ARPTalk Update

For those of you who have recently visited my blog, you may not be aware that I am an elder in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. My denomination has a college and seminary in South Carolina named Erskine College & Seminary. There has been a great deal of conflict between our institutions of higher learning, and our denomination for several years. Another bout has begun by the Erskine Board of Trustees (the same Board oversees both the college and the seminary) rejecting a compromise resolution of the Synod (compromise made with Erskine itself) dealing with the relationship of the Synod to the College. 

Dr. Charles Wilson, a minister in the ARP, has done an outstanding job of bringing to light the anti-ARP stance (I would add, the anti-Confessional stance) of many involved with Erskine and the ARP. He has a website devoted to the discussion of ARP/Erskine issues, which he has just updated. You can read his latest post, here: ARPTalk: Joe, That Ain't Rain.

It appears that Erskine will be a hot topic at Synod this year!

PS- You can see past posts on The Ruling Elder related to the ARP and Erskine by clicking the following blog labels: ARPTalk, Erskine.

ARP Memorial ("Resolution") on the Historicity of Adam and Eve

The Aquila Report is reporting that the Session of Midlane Park ARP in Louisville, KY has adopted a memorial (the ARP term for "resolution") affirming the historicity of Adam and Eve. This is an important issue throughout the Reformed and Presbyterian world right now, as the report points out: two Presbyteries of the PCA have adopted very similar statements and it will come up to the General Assembly of the PCA this year. If the Mississippi Valley Presbytery of the ARP adopts Midlane Park's memorial, then it would be passed up to the Synod of the ARP this summer, as well.

Read the entire story, including the text of the adopted memorial, here. And, well done Midlane Park Session!

Ordination Exam Study Guide

The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church has a helpful study guide posted on their website for men preparing for ordination in the ARP. Although some of the study questions are specifically related to ARP history and distinctives (for example: "Discuss Gairney Bridge in terms of its significance for the Church today."), most of the guide applies to any Reformed denomination. Are you preparing for a Presbytery Exam? Are you training men in your congregation to serve as elders? Would you just like to enrich your knowledge of the Bible, Theology, and Church History? Then have a look at the study guide, here. I think it is a great tool!

The Original Westminster Confession of Faith on the Antichrist

Yesterday, during the Sunday School class at Communion Presbyterian, we discussed Chapter 25 of the Westminster Confession, having to do with "The Church". Now, there's lots of great biblical truth in that chapter, but, the American revisions to the Confession deviate from the original text on a pretty major point in Section 6. The original text of the Confession reads:

There is no other head of the Church but the Lord Jesus Christ.¹³ Nor can the Pope of Rome, in any sense, be head thereof; but is that Antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalts himself, in the Church, against Christ and all that is called God.¹⁴

13. COL 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. EPH 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.

14. MAT 23:8-10 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. 9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. 10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. 2TH 2:3-4, 8-9 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders. REV 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

The American revisions (such as the PCA, OPC, etc--with the exception of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church) read:

There is no other head of the church but the Lord Jesus Christ. Nor can the pope of Rome, in any sense, be head thereof.

And, lastly, the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church edition of the Confession reads:

There is no other head of the church but the Lord Jesus Christ; nor can mere man in any sense be the head thereof.

Since one of the things I've tried to do in my Sunday School class is point out the differences between the ARP Confession and other versions of the Confession, I read the text of the original version to my class. I could tell that some folks in the class had no idea that the Reformers considered the Pope to be the Antichrist, the man of sin, etc. So, I told my class I would post some of the reasoning behind that conclusion. Below are the reasons and Scripture proofs David Dickson gives in Truth's Victory Over Error (the first commentary on the Westminster Confession of Faith ever written). Read through what he has to say and judge for yourselves if the Reformers got it right.

Question IX. ―Is the Pope that Antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalteth himself in the church of God against Christ, and all that is called God?

Yes; 2 Thess. 2:3-4, 8-9; Rev. 13:6; Matt. 23:8-10.

Though this be denied by the church of Rome, yet the true description of Antichrist agrees to him.

1st, Because he is not one single man, but an order and race of men, succeeding to one another, in that same state and office; which you will see, by comparing 1 John 4:3; 2 Thess. 2:7-8. together.

2nd, His coming in after the manner of Satan, 2 Thess. 2:9.

