Reformed Presbyterian Church in the United States: Difference between revisions

The RPCUS began when Chalcedon Presbyterian Church in north [[Atlanta|Atlanta, Georgia]] left he [[Presbyterian Church in America]] in 1983. Chalcedon had set requirements that its elders adhere to both theonomy and postmillennialism; however, groups within the [[Presbyterian Church in America|PCA]]'s North Georgia Presbytery complained that the church was being too strict in its requirements and that it was "going beyond the Westminster Confession." While the complaint was dismissed, Chalcedon sought to become secure in its position. They inquired into the [[Orthodox Presbyterian Church]], but found that they had not yet settled on how to handle theonomy, so they formed their own denomination.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Christian Reconstruction/ Theonomy movement {{!}} Christian Library |url=https://www.christianstudylibrary.org/article/christian-reconstruction-theonomy-movement |website=www.christianstudylibrary.org}}</ref> Chalcedon had begun only nine years earlier under the leadership of Joe Morecraft. After Morecraft ran for Congress in [[1986 United States House of Representatives elections#Georgia|Georgia' s 7th District in 1986]], losing in the general election to incumbent Democrat [[George Darden]], the denomination saw some growth in the Atlanta area. The church was joined in 1987 by Covenant Presbyterian Church, which grew out of a [[Reformed tradition|Reformed]] Bible study group held in [[Buford, Georgia]]. The study group had been partially under the headship of the Rev. Wayne Rogers; however, it would soon be led by Rev. Christopher B. Strevel.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A Church Blazing With Vision|url=https://chalcedon.edu/magazine/a-church-blazing-with-vision|access-date=2021-03-17|website=Chalcedon|language=en-US}}</ref> The denomination eventually had four presbyteries: Covenant Presbytery (based in Atlanta), Hanover Presbytery, Western Presbytery, and Westminster Presbytery. One church split from the RPCUS in 1990 over concerns of the regulative principle of worship—believing only psalms were acceptable in worship.<ref>{{Cite web|title=History of the Reformed Presbytery in North America (General Meeting)|url=http://www.reformedpresbytery.org/history.html|access-date=2021-03-17|website=www.reformedpresbytery.org}}</ref> The next year, Western and Westminster Presbyteries chose to depart and merge, forming the [[Reformed Presbyterian Church General Assembly]] and the Hanover Presbytery also left on its own to form the [[Reformed Presbyterian Church – Hanover Presbytery]]. The split was due, in part, to the RPCUS's failure to establish and maintain a system of church discipline and inability to finalize on a constitution.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Elliott|first=Edwin P|title=Our History and Practices, The Reformed Presbyterian Church - Hanover Presbytery|url=https://rpchanover.org/our-history-and-practices/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-03-17|website=The Reformed Presbyterian Church - Hanover Presbytery|language=en-US}}</ref> Only Covenant Presbytery remained; however, it would continue to grow, particularly in the Southern US. By 2003, the presbytery had 6 churches and 2 mission churches.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2004-12-16|title=RPCUS - Home|url=http://www.rpcus.com/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041216164827/http://www.rpcus.com/|archive-date=2004-12-16|access-date=2021-03-17|website=RPCUS}}</ref>