read this paper from Clark?

http://gordonhclark.reformed.info/the-proposal-to-abolish-the-rpces-by-gordon-h-clark/

This is truly remarkable:

Those of you who know the history you should know will recognize that if there is any man in these three denominations whom the OPC has treated harshly, I am that man. No one has a greater reason to dislike them. Yet so far am I from hating them that one essential condition for my joining the PCA is that the OPC be included. If the OPC wants to remain separate, it is free to do so by its own vote. But for the PCA to uninvite them is dishonorable and unchristian. If the RPCES now joins the PCA, it will have twice impugned the orthodoxy of the OPC. This is not only unecumenical, but much worse it is discourteous and dishonorable.

 

[TylerRay]

This is truly remarkable:

I agree. It's not often that Clark is represented as an ecumenist.

 

[Pilgrim]

I agree. It's not often that Clark is represented as an ecumenist.

It is not so much that as it is the fact that latter day "Clarkians" appear to be more Clarkian than Clark on the OPC. Keep in mind that this merger talk was immediately in the wake of the Norman Shepherd controversy, where he escaped formal discipline. I remember reading somewhere years ago that this controversy was one reason why some were opposed to union with the OPC at that time, although I'm sure that wasn't the only factor. (In 1986, the PCA did vote to merge with the OPC, with the OPC rejecting it at that time.) Whatever you want to say about the OPC, I think you'd have a hard time arguing that it is clearly in worse shape now (or 10 years ago--I'm less familiar with developments after about 2007) on justification than it was back then.

I had the same question as the OP. Given the heated rhetoric of Robbins and other Clarkians vs the OPC, I thought maybe GHC stayed out because an OPC merger was on the table, and not the opposite. (I also wasn't aware the timing of the various votes.) But I also seem to recall that Clark never wanted to leave the OPC in the first place but eventually withdrew from the controversy and left for the RPCGA when his friends decided they didn't want any further part in it.

 

[Pilgrim]

Also, the Covenant Presbytery (unaffiliated), was a 1971 break-away from the Bible Presbyterian Church, Collingswood Synod. When Carl McIntire was finally shown the door by the Collingswood Synod group, Covenant Presbytery disbanded and rejoined the Synod, in 1986. The Synod group also renamed itself about that time, becoming the BPC, General Synod.

I believe Dr. Allan Macrae would be the most well known name affiliated with this presbytery. That history is summarized here.

MacRae’s influence as a teacher grew strong at Faith Seminary. Although the seminary was officially unaffiliated and welcomed students from diverse ethnic and denominational backgrounds, many graduates became ministers in the BPC and went on to various positions of influence in the Reformed Presbyterian Church (Evangelical Synod) and the PCA. However, beginning in the 1950s, tensions within the BPC spilled over into Faith Seminary. Specifically at issue was a debate over synod-controlled agencies, including the desire of some to establish an official denominational college and seminary. MacRae and Carl McIntire (chairman of the board of directors at the seminary) strongly opposed synod-controlled agencies. Thus, most of the faculty members felt that they were being pressured to avoid participation in the agencies and of their own denominations. The subsequent division of the Bible Presbyterians into two synods (Columbus and Collingswood) in 1956 led to a mass exodus at Faith Seminary: professors R. Laird Harris, Peter Stam, Jr., William A. Sanderson, and almost the entire faculty resigned. MacRae, left nearly alone at Faith Seminary, remained loyal to McIntire, the Collingswood group, and the mission of the seminary he had established.

This loyalty, however, would also disintegrate as McIntire’s control over Faith Seminary became overbearing. Beginning in 1969 McIntire tried to force MacRae into functional retirement. In May 1971, McIntire and the seminary board succeeded in ousting MacRae against his will. This action resulted in a final break between MacRae and McIntire. With a heavy heart, MacRae renounced all affiliation with Faith Seminary and left the Collingswood Synod to form the small, unaffiliated Covenant Presbytery. That same year, with the help of Presbyterian evangelist John (“Jack”) W. Murray, MacRae began yet another seminary, Biblical School of Theology (Hatfield, Penn.; later renamed Biblical Theological Seminary). MacRae again served as the seminary president while still teaching tirelessly. For most of his academic career it was his habit to take on heavy teaching duties in addition to his regular administrative tasks. His only respite came in the summers and on holidays when he would take hiking and walking trips to various parts of the country.

 

[TylerRay]

RPCGA

RPCGS--Not to nitpick. You may know that there is a great esteem for Clark on the part of many in the RPCGA; even though it came into existence after his death, it could get confusing not to clearly distinguish between the two.

 

[Pilgrim]

RPCGS--Not to nitpick. You may know that there is a great esteem for Clark on the part of many in the RPCGA; even though it came into existence after his death, it could get confusing not to clearly distinguish between the two.

Thanks. RPCGS, RPCES, RPCNA, RPCGA, etc. I knew it wasn't the RPCGA but my fingers were apparently going faster than my brain.

 

[TylerRay]

Thanks. RPCGS, RPCES, RPCNA, RPCGA, etc. I knew it wasn't the RPCGA but my fingers were apparently going faster than my brain.

I figured as much.