• Welcome to Baptist Board, a friendly forum to discuss the Baptist Faith in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to all the features that our community has to offer.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!

Presbyterians?

nodak

Active Member
Site Supporter
Any on here that can briefly tell me the difference in the various groups such as pcusa, pca, etc?
 

FriendofSpurgeon

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
The two major Presbyterian denominations are the PCUSA and the PCA.

The PCUSA is the largest Presbyterian denomination. It was formed in a merger between the southern & northern Presbyterian denominations in the 1970's. It is the more liberal of the Presby demoninations in the US, though some individual churches will be more conservative than others.

The PCA is smaller than the PCUSA and is much more conservative and evangelical. It broke away from the larger denomination in the 1970's. Known PCA pastors/teachers include D. James Kennedy, RC Sproul and Steve Brown of Key Life.

There are two other smaller Presby denominations - EPC (Evangelical Presbytian Church) and the OPC (Orthodox Presbyterian Church). The EPC, stands between the PCA and the PCUSA in the liberal to conservative continuum and the OPC is more conservative than the PCA.

Historically, the PCA, EPC and OPC are more closely aligned to the PCUSA. However, my guess (and experience) is that if a PCA member left his church, he would be more likely to join an SBC church rather than a PCUSA church.

Hope this helps. Note -- I grew up Baptist, but have been a Presbyterian (PCA) for the past 20+ years.

 

rbell

Active Member
My post may be more anecdotal than anything else, but in my state (Alabama), there are many more PCA churches than USA.

I don't know of any churches in our area that are from the other two groups of the alphabet...
 

nodak

Active Member
Site Supporter
FriendofSpurgeon--thank you! I am going to be looking for some material for music, teaching, and outreach and we are considering some Presbyterian material. I want to be careful and understand each groups' teachings.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

nodak

Active Member
Site Supporter
Thanks!

Were there a PCA church in our town, I think I might just have visit!
 

FriendofSpurgeon

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Glad to hear that :laugh: !!

Doesn't surprise me though, since the PCA was founded by the southern Presbyterians (formed in Alabama, no less, in Birmingham). From the web site ... "It separated from the Presbyterian Church in the United States (Southern) in opposition to the long-developing theological liberalism which denied the deity of Jesus Christ and the inerrancy and authority of Scripture. Additionally, the PCA held to the traditional position on the role of women in church offices."
 
Top