View source for Reformed Presbyterian Church General Assembly

{{Short description|Presbyterian church body and denomination in the US}}
{{Infobox Christian denomination
| name = Reformed Presbyterian Church General Assembly
| main_classification = [[Protestant]]
| orientation = [[Calvinism|Reformed]]
| founded_date = 1991
| founded_place = 
| separated_from = [[Reformed Presbyterian Church in the United States]]
| separations = [[Covenant Presbyterian Church]]
| congregations = 12<ref>{{cite web|title=Churches|url=http://www.rpcga.org/churches|publisher=RPCGA|accessdate=15 June 2021}}</ref>
|type=[[Western Christian]]|polity=[[Presbyterian polity|Presbyterian]]|image=Reformed Presbyterian Church General Assembly logo.png|imagewidth=140px|abbreviation=RPCGA|website=https://www.rpcga.org}}
The '''Reformed Presbyterian Church General Assembly''' ('''RPCGA''') is a [[Presbyterian]] church body and conservative denomination in the [[United States]] established in 1991. The RPCGA was founded by members of the [[Reformed Presbyterian Church in the United States]].

==History==
===Background===
The first American presbytery was formed in [[Philadelphia]] in 1706. In 1716 it became the [[Synod of Philadelphia|Synod of Philadelphia (Synod of the Trinity)]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/synod00patt|title=Historical sketch of the Synod of Philadelphia|last1=Patterson|first1=Robert M. (Robert Mayne)|last2=Davidson|first2=Robert|date=1876|publisher=Philadelphia : Presbyterian Board of Publication|others=Princeton Theological Seminary Library}}</ref> In 1729, the Synod of Philadelphia adopted the [[Westminster Confession of Faith|Westminster Confession]] and the [[Westminster Larger Catechism|Larger]] and [[Westminster Shorter Catechism|Shorter]] catechisms as its [[Creed|confession 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.<ref name="Longfield">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wDdybyrOc-IC|title=Presbyterians and American Culture: A History|last=Longfield|first=Bradley J.|date=2013-01-01|publisher=Westminster John Knox Press|isbn=9780664231569|language=en}}</ref> In 1857, the New School movement became divided over the issue of [[History of slavery in the United States|slavery]] 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.<ref name="Longfield"/> Near the end of the [[American Civil War]], the Presbyterian Church in the [[Confederate States of America]] and a few smaller synods formed the [[Presbyterian Church in the United States]].{{CN|date=February 2025}} In 1972, a conservative movement removed itself from the Presbyterian Church in the United States to form the [[Presbyterian Church in America]]. In 1982, the [[Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod]] merged with the Presbyterian Church in America.

===Establishment===
In 1983, a few churches in the North Georgia Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America withdrew from the denomination over purity of [[doctrine]] and [[ecclesiastical]] practices, calling themselves Covenant Presbytery. In 1985, Covenant Presbytery formed the [[Reformed Presbyterian Church in the United States]] as a [[continuing 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.<ref>{{cite web|title=History and Heritage|url=http://www.rpcga.us/about/|publisher=RPCGA|accessdate=19 December 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110304230941/http://www.rpcga.us/about/|archivedate=4 March 2011}}</ref>

After the departure, the Western Presbytery dissolved itself with several churches electing to join with the Westminster Presbytery. One member church left the [[Reformed Presbyterian Church – Hanover Presbytery|Hanover 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 the [[Westminster Assembly]]. Boundaries for four presbyteries were laid out, with churches established in each.

== Theology ==
The RPCGA is a [[Christian fundamentalism|conservative]] [[Protestantism|Protestant Christian]] body and [[continuing church]]. It is also [[Confessionalism (religion)|confessional]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.rpcga.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/RPCGA-BCO-2016.pdf|title=The Book of Church Order|date=2016|website=Reformed Presbyterian Church General Assembly|access-date=3 Feb 2019}}</ref> The church upholds the teaching of ''[[Sola scriptura]]'', receiving it as the inspired and inerrant Word of God.<ref name=":0" /> A literal interpretation of the Bible is followed and clearly demonstrated in its stances on [[creationism]], homosexuality and [[same-sex marriage]], feminism, and liberalism. It forbids the "teaching or practice" of [[Charismatic (movement)|charismaticism]], [[dispensationalism]], [[Arminianism]], [[Altar Calls|altar calls]], [[abortion]], [[homosexuality]], [[neo-orthodoxy]], [[modernism]], [[humanism]], [[feminism]], [[evolution]], [[Roman Catholicism]], and [[liberalism]].<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rpcga.org/documents/Resolution%20on%20Justification.pdf|title=RPCGA Statement on Justification|website=Reformed Presbyterian Church General Assembly|access-date=3 Feb 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rpcga.org/documents/Against%20Unorthodox%20Eschatology%20(RPCGA%20Approved).pdf|title=RPCGA Statement on Unorthodox Eschatology|website=Reformed Presbyterian Church General Assembly|access-date=3 Feb 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rpcga.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Position-Paper-Homosexuality-Final.pdf|title=RPCGA Statement on Homosexuality and Same Sex Marriage|website=Reformed Presbyterian Church General Assembly|access-date=3 Feb 2019}}</ref> It holds to [[Young Earth creationism]].<ref name=":0" /> 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 rejects [[Conscription|compulsory military service]] for women.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rpcga.org/documents/Resolution%20on%20Women%20in%20the%20Military.pdf|title=RPCGA Resolution on Women in the Military|website=Reformed Presbyterian Church General Assembly|access-date=3 Feb 2019}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Calvinism]]
*[[Christian fundamentalism]]
*[[Presbyterianism]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://rpcga.org Website of the Reformed Presbyterian Church General Assembly]

{{Presbyterian and Reformed denominations in the United States}}
{{Presbyterian Church in the United States of America}}

[[Category:Presbyterian denominations in the United States]]
[[Category:Christian organizations established in 1991]]
[[Category:Presbyterian denominations established in the 20th century]]
[[Category:1991 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:Christian denominations founded in the United States]]