3rd, As to his name, he calls himself a Christian, but in very truth, an adversary to Christ; and by consequence, one that denies Jesus to be the Christ, Rev. 17:14; Rev. 19:19; 2 Thess. 2:7-8; 1 John 2:23.

4th, He sitteth in the temple of God as God, 2 Thess. 2:4.

5th, He ruleth in the great city, and exercises dominion over the kings of the earth.

6th, He deceiveth them that dwell on the earth, with lying wonders and miracles, 2 Thess. 2:9; Rev. 13:14-15.

7th, He causeth all sorts of persons to receive his mark on their right hand, or on their forehead, Rev. 13:16-17.

8th, To him agrees what Paul says, And now ye know what withholdeth (namely the roman emperor) that he might be revealed in his time, 2 Thess. 3:6-7.

What Does Your Church Believe About the Civil Magistrate?

After seeing my chart comparing the different version of Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 23 section 3, The Aquila Report contacted me and said that if I added a little bit of commentary to accompany the chart, they would like to run it as an article. I did as they asked, and it was the #2 article on The Aquila Report last night.

You can read it here: What Does Your Church Believe About The Civil Magistrate?

A Comparison of WCF 23.3 (Of The Civil Magistrate)

Westminster Confession of Faith chapter 23, section 3 is a very interesting section if for no other reason than it has been modified so differently by various American Presbyterian denominations. Below is a link to a PDF I put together with a side-by-side comparison of this section as it appeared in the original Confession, as well as how the ARP, PCA, OPC, RPCNA, EPC, and PCUSA have modified it.

WCF 23.3 Comparison Chart (PDF)

WCF 23.3 Comparison Chart (Word) 

The ARP was not a "Wave of Reformation" of the PCUSA

The Aquila Report has republished an article by Carmen Fowler LaBerge of The Layman Online discussing denominational reformation. In as far as the article emphasizes a return to confessionalism, it's a good article. However, one thing ought to be clarified: When LaBerge lists waves of reformation that have sprouted out of the PCUSA, the following denominations are listed: The Orthodox Presbyterian Church, the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, the Presbyterian Church in America, and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. But, the ARP was never a part of the PCUSA. The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church split from the Church of Scotland in the 1700s and the Associate Presbyterians in the United States were never a part of the Presbyterian Church USA.


You can read more about the history of the ARP here.

Churchmanship is not Penmanship by Dean Turbeville

The Aquila Report has posted an excellent little article on the important, but much neglected, discipline of churchmanship. Rev. Dean Turbeville (ARP) makes a strong argument for this forgotten practice:

Churchmanship is also a crucible of the soul and battlefield for the kingdom. Paul’s language to the Galatians is almost war-like. And nobody’s light burned brighter for the maintenance of the visible church in faithfulness like Jesus Christ, of whom it was said, “zeal for the Lord’s House consumes him (John 2:17).”

 Rev. Turbeville goes on to list seven practical steps "toward obedient churchmanship," including:

Both large church officers and small church officers are presbyters and should contribute in this way. No false modesty or unbiblical inferiority complex should thwart the vows we all made at our ordination. And the same can be said for ordained seminary professors: it is your church too!

 and

Love your fellow presbyters as brothers, but be willing at any point to do the right thing for Christ and the church, even if your best friend thinks differently.

 The entire article is worth reading, and can be found here:  Churchmanship is not penmanship!

The ARP Psalter with Bible Songs: An Initial Review

Yesterday, I received my copy of the new The ARP Psalter with Bible Songs. Since I had heard the buzz about this new Psalter from Synod, I had been looking forward to receiving a copy. I have been pouring over the pages since yesterday, and thought I would put together a brief initial review. My review is by no means exhaustive, and should be considered as only some "first impressions" of the work.

First, the appearance of the book. The psalter looks and feels well made. It is much thinner than I expected (about 3/4 of an inch; whereas, I was expecting something the size of the Trinity Hymnal which is about 1 1/2" thick). The book is approximately 9 1/2" x 6 1/4". Also, the book is printed on "Bible quality" paper, further contributing to its light weight and thinner profile. Although not "pocket-sized" its smaller dimensions and lighter weight make it more convenient to carry with you on trips. I can see the ease of using this Psalter around a campfire during a Church Family Camp or carrying it to Psalm sing at someone's home. I forsee it being added to my small collection of "must have" books that I carry with me to all church functions (the others being a small Bible and a small edition of the Westminster Standards).

