Evangelical Presbyterian Church (Ireland) facts for kids

The Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) is a Christian church found only in Northern Ireland. It is the smallest of the Presbyterian churches there. It was started on 15 October 1927 by Rev. James Hunter and James (W.J.) Grier in Belfast. They were joined by others who left the Irish Presbyterian Church.

The Church's Story

Development of the Presbyterian churches

The Evangelical Presbyterian Church began because of disagreements within the larger Irish Presbyterian Church. Some people, including James Hunter, felt that certain teachings were not true to the Bible. They were especially concerned about a professor named James E. Davey.

These people were inspired by a scholar from the United States, John Gresham Machen. He taught W.J. Grier and visited Ireland in 1927. After a vote in the main Presbyterian church supported the professor's teachings, the group who disagreed decided to form their own church.

Soon after it started in October 1927, the new church, first called the Irish Evangelical Church, had ten groups of worshippers. These were in Belfast and other parts of County Antrim and County Tyrone. In 1964, the church changed its name to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. By 2013, it had nine groups, mostly in Counties Antrim and Down, with one in Richhill, County Armagh and another in Omagh, County Tyrone.

The church started its own magazine, The Irish Evangelical, in June 1928. W.J. Grier was the editor for 50 years! When the church changed its name in 1964, the magazine also changed to The Evangelical Presbyterian. It now comes out every three months.

The Evangelical Presbyterian Church is part of a group called the Caleb Foundation. This group works to share Christian views on social issues. An EPC member, Wallace Thompson, became the chairman of this group in 2009. The EPC has also spoken out on issues like a proposed Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland, saying it moved away from Biblical teachings. They also supported a campaign against funding for a festival in London.

Connecting with Churches Worldwide

The church has worked closely with the Free Church of Scotland since its early days. They have done missionary work together, focusing on countries like India, South Africa, and Peru since 1932. Since 1987, an EPC minister has also served in Nigeria.

The church also connects with other mission groups through its members. For example, some members work with AIM in Uganda and Chad, and Mission Africa in Nigeria. An EPC minister, Rev. Sid Garland, even started a group called Africa Christian TextbookS (ACTS). This group provides affordable books to pastors in Africa.

The EPC used to be part of the Reformed Ecumenical Council. However, they left this group because of a disagreement. They then joined the International Conference of Reformed Churches.

Links to Churches in the UK and Ireland

The EPC has helped develop and stays close to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of England and Wales. They also connect with other Christian churches in the UK and Ireland through a group called Affinity.

What the Church Believes

The Evangelical Presbyterian Church has strong beliefs based on the Westminster Confession of Faith. This is a set of statements about Christian faith written a long time ago. All leaders in the church promise to support these beliefs fully.

Some of their key beliefs include:

• The Trinity: God is one, but exists as Father, Son (Jesus), and Holy Spirit.
• Jesus died for people's sins and came back to life.
• The Bible is the only guide for faith (sola scriptura).
• People are saved by faith alone (sola fide).
• God chooses who will be saved (called predestination), but people still have free will.
• They believe in a special agreement God made with Adam.
• They believe that worship should follow strict rules from the Bible.
• They believe Sunday should be kept as a special day of rest and worship (strict Sabbatarianism).
• They do not agree with the Roman Catholic teaching of Transubstantiation in the Mass, seeing it as unbiblical.

The EPC has made a few small changes to the Westminster Confession of Faith in their own rules. These changes are about the Antichrist, family relationships, and the role of government leaders.

The Church and Politics

The EPC encourages its members to vote in elections. They believe people should use their Christian values to help them choose. The church itself does not support any specific political party.

Church Meetings and Activities

Most EPC churches have two services on Sundays. They also have a meeting during the week for prayer and studying the Bible. Besides these, different churches might have other activities like:

• Sunday Schools for children.
• Youth clubs for teens.
• Meetings for ladies.
• Groups for parents and toddlers.
• Support groups for people with addictions.
• Summer clubs for children and young people.

Special Conferences

The EPC holds a special meeting called the Presbytery Day Conference/Family Day once a year, usually in April or May. All the church groups come together for this event. They listen to a guest speaker, and there are things like childcare, a bookstall from the Evangelical Bookshop, and food. Past speakers have included Geoff Thomas and Derek Thomas.

The Evangelical Bookshop

The EPC is closely connected to the Evangelical Book Shop. This is a separate charity located in Belfast and also online at http://www.evangelicalbookshop.co.uk. In 2016, the Bookshop published a history of the EPC called By Honour and Dishonour.

Other Presbyterian Churches in Ireland

• Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster
• Non-subscribing Presbyterian Church of Ireland
• Presbyterian Church in Ireland
• Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland