Presbyterian Church in America

Presbyterian Church in America
Name	Presbyterian Church in America
Main classification	Protestant
Orientation	Reformed
Polity	Presbyterian
Founded date	1973
Founded place	United States
Separated from	Presbyterian Church in the United States
Area	United States, Canada, worldwide missions
Congregations	1,500+
Members	350,000+

Presbyterian Church in America is a conservative Reformed Protestant denomination established in 1973 in the United States. It emerged from a split involving the Presbyterian Church in the United States and developed institutional relationships with Reformed theological seminaries, mission agencies, and ecumenical bodies such as the World Reformed Fellowship and the National Association of Evangelicals. The denomination has been influential in debates alongside actors like the Southern Baptist Convention, Anglican Church in North America, American Evangelicalism, and various Reformed churches.

History

The denomination formed after controversies in the 1960s and 1970s involving the Presbyterian Church in the United States and theological disputes reminiscent of earlier conflicts such as those involving the Auburn Declaration and the Old School–New School Controversy. Key figures and groups from the Southern Presbyterian tradition, including pastors from churches in Atlanta, Georgia, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Birmingham, Alabama, sought affiliation that emphasized the Westminster Confession of Faith and opposition to perceived theological liberalism seen in bodies like the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. Early organizational meetings referenced precedents from gatherings such as the General Assembly (Presbyterian) and drew on networks connected to Reformed Theological Seminary, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and scholars influenced by the Westminster Assembly. The new denomination quickly established presbyteries across regions including the Southeastern United States, expanding involvement with missionaries tied to agencies like the International Mission Board and the World Reformed Fellowship.

Theology and Beliefs

Doctrinally the denomination adheres to the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Westminster Larger Catechism and places emphasis on Reformed doctrines such as predestination, the sovereignty of God in Christianity, and covenant theology that echoes themes found in the works of theologians like John Calvin, John Knox, and Jonathan Edwards. The denomination has engaged with confessional sources alongside contemporary theologians affiliated with institutions such as Reformed Theological Seminary, Dallas Theological Seminary, and scholars associated with Calvin College and Westminster Theological Seminary. Its theological stances have led to alliances and dialogues with entities like the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and critique from liberal denominations including the Presbyterian Church (USA), while influencing social positions comparable to those voiced by the National Association of Evangelicals and conservative policy groups.

Organization and Governance

The denomination practices a Presbyterian polity patterned after historic structures like the Book of Church Order and the General Assembly (Presbyterian). Local congregations are governed by sessions composed of elders and ministers, with regional presbyteries convening similar to assemblies seen in the Church of Scotland and the Free Church of Scotland. The highest court is the General Assembly, which meets annually and interacts with committees and agencies modeled on those in the Synod of Dort and the Protestant Reformation era institutional forms. Leadership figures often have ties to seminaries such as Reformed Theological Seminary and universities like Sewanee: The University of the South and Covenant College, and the denomination coordinates missionary efforts with organizations like the World Mission boards of other Reformed bodies.

Worship and Practices

Worship in the denomination reflects Reformed liturgical commitments including preaching, Psalter or hymn singing, and administration of two sacraments: baptism and the Lord's Supper, practices similar to worship patterns in the Church of Scotland and the Dutch Reformed Church. Liturgies and music programs often draw from hymnody associated with figures like Isaac Watts and Charles Wesley as well as contemporary worship movements present in contexts like the Evangelical Free Church of America and Southern Baptist congregational practices. Communion and baptism policies are governed by confessional standards parallel to those debated in historical councils such as the Synod of Dort and the Westminster Assembly.

Social Issues and Public Witness

The denomination has made public stances on social matters including marriage, sanctity of life, religious liberty, and public ethics, issuing statements that place it alongside groups such as the National Association of Evangelicals, Family Research Council, and some positions held by leaders within the Southern Baptist Convention. Debates within the denomination have involved courts, legislatures, and advocacy networks similar to interactions seen with the Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the Alliance Defending Freedom, and the PCA's policy decisions have affected relationships with ecumenical partners like the Anglican Church in North America and educational institutions like Covenant Theological Seminary.

Demographics and Distribution

Membership is concentrated in the United States with presbyteries in states such as North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, and Florida, and smaller presences in Canada, Mexico, and mission fields in regions including Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. Congregational sizes vary from small rural churches reminiscent of those in the Appalachian region to urban congregations in cities like New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Statistical reporting has been compared to denominational data practices used by the American Bureau of Census and religious research organizations like the Pew Research Center and the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies.

Education and Institutions

The denomination supports seminaries and colleges including Covenant Theological Seminary, Reformed Theological Seminary, Covenant College, and affiliated campus ministries that parallel campus networks like InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and Navigators. It sponsors mission boards and diaconal agencies that cooperate with global partners such as the World Reformed Fellowship, missionary societies in Africa, theological training initiatives in Southeast Asia, and scholarship programs tied to universities like Gordon College and Wheaton College (Illinois). The PCA's institutions engage in publishing, theological education, and church planting efforts analogous to historic Protestant education movements exemplified by Princeton Theological Seminary and Yale Divinity School.

Category:Presbyterian denominations in the United States