| Reformed Presbyterian Church General Assembly | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | RPCGA |
| Type | Western Christian |
| Classification | Protestant |
| Orientation | Reformed |
| Polity | Presbyterian |
| Origin | 1991 |
| Separated from | Reformed Presbyterian Church in the United States |
| Separations | Covenant Presbyterian Church |
| Congregations | 12[1] |
| Official website | https://www.rpcga.org |
TheReformed Presbyterian Church General Assembly (RPCGA) is aPresbyterian church body and conservative denomination in theUnited States established in 1991. The RPCGA was founded by members of theReformed Presbyterian Church in the United States.
The first American presbytery was formed inPhiladelphia in 1706. In 1716 it became theSynod of Philadelphia (Synod of the Trinity).[2] In 1729, the Synod of Philadelphia adopted theWestminster Confession and theLarger andShorter catechisms as itsconfession of faith. In 1788, the Synod adopted the official name of the "Presbyterian Church in the United States of America" and held its first meeting in 1789.[3] In 1857, the New School movement became divided over the issue ofslavery and formed the United Synod of the Presbyterian Church. In 1861, the Old School movement of the South withdrew from the national church and formed the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the Confederate States of America, a continuing church of the former body.[3] Near the end of theAmerican Civil War, the Presbyterian Church in theConfederate States of America and a few smaller synods formed thePresbyterian Church in the United States.[citation needed] In 1972, a conservative movement removed itself from the Presbyterian Church in the United States to form thePresbyterian Church in America. In 1982, theReformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod merged with the Presbyterian Church in America.
In 1983, a few churches in the North Georgia Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America withdrew from the denomination over purity ofdoctrine andecclesiastical practices, calling themselves Covenant Presbytery. In 1985, Covenant Presbytery formed theReformed Presbyterian Church in the United States as acontinuing church. In 1990, the Reformed Presbyterian Church divided into four presbyteries and changed its name to the Reformed Presbyterian Church in the Americas.
The following year three of the four presbyteries chose to depart, citing the Reformed Presbyterian Church in America's failure to establish and maintain a system of church discipline and inability to finalize on a constitution.[4]
After the departure, the Western Presbytery dissolved itself with several churches electing to join with the Westminster Presbytery. One member church left theHanover Presbytery (which chose to stand alone to this day) and also joined the Westminster Presbytery. During this time, the Westminster Presbytery sought counsel with representatives of several other denominations, some of whom requested that the presbytery join with their denomination.
Its first general assembly adopted the Book of Church Order utilizing large parts of the original from theWestminster Assembly. Boundaries for four presbyteries were laid out, with churches established in each.
The RPCGA is aconservativeProtestant Christian body andcontinuing church. It is alsoconfessional.[5] The church upholds the teaching ofSola scriptura, receiving it as the inspired and inerrant Word of God.[5] A literal interpretation of the Bible is followed and clearly demonstrated in its stances oncreationism, homosexuality andsame-sex marriage, feminism, and liberalism. It forbids the "teaching or practice" ofcharismaticism,dispensationalism,Arminianism,altar calls,abortion,homosexuality,neo-orthodoxy,modernism,humanism,feminism,evolution,Roman Catholicism, andliberalism.[5][6][7][8] It holds toYoung Earth creationism.[5] In addition to the Bible the RPCGA adopts the Book of Church Order containing the Westminster Confession and Larger and Shorter catechisms as its subordinate standards.
The church's teachings forbid women in church office and rejectscompulsory military service for women.[5][9]
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