The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) is the second largest Presbyterian, Protestant church body in the United States, after the Presbyterian Church (USA). The PCA has a strong commitment to evangelism, missionary work, and Christian education. From its inception, the church has determined its purpose to be "faithful to the Scriptures, true to the reformed faith, and obedient to the Great Commission."

History

In December, 1973, delegates from 260 congregations that had left the Presbyterian Church in the United States, gathered at Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama, and organized the National Presbyterian Church, which became the Presbyterian Church in America in

In 1982, the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod, joined the Presbyterian Church in America. The Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod, had been formed in 1965 by a merger of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America, General Synod.

Doctrine

The PCA has made a firm commitment on the doctrinal standards which had been significant in presbyterianism since 1645, namely the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Westminster Shorter Catechism, and the Westminster Larger Catechism. Among the distinctive doctrines of the Westminster Standards and of Reformed tradition is the unique authority of the Bible as the inspired word of God. The Reformers based

Affiliations and agencies

According to its official website, the Presbyterian Church in America has over 1450 churches and missions throughout the USA and Canada. There were 330,182 communicant and non-communicant members as of 2004.

Additionally, the denomination has formed its own agency for sending missionaries throughout the world (Mission to the World), its own ministry to students on college campuses (Reformed University Ministries), and its own college (Covenant College) and seminary (Covenant Theological Seminary). It shares control of a publication company, Great Commission Publications, with its sister denomination, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.

Most recently, the PCA has begun publishing its own denominational magazine, .

Prominent personalities

• Joel Belz, founder of WORLD Magazine and former moderator of the PCA General Assembly.
• James Boice (1938-2000), theologian and pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• Bryan Chappell, president of Covenant Theological Seminary.
• Paul Kooistra, former president of Covenant Theological Seminary and Coordinator of Mission to the World as well as former moderator of the PCA General Assembly.
• Bob Corker, former mayor of Chattanooga and U.S. Senate candidate from Tennessee.
• Ligon Duncan, pastor and president of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals.
• John Frame, theologian and philosopher
• Tim Keller, pastor and church planter.
• D. James Kennedy, pastor and national conservative activist.
• Mo Leverett, founder of Desire Street Ministries, New Orleans, Louisiana
• Marvin Olasky, editor-in-chief of WORLD Magazine.
• Richard Pratt, theologian and professor of Old Testament
• Harry Reeder, pastor.
• John Sartelle, pastor.
• Andree Seu, senior writer for WORLD Magazine.
• RC Sproul, theologian.
• Roy Taylor, Stated Clerk, PCA.
• Danny Wuerffel, former professional football player.
• Jim Talent, United States Senator from Missouri.
• Todd Akin, U.S. Congressman from Missouri.