What are the main differences between the OPC, PCA, and EPC.

[Jash Comstock]

I am wondering what are the main differences between the three main orthodox presbyterian denominations. Could someone please elaborate on these differences?

 

[sastark]

They're not the ARP!

 

[GulfCoast Presbyterian]

This is helpful, although I would quibble with a minor point or two. The PB's Pointy Haired Calvinist created it: Presbyterian and Reformed Churches

 

[Marrow Man]

The EPC allows the ordination of females and is not a member of NARPARC.

 

[Edward]

EPC allows ordination of women to all offices on a local-option basis and permits speaking in tongues. A lot of local autonomy on 'non-essentials' that some folks here would classify as essentials.
OPC is the smallest and most homogeneous of the 3 mentioned. Has a reputation, historically not entirely undeserved, of being less aggressive in expansion, more inwardly focused on purity. They are the most orthodox of the 3 mentioned.
PCA is the largest and the most mixed bag, with emphasis on mission over purity, to a large extent. (Although some Presbyteries strive to maintain the standards.)

---------- Post added at 08:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:05 PM ----------

Origins: Founders of the OPC broke from the northern church (PCUSA pre UPUSA), PCA broke from the Southern church (PCUS), and the EPC broke from re-united PCUSA.

 

[PuritanCovenanter]

They're not the ARP!

They aren't the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America either.

 

[Backwoods Presbyterian]

EPC allows ordination of women to all offices on a local-option basis and permits speaking in tongues. A lot of local autonomy on 'non-essentials' that some folks here would classify as essentials.
OPC is the smallest and most homogeneous of the 3 mentioned. Has a reputation, historically not entirely undeserved, of being less aggressive in expansion, more inwardly focused on purity. They are the most orthodox of the 3 mentioned.
PCA is the largest and the most mixed bag, with emphasis on mission over purity, to a large extent. (Although some Presbyteries strive to maintain the standards.)

---------- Post added at 08:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:05 PM ----------

Origins: Founders of the OPC broke from the northern church (PCUSA pre UPUSA), PCA broke from the Southern church (PCUS), and the EPC broke from re-united PCUSA.

Just a slight historical correction, the EPC broke off the northern UPCUSA prior to the hostile takeover of the PCUS.

 

[Marrow Man]

Just a slight historical correction, the EPC broke off the northern UPCUSA prior to the hostile takeover of the PCUS.

That's what I was thinking too. Wasn't it around 1978 or 1979? And wasn't it essentially to accommodate churches that wanted to leave the mainline group but didn't want to be a part of the OPC and PCA?

 

[GulfCoast Presbyterian]

The EPC broke off of the Northern branch (UPCUSA) in 1981.

 

[Edward]

Just a slight historical correction, the EPC broke off the northern UPCUSA prior to the hostile takeover of the PCUS.

Thanks. I should have looked rather than going from memory.

 

[rmwilliamsjr]

We've been members in all three denominations. I've found the OPC more intellectual, the PCA more evangelical and the EPC a bigger tent-a bit more liberal.
As far as i can tell they all recruit from the same social classes: middle class, educated, heavy on intellectual occupations like engineers and teachers, but i suppose this is a function of the size of the city i live in as much as the churches we've seen.

They use the same group of seminaries to train pastors with the EPC again a bit more liberal.
As far as I know, visualizing them as a venn diagram, the PCA is a large circle, the OPC a much smaller one completely inside of the PCA one, the EPC intersects both but has a significant part outside both to the left.

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