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The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church has its origins in the Presbyterian Church of Scotland of the late 18th century when a group of presbyters seceded over issues of polity and worship.

The controversy was carried to Northern Ireland, and then to North America with Scottish and Irish immigrants who established congregations.

After the Westminster Confession was signed in 1643, a group known as the "Covenanters," left the Church of Scotland for North America in order to avoid signing an oath to the monarch, while other ministers remained in the Church of Scotland hoping to be able to work out their differences. In 1739, another group of ministers left the Church of Scotland, forming a second group that was known as the "Seceders," which opposed the earlier group and held some doctrinal differences. Some from this group also emigrated to the American colonies.

In 1782, some of the churches from the Covenanters and the Seceders merged to form the Associate Reformed Synod in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Eight years later, as more congregations had joined, the Associate Reformed Presbytery of the Carolinas and Georgia was formed in South Carolina. A series of splits and mergers occurred and, by 1803, the Church had been organized into four regional Synods, the Carolinas, Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio. A General Synod was established in 1804, and the Church became known as the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

More controversies arose, largely over church polity, closed communion, and whether only psalms should be sung during church services. There were several separations, and most of the ARPC congregations eventually merged with the old Presbyterian Church to form the United Presbyterian Church in 1858. The only remaining Synod was the Synod of the South, formerly the Synod of the Carolinas. The present-day ARPC has its roots in the Synod of the South.

Today, the Church remains concentrated in the American Southeast, particularly the Carolinas, but it has a strong presence in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, and Virginia, with congregations in most of the other US states, as well as in Canada. The Church has separate Synods in Mexico and Pakistan.

The doctrinal standards of the ARPC are expressed in the Apostles' Creed and the Westminster Confession. For several years, member churches used only the psalms during worship services, but this policy was modified in 1946 to permit the use of other hymns. However, the ARPC encourages the use of the psalms.

The ARPC is a conservative, evangelical denomination. It recognizes the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible, opposes the ordination of women, and holds that marriage is between one man and one woman, and sexual activity outside of marriage is sin.

The Church holds to the doctrine of the Trinity, including the unity of one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Through sin, Adam and Eve fell from their original state of righteousness, thus losing communion with God. Because of this sin, mankind is born with a corrupted nature. Mankind cannot become converted on their own and have lost the ability to do spiritual good.

God enables those who He elected to salvation. The Holy Spirit convicts the elect of their sin moves them to repentance and enables them to have faith in Jesus, whereby they are regenerated by the grace of God. The elect cannot totally fall away from a state of grace but will persevere to the end, which is eternal life. The elect who die as infants are regenerated by Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.

Baptism is a sign, and a seal of a believer's engrafting into Christ, their regeneration, remission of sins, and newness of life. Baptism is performed in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and is done by sprinkling. As members of the covenant community, infants are baptized also.

The Lord's Supper is a sign, and a seal of a believer's communion with Jesus Christ, and with one another as members of the Church of God. Through communion, the benefits of Christ's death are sealed for the believer. The Lord's Supper is also a remembrance of the sacrifice that Christ made. Christ is present in all of the elements of the Lord's Supper. The ARPC practices open communion. Members of other evangelical denominations are welcome to participate.

The General Synod of the Church meets annually to elect officers and conduct the business of the denomination. An elected Moderator presides over the General Synod and speaks for the Church during the year. The Principal Clerk maintains the records.

The Church operates Erskine College and Erskine Theological Seminary, both in South Carolina.

The ARPC is a member of the World Reformed Fellowship and the North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council.

 

 

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