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ARP History -- Kent Moorlach
To chart the streams that lead to the present day Associate Reformed
Presbyterian Church, one must first begin at its source in the Protestant
Reformation. In Western Europe, it was the challenge of authority
of the Roman Catholic Church that began after the time of the Renaissance
in the 15th century. Martin Luther, a German priest and professor,
stands out as a major architect of the Protestant Reformation. His
posting of the 95 Thesis (in this case, 95 grievances against the
Roman Catholic Church) on the Castle-church door in Wittenberg, Germany
in 1517, precipitated a growing stream of theologians who further
refined the Reformation’s insight concerning the nature of
God and His relationship with humanity. Chief among these theologians
was John Calvin. His concise writings and persuasive defense of Reformation
Theology made his residence of Geneva a training ground for many
influential pastors. Among them was John Knox, a Scotsman who studied
under Calvin and returned to his native Scotland with full conviction
of Reformation truths and with a zeal to establish a pure church
based upon Presbyterian polity. Other Reformed communities developed
in England, Holland and France.
The Roman Catholic Church at this time not only struggled with the
Protestant Reformers theologically, but also politically. The Roman
Catholic Church possessed a great deal of influence among ruling
monarchs, land owners, and the wealthy. Regular conflicts regarding
the ultimate authority on how to worship God and how to organize
His church lead to years of intense debate and persecution.
One such controversy foisted Ebenezer and Ralph Erskine unto the
social scene. Brothers, and gifted ministers, the Erskines took umbrage
with the Patronage Act, which gave the chief landowners a majority
vote in deciding which pastors would serve in their parishes – essentially
trumping the vote of a congregation. In response to this, Ebenezer
Erskine’s sermon at the Synod of Perth (1732) deriding Patronage
in the Church of Scotland lead to his suspension, and subsequently
gave momentum to the “Seceders.”1 Having determined that
the Church of Scotland had ignored a tenant of Presbyterian essentials,
a group of four ministers (including Ebenezer Erskine, James Fisher,
William Wilson, and Alexander Moncrieff) organized the Associate
Presbytery of Scotland at Gairney Bridge, near Kinross, on December
6, 1733. In 1737, brother Ralph also joined. By 1744, the Associate
Presbytery became a Synod of 26 ministers and their presbyteries.
Another group born of controversy was the “Covenanters.” Since
1638, these mostly English Christians made a theological and political
distinction regarding the true “King” of the Church – it
was not the current monarch of the land or day, but the risen and
ruling Jesus Christ. Earthly monarchs required oaths of allegiance
to their authority; but the Covenanters found this to be repugnant.
In Scotland, in 1752, a group of like minded Presbyterians opposing
the Church of Scotland, organized the Reformed Presbytery.
The persistent persecutions of many Protestant groups lead to a steady
migration to the Americas. The New England states received many transplants
from the British Isles, and along with them, their Protestant convictions.
Without the political milieu of Europe, every stripe of Protestant
church began to flourish in America. The necessity for qualified
ministers prompted many pastors to embark on a new life in the New
World. Upon arriving in the Colonies, these pastors were quick to
identify many factors that united them in life, culture, theology,
and ministry; factors previously obscured by tensions abroad. The
similarities among these distinct groups made the discussion of uniting
into a single body overwhelmingly obvious. On November 1, 1782 the
Associate Presbyteries of Pennsylvania and New York, and the Reformed
Presbytery, combined to form the Associate Reformed Church and Synod
(the first church merger in the United States, however, not all Associate
and Reformed Presbyterian churches joined this union).
The Associate Reformed Church flourished. After twenty years, the
original Synod was divided into four Synods, the Synod of New York,
the Synod of Pennsylvania, the Synod of the Carolinas, and the Synod
of Scioto. The first meeting of the General Synod of the Associate
Reformed Church was held at Greencastle, Pennsylvania on May 30,
1804.2
This union and “flourishing” was tested regularly;
not due to any outside persecution as experienced overseas, but by
the expanse of country covered by the denomination, and the related
difficulty of travel for southern and western delegates to attend
the church courts held in Pennsylvania. This was a primary reason
for establishing regional and coordinate Synods -- to keep the weeks
of travel to a minimum. Nevertheless, in 1820, the Synod of Scioto
became an independent and separate Synod. On April 1, 1822, the Synod
of the Carolinas also became an independent and separate Synod known
as the “Associate Reformed Synod of the South.” This
date remains significant to today’s Associate Reformed Church
as it is the only Synod of the Associate Reformed that has continued
to this day. The three other original “1804 Synods,” along
with the earliest “1782 non-joining” Associate and Reformed
Presbyterians have either dissolved, merged with other Presbyterian
affiliations, or essentially maintained their unique denominational
identity.3
Although predominately in the southeast, the ARP Church has over
230 churches located coast to coast in the United States and Canada,
as well as active mission work and affiliations all over the world.
Abroad, the Associate Reformed Church has a significant impact in
countries as divers as Wales, Mexico, and Pakistan. The ARP’s
Seminary and College established in 1836 in Due West Corner, South
Carolina carries the name of Erskine.
1. The Erskines were involved in many theological debates, significant among
them
is, the Marrow of Modern Divinity. Although this will not be discussed here,
suffice it to say, they ardently defended the free offer of the gospel to all,
not requiring a prior “condition” from those who would be exposed
to their preaching.
2. Allison, A Short History…, p. 6
3. Several charts outlining the interweaving of Presbyterian denominations are
available; but they also require a knowledgeable person to explain the historical
intricacies
involved.
Sources
Allison, L. M. A Short History of the Associate Reformed Church:
Its Agencies and Institutions, 1999
Carson, John L. The Secession (1733): Contending for the Gospel
or Quarreling about Words, Paper presented At 2003 ARP General Synod
Roberts, William R. Another Bicentennial Celebration? The Associate
Reformed Presbyterian, May 2003
Whytock, Jack C. The Associate Reformed Synod of 1782: Union or
Betrayal, Paper presented At 2003 ARP General Synod
Van Dalen, Emily. A Brief History of World Witness: The Board of
Foreign Missions of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, ISBN
1-932221-06-9, 2003
Web Sites: Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church; First Associate
Reformed
Presbyterian Church; Erskine College, Lake Wales Associate Reformed
Presbyterian Church, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.); SketchesoftheUnitedPresbyterianChurchCongregationOfIndiana
