Christianity: Details about 'Reformed Presbyterian Church Of North America'
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The Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America is a Christian, Protestant, Reformed denomination which adheres to the principles first enunciated during the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. The Church is fully committed "to the authority of the Bible as the inerrant, infallible Word of God," with its subordinate standards embodied in the Westminster Confession of Faith, and based upon the writings of Martin Luther, John Calvin, and John Knox. The form of church government is Presbyterian, in that each congregation is under the oversight of those elected as elders, who are also part of the higher courts known as presbyteries and Synod. See also Presbyterian church governance. Reformed Presbyterians have also been referred to historically as Covenanters because of their identification with public covenanting in Scotland, beginning in the 16th century. In response to the King's attempts to change the style of worship in the churches that had previously been agreed upon (covenanted) by the free assemblies and parliament, a number of ministers affirmed their adherence to those previous agreements by becoming signatories to the "National Covenant" of February 1638 at Greyfriars Kirk, in Edinburgh. It is from this that the blue banner comes, proclaiming "For Christ's Crown & Covenant", as the Reformed Presbyterians, along with other Covenanters, saw the King's attempt to alter the church as an attempt to claim its headship from Jesus (called the Christ). In August, 1643, the Covenanters signed a political treaty with the English Parliamentarians, called the "Solemn League and Covenant". Under this covenant the signatories agreed to establish Presbyterianism as the national church in England and Ireland. In exchange, the "Covenanters" agreed to support the English Parliamentarians against Charles I of England in the English Civil War. The Solemn League and Covenant asserted the privileges of the "crown rights" of Jesus as King over both Church and State, and the Church's right to freedom from coercive State interference. Oliver Cromwell put the independents in power in England, signalling the end of the reforms promised by Parliament. When the monarchy was restored in 1660, some Presbyterians were hopeful in the new covenanted king, as Charles II had sworn to the covenants in Scotland in 1650 and 1651. Charles II, however, determined that he would have none of this talk of covenants. Later, the Reformed Presbyterians were among those to suffer in the persecutions that followed, the worst of which is known as the Killing Time, administered against the Presbyterians while James VII was king of Britain. In 1691, Presbyterianism became the Established Church in Scotland. But because there was no acknowledgment of the sovereignty of Christ in terms of the Solemn League and Covenant, a party of dissenters refused to enter into this national arrangement, on the grounds that it was forced upon the Church and did not adhere to the nation's previous covenanted settlement. These formed into societies which eventually formed the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Scotland. When persecution broke out after Charles II of England had declared the Scottish Covenant illegal, tens of thousands of Scottish covenanters had fled to Ulster, between 1660 and 1690. These Covenanters eventually formed the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Ireland. In 1720 the first Reformed Presbyterian congregation was organized in North America by ruling elders John and James Brown. In 1782, the majority of the church merged with another denomination to form the Associate Reformed Synod. The remaining members who refused to join the merger were reorganized into a presbytery in 1798. There have been at least two splits within this body. A major split occured in 1833, forming the New Light and Old Light Synods of the church. What remained of the New Light Synod eventually merged in the 20th century with what is now known as the Presbyterian Church of America, or PCA. The Old Light Synod had a small split in 1840 that led to the Reformed Presbytery by the minority. The minority survived for some time, but remained small. Over the course of the 1800s, the Old Light Synod eventually changed their name from the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America to the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America. The RPCNA Old Light Synod adopted The Covenant of 1871 in Pittsburgh as their new church covenant. Various occasionally updated editions of their doctrinal standard, Reformation Principles Exhibited, were replaced in 1980 with a new doctrinal statement, the Testimony of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America. The Church has congregations in many locations throughout North America, as well as "sister churches" of Reformed Presbyterians in Ireland, Scotland, and Australia. They also have missionary movements in Japan and Cyprus. The RPCNA is renowned for their historical commitment to strict subscription to the Westminster Confession of Faith (subordinate to The Bible), and the singing of the psalms only, unaccompanied by instruments. Currently, the RPCNA has approximately 7,000 members in 81 congregations in 20 American states and two Canadian provinces. Pennsylvania, Kansas, and Indiana have the largest number of congregations. The denomination is the sponsor of Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania and operates a theological seminary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Related topics: Associate Presbyterians, Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, United Presbyterian Church of North America, Presbyterian Church USA, Presbyterian Church, The Killing Time, Andrew Melville, Oliver Cromwell
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