Reformed Presbyterian Global Alliance facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Reformed Presbyterian Global Alliance |
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Traditional "Blue Banner" insignia used by Reformed Presbyterians
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| Type | Protestant |
| Theology | Reformed |
| Polity | Presbyterian |
| Structure | Communion |
| Origin | 1690 |
| Members | 9,538 |
The Reformed Presbyterian Global Alliance is a worldwide group of Presbyterian churches. It started in Scotland in 1690. Its members did not want to follow the official state church of Scotland at that time.
Today, about 9,500 members belong to Reformed Presbyterian churches. These churches are found in many countries. They are in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland, France, the USA, Canada, Japan, South Sudan, and Australia.
Contents
How Reformed Presbyterians Are Organized
Reformed Presbyterian churches are organized in a "presbyterian" way. This means that members of each church choose their own leaders, called elders. These elders must be men, as they believe the Bible teaches. They must also be members of that church.
These elders, along with a minister (or pastor), form a group called the "session." The session is in charge of running the local church. Ministers are called "teaching elders" because they teach the Bible. Other elders are called "ruling elders" because they help guide the church. No one elder is more important than another.
The Reformed Presbyterian churches form a "communion," which means they are connected. All churches in this group came from the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland. The main churches in this group are:
- Reformed Presbyterian Church of Australia
- Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America
- Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland
- Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland
The Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America also oversees churches in Japan. The Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland has a mission in Nantes, France. All these churches together make up the RP Global Alliance. They see themselves as a "consultative community," meaning they talk and work together.
What Reformed Presbyterians Believe
Reformed Presbyterians believe the Bible is the most important guide for what they believe and how they live. They see the Bible as God's true and perfect Word. They also follow important documents like the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms. These documents explain their beliefs in detail.
They describe their faith as Protestant, Reformed (or Calvinistic), and evangelical. They study the Bible carefully to understand its original meaning. This helps them decide their views on different life issues.
A key belief for Reformed Presbyterians is the idea of Christ's kingship. They believe that Jesus Christ is king over everything, including governments. They think that countries should recognize Jesus as their king and follow God's will in how they govern. A verse from Colossians 1:18 sums this up: "that in everything he [Christ] might be preeminent." This means Christ should be first in all things.
They also follow a rule for worship called the "regulative principle." This means that church worship should only include things that are clearly found in the Bible. For example, Reformed Presbyterian churches only sing Psalms during their services. They do not use musical instruments or sing other hymns. They believe this is the only type of congregational singing that the Bible shows.
A Brief History of Reformed Presbyterians
Reformed Presbyterians are often called "Covenanters." This name comes from their history of making public promises, or "covenants," in Scotland. This started in the 1500s.
The National Covenant
In 1638, King Charles I tried to change the church services and government in Scotland. Many ministers and people disagreed. They signed a document called the "National Covenant" at Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh. They promised to uphold earlier agreements about their church. Some even signed it with their own blood.
The "Blue Banner" of Reformed Presbyterianism shows their cause. It says, "For Christ's Crown and Covenant." The Covenanters believed the King was trying to take Christ's place as the head of the Church.
The Solemn League and Covenant
During the First English Civil War (1642–1646), the English Parliament fought against King Charles I. They asked the Scots for help. They made a deal called the "Solemn League and Covenant." In this agreement, the English Parliament promised to make the Church of England more like the Scottish Presbyterian church. In return, the Covenanters helped Parliament fight the King.
This covenant also said that Christ was king over both the Church and the government. It also said the Church should be free from government control. The Church of Scotland and the English Parliament both agreed to this covenant in 1643. Following this, the Westminster Assembly created the Westminster Standards. These documents helped define the beliefs for the Church of England.
After the Civil War
King Charles I was defeated and executed in 1649. After this, Oliver Cromwell took power in England. He did not follow through on the promises to reform the Church of England.
When the monarchy was brought back in 1660 with King Charles II, some Presbyterians hoped things would get better. But Charles II quickly rejected the covenants. The Westminster Standards were also no longer used for the Church of England. Parliament even made a law saying the Solemn League and Covenant was illegal.
Persecution and Conventicles
Most people joined the official church after the King returned. But the Covenanters refused. They held their worship services, called "conventicles," outdoors in the countryside. These meetings were made illegal by new laws.
Despite the danger, Covenanters continued to meet and preach. They suffered greatly during the reigns of King Charles II and King James VII. The time from 1679 to 1688 was especially harsh and is known as the Killing Time. During these years, many Scottish Covenanters moved to Ulster, a part of Ireland. There, they eventually formed the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland.
Forming the Reformed Presbyterian Church
After the "Glorious Revolution" of 1688, the Church of Scotland became Presbyterian again in 1691. Most Covenanters rejoined the official church. However, a small group refused. They felt the new church settlement did not fully honor Christ as King over the state.
These people formed "United Societies." For 16 years, they had no ministers because their ministers had rejoined the main church. They kept their societies going for worship. In 1706, a minister named Rev. John M'Millan joined them. He had left the official church because he disagreed with its changes.
In 1743, another minister, Rev. Thomas Nairn, joined them. At this point, the Societies officially became the Reformed Presbytery. This group grew over time. In 1810, it split into three smaller groups, which then formed the first Synod (a larger church meeting) of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
In the same year, the Reformed Presbyterian churches in Ireland and North America also formed their own synods. Since then, new Reformed Presbyterian churches have started in Australia, Cyprus, the Philippines, and South Sudan.
See also
- Presbyterianism
- Calvinism
- Cameronians
- Covenanters
- Solemn League and Covenant
- Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland
- Free Church of Scotland (Continuing)
