Evangelical Presbyterian Church (United States)
| Evangelical Presbyterian Church (United States) | |
| Classification | Protestant |
|---|---|
| Orientation | Reformed Evangelical |
| Polity | Presbyterian |
| Headquarters | Livonia, Michigan |
| Origin | 1981 |
| Separated from | United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (UPCUSA) and the Presbyterian Church in the United States (PCUS, or the Southern Presbyterian Church); more recently from the Presbyterian Church (USA) |
| Congregations | 300 |
| Members | 115,000 |
| Official website | www.epc.org |
The Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) is an American church body holding to presbyterian governance and Reformed theology, expressed in an orthodox, conservative vein. The motto of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church is "In Essentials, Unity. In Non-Essentials, Liberty. In All Things, Charity; Truth In Love." The Office of the General Assembly is located in Livonia, Michigan, near Detroit.
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[edit] History
The EPC began as a result of prayer meetings in 1980 and 1981 by pastors and elders increasingly alienated by liberalism in the "northern" branch of Presbyterianism (the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A., which merged with the Southern and border-state Presbyterian Church in the U.S. in 1983 to form the present Presbyterian Church USA). An important catalyst of their separation was the decision of a Maryland presbytery to permit a minister of the United Church of Christ who did not forthrightly affirm the divinity of Jesus to become pastor of one of its churches. Another important catalyst was another presbytery refusing to ordain a graduate of seminary, who, in good conscience, declared that he would refuse to participate in the ordination of a woman, although he affirmed that he would willingly serve in a pastorate with ordained women on the staff.[1]
The first general assembly of the church met at Ward Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Michigan in late 1981, drafting a list of essential beliefs. This list was intentionally short in order to help preserve the unity of the church around the essentials of the faith in theology, church government, and evangelism.[2]
At its foundation, the EPC adopted this list of essential beliefs ("The Essentials of Our Faith") to state what the EPC views as the sine qua non of Evangelical Christianity (see below). Originally titled "The Fundamentals of Our Faith," the name was changed to avoid the negative connotations that the term "fundamentalism" had gained. The adoption of this document came in part to seek to guarantee that the EPC would not succumb to the theological problems that had plagued her parent denominations, beginning with the Fundamentalist-Modernist Controversy of the early 20th Century. In this respect, "The Essentials of Our Faith" is a fuller version of the "Five Fundamentals" that the old PCUSA had overturned in the infamous "Auburn Affirmation" of 1923. This document has served to assure that the EPC has always kept in view what is of primary importance for all evangelical Christians (namely the Gospel, or Good News about Jesus), as well as to maintain the irenic orthodoxy that has always been the hallmark of the denomination. (See "Ethos," below.)
In the more than thirty years of the its existence, the EPC has become active as a missional church,[3][4][5] through church planting in the United States as well as in a variety of foreign fields, particularly in the 10/40 Window. One significant step was the incorporation of the St. Andrews Presbytery (Argentina) as one of its presbyteries. This presbytery was released to independence as the national St. Andrews Presbyterian Church of Argentina after many years of mutual cooperation & benefit.
[edit] Essentials
The church has an official seven point statement of the "Essentials Of Our Faith".[6]
These Essentials are set forth in greater detail in the Westminster Confession of Faith.
The EPC has also adopted an explanation of the relationship between the "Essentials of Our Faith" and the Westminster Standards.[7]
[edit] Place in American Presbyterianism
As its name and the doctrinal points above strongly intimate, the EPC is a thoroughly conservative evangelical denomination, associating mainly with Reformed bodies holding similar or identical beliefs regarding Christology, ecclesiology, and ethical/moral stances. As with practically all orthodox Presbyterian bodies, the EPC is committed to Biblical interpretation governed by the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms.
Being wholly within the main stream of Reformed, Westminsterian orthodoxy, the EPC is considerably more conservative than the PCUSA on matters such as theology and personal behavior. However, the ethos of the EPC (summarized in its motto) allows a greater degree of freedom in areas deemed to be non-essential to Reformed theology than the other major conservative Presbyterian bodies (e.g., the Presbyterian Church in America, the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church). Unlike the PCA and OPC, it has determined that the ordination of women is an issue that is left up to each ordaining body. (e.g., the local church session determines whether to allow women to serve as elders and deacons and the local presbytery determines whether or not to allow women to serve as ministers.) Also, the EPC is far more tolerant of the charismatic movement than these older bodies; indeed, some of the more prominent charismatic Presbyterian churches in America are members of the EPC.
[edit] Ethos
The EPC has been described as the modern-day version of New School Presbyterianism,[8] while the PCA & the OPC are essentially the modern-day equivalent of Old School Presbyterianism. The way that this is expressed is in the motto of the denomination: "In Essentials, Unity; In Non-Essentials, Liberty; In All Things, Charity. Truth in Love." Functionally, this works out with a three-tiered approach to theological issues. These may be thought of as "A," "B," & "C" issues.
"A" issues are those which have to do with the "Essentials of Our Faith." This is a summary of those issues which are foundational to Christian faith. In the EPC, there is no allowance for disagreement among church officers (ministers, elders, & deacons) on these issues. Indeed, it is expected that all communicant members will affirm these tenets of the faith.
"B" issues are those issues which are essential to the Reformed understanding of the faith, such as the so-called "Five Points of Calvinism," Covenant Theology, Presbyterian government, etc. The definition of "B" issues for the EPC is found in the Westminster Confession of Faith[9] & in the Westminster Larger Catechism[10] and Westminster Shorter Catechism.[11] As these issues aren't as foundational as the Essentials of Our Faith, the EPC allows minsters, elders, & deacons to state exceptions to the Westminster Standards, so long as these exceptions do not violate the system of doctrine contained therein. While non-ordained members aren't expected to adhere to the Westminster Standards, it is understood that the teaching position of the EPC is found in the Westminster Standards.
Finally, "C" issues are those on which Reformed, orthodox Christians can disagree, & which do not violate the system of doctrine of the EPC. As stated above, this would include the issues of women's ordination & the charismatic movement, as well as issues such as eschatology (views on the End times), worship preferences, liturgy, etc.
[edit] Current Issues
As of the 2007 General Assembly, the EPC has created[12] a non-geographic "New Wineskins Presbytery" (NWEPC) to provide a home for churches associated with the New Wineskins Association of Churches (NWAC)[13] that are seeking to find a new denominational home after finding that their current home in the PC(USA) is no longer suitable to them theologically, organizationally, or missionally. (For more information on this, see the article on the New Wineskins Association of Churches.)
In the subsequent few years, the EPC has almost doubled in churches and members as the result of the influx of the New Wineskins churches. The EPC has grown from 187 churches in 2007 to 308 as of June 2011. This has resulted in accusation by some in the PC(USA) that the EPC is intentionally targeting or recruiting churches to leave the PC(USA) for the EPC. These charges resulted in the PC(USA) asking the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC), an international, interdenominational community of churches with a Reformed heritage, to investigate the EPC. As of the summer of 2010, the PC(USA) has been unable to prove its accusations, and the EPC has vigorously denied the charges. EPC Stated Clerk Rev. Dr. Jeff Jeremiah has repeatedly affirmed that EPC officials (acting in their official capacity) have in no way sought to recruit congregations from the PC(USA). Rather, it is the stated policy of the EPC to reply to requests for information from any churches seeking information, but not to actively attempt to recruit them to change their affiliation.
The influx of churches from the PC(USA) has had another effect. As the PC(USA) has permitted women's ordination for several decades, egalitarianism (or the theological view holding that St. Paul's prohibition against ordaining women is not binding in the modern Church) is an almost universal position in that denomination. Thus, many if not most of the incoming churches hold to egalitarianism rather than the traditional complementarianism which has been the majority position of the EPC. (Complementarianism is the theological view that states that the Biblical theologies of creation, gender roles, and ordination necessitate male-only ministers and elders.) This has made the issue of women's ordination a hot topic in the EPC. As of 2007 two EPC presbyteries (Central South & Florida) had formal policies prohibiting the ordination of women as ministers. Two other presbyteries had ordained female ministers (one each, for a total of two in the history of the denomination). The rest had no stated policies on the ordination of women as ministers. As of 2010, the influx of churches having or desiring to have female ministers has forced the various presbyteries to face this issue. Several presbyteries are now on record as allowing female ordination, and those without policies are in the process of dealing with this question.
As a denomination that has traditionally been known for its irenic spirit and warm fellowship, the issue of allowing the ordination of women as ministers is revealing a long-standing theological divide in the EPC between those who hold to a stricter view of Confessional subscription and a more traditional view of gender roles, and those who are of a more "broadly evangelical" and culturally accommodating view of Scripture and theology. Those who advocate the ordination of women probably have a much weaker Calvinism, viewing the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms as more of a testimony to the Presbyterian and Reformed heritage of the EPC rather than a positive statement of the theological teaching position of the church. As such, they might well be considered 'softer' on theological points considered to be hallmarks of Reformed Presbyterianism, such as Infant Baptism, Covenant Theology, ecclesiology, and worship styles. On the other hand, those holding to the traditional Reformed view of ordination (i.e., male only) probably also hold more tightly to Reformed theology as set forth in the Westminster Standards. As of the summer of 2010, this rift seems to be growing, but how it will eventually play out has yet to be ascertained, whether the possibility exists that subscriptionist and complementarian congregations could eventually defect to bodies like the PCA or OPC, in reaction to the increasing influence of the New Wineskins entrants in the denomination.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.opc.org/nh.html?article_id=290
- ^ Evangelical Presbyterian Church > History
- ^ http://www.epc.org/about-the-epc/missional-church-and-denomination/
- ^ http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/march/16.56.html
- ^ http://sites.silaspartners.com/CC/article/0,,PTID314526%7CCHID598014%7CCIID2265778,00.html
- ^ Essentials Of Our Faith
- ^ www.epc.org Essentials of Our Faith
- ^ Fortson, S. Donald, The Presbyterian Creed: A Confessional Tradition in America, 17291870, Paternoster Press, 2008.
- ^ http://www.epc.org/mediafiles/westminster-confession-of-faith.pdf
- ^ http://www.epc.org/mediafiles/westminster-larger-catechism.pdf
- ^ http://www.epc.org/mediafiles/westminster-shorter-catechism.pdf
- ^ http://www.epc.org/general-assembly/EPNews2007/EPNews_6.28.07.html
- ^ http://www.newwineconvo.com/
