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American Presbyterian and Reformed Churches Family Tree

July 6, 2020 · by Cameron Shaffer · in Uncategorized

I was frustrated with the lack of good, simple family trees explaining the American Reformed landscape, so I made my own. Better, more interactive versions are to come (high quality link here).

Lessons from the RCA’s Vision 2020 Report

July 3, 2020 · by Cameron Shaffer · in Uncategorized

The Reformed Church in America (RCA) released its Vision 2020 Report this week, and some of its diagnoses are things to be taken into account for my own EPC. The report recommends that the RCA shift to affinity-based classes rather than being geography-based, allow each classis to determine their position on LGBT marriage and ordination, creating an independent missions board to maintain the RCA’s mission work if the denomination collapses, and mandating a gracious dismissal process for all RCA congregations. The recommendation on the missions board elicited a minority report from the committee that believes “Its structure is voluntary and pragmatic. By design, the agency would be extra-ecclesial, existing outside of the connection and accountability of a covenant community.” This criticism summarizes the warning lights that the RCA’s report contains.

This report and its recommendations are necessary because the RCA has been divided for decades on questions of what its unifying standards and structures should actually be…

Schism and Confessionalism

January 21, 2020 · by Cameron Shaffer · in Uncategorized

“And to stay in one’s own church despite much impurity in doctrine and life is our duty as long as it does not prevent us from being faithful to our own confession and does not force us, even indirectly, to…

On the Short History of Presbyterians and Clerical Collars

May 29, 2019 · by Cameron Shaffer · in Uncategorized

PCA pastor and visiting professor at Covenant Seminary Tim LeCroy has a great article dealing with the presbyterian origins of the clerical collar.

Here we see several members of the 18th c. Church of Scotland (Presbyterian) having their hackles raised over some ostentatious clergymen wearing scarlet cloaks and cravats. Later they hold a Synod where they decide that they ought to wear black gowns and to make use of neck bands. This paragraph shows us two things: the wearing of cravats was considered to be distinctive clerical garb, and the synod of the kirk decided ultimately that modest use of neckbands was permitted…

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Bible Presbyterian Church

Split from the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in 1937, one year after its founding, over the issues of abstinence from alcohol and premillennialism.

Members: 3,500
Congregations: 33
Doctrine: Westminster Standards (Premillenial edit)

Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church

Formed by the Scottish immigrants of the Seceder tradition in 1753, the majority merged with the Covenanters in 1782, and then as the United Presbyterian Church of North America merged with the PCUSA in 1956. The remaining Associate Presbyterians form the ARPC of today.

Members: 39,700
Congregations: 296
Doctrine: Westminster Standards
Affiliations
North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council
World Reformed Fellowship