Second, the introductory materials. The Preface, written by Rev. David Vance and Dr. Gabriel Statom is a brief, but powerful defense of singing Psalms. It also gives the reader some information regarding the translation policy for this psalter. The English has been updated, but the translators have tried to remain as literal as possible, even to the point of having the verses not rhyme where rhyming would adversely affect the translation. This, to me, is a very wise decision: I'd rather sing purer Psalms than rhyming Psalms. Following the Preface, there is an article entitled "Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church History of Psalm Singing" by Drs. C. Earl Linderman and Robert J. Cara. The ARP has a wonderful heritage of singing the Psalms and this article highlights some important events in the that history.

Third, the Psalms. Each of the 150 Psalms is here set to music. The ARP Psalter differs from the RPCNA Psalter on which it is based in that the ARP Psalter only has one version of each Psalm or section of Psalm. So, in the RPCNA Psalter, there are 440 songs all based on the 150 Psalms. In the ARP Psalter, we have 296 songs based on the 150 Psalms, plus 56 "Bible Songs". Each Psalm is given a title, and a number, with Psalms which are split into several songs due to length being assigned a letter. For example, Psalm 81 is split into 81A and 81B. Beneath each song number, the actual reference of what is set to music is given. Song 81A is Psalm 81:1-7 and song 81B is Psalm 81:8-16. Under the title of each song, a related Scripture verse is quoted with reference given. Various translations were used for these quotations, which is something I wish had not been done. On the copyright page, copyright information is given for the New American Standard Bible, the New International Version (1984), and the English Standard Version. Although not listed on the copyright page, all the texts quoted on the Bible Songs pages are from the New King James Version. I would have preferred one translation be used throughout for consistency, and I would have preferred that translation be one not based on the Critical Text (King James or New King James would have been my choice). At the bottom of each song, the composer, year of composition, name of tune and meter are listed.

Fourth, the Bible Songs. Before the publication of this new Psalter, the standard hymnal in ARP churches was the 1931 Bible Songs. As a reflection of 80 years of usage and the continued popularity of these Bible Songs, 55 of the most popular songs were included in the new Psalter. The numbering of these Bible Songs begins at number 151 which makes it easy to distinguish between the new Psalter Psalms and the older Bible Songs Psalms.

Fifth, the Indices. There are eight indices at the back of the Psalter: Index of Tunes, Alphabetically; Index of Tunes, Metrically; Index of Composers, Arrangers, and Sources; Index of Familiar Hymn Tunes; Index of Biblical Topics, Alphabetically; Index of Psalm Usage in the New Testament; Index of Bible Song Titles; and Index of First Lines & Phrases, Alphabetically. I have already found the Index of Familiar Tunes to be very useful. Anyone who knows one or two common hymn tunes can, using this index, begin singing the Psalms right away. For example, Psalm 3 is set to the tune of Amazing Grace, Psalms 55A and 115A are set to the tune of O God, Our Help in Ages Past. etc. Further, cross-referencing the Index of Familiar Tunes with the Index of Tunes, Metrically allows one with very little musical training (such as myself) to sing a Psalm set to an unknown tune, but with the same meter as a known tune. This means the number of Psalms one is able to sing is multiplied greatly without having to learn many new tunes. The Index of Biblical Topics will also be useful to the pastor as he attempts to choose Psalms which will help the congregation focus on the message he will bring to them during the worship service.

My concluding thoughts are these: The ARP Psalter with Bible Songs appears to be a very well done edition of the Psalms. Using a combination of familiar and less-familiar tunes will allow the novice Psalm singer to participate in the congregational singing, while allowing room to grow for those more familiar with the Psalms. While I would have picked a different Bible translation to quote from for the Bible verses listed with each Psalm, and while I have found a few typos here and there (which I will be passing on to the publisher), the Psalms themselves appear to have been translated and arranged faithfully. I look forward to using this new Psalter during our worship services at Communion Presbyterian as well as at home.

Finally, I would be remiss if I did not mention the enormous debt the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church owes to our brothers in the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America. The work of translating these Psalms was done by a committee of the RPCNA and was offered to the ARP. The Psalter is also published by Crown & Covenant Publications, which is the Board of Education and Publication of the RPCNA. My heartfelt thanks go out to the RPCNA for their work in this endeavor. I can think of no better way to thank them, than to employ this Psalter in the worship services of our churches, and I encourage you to do so.

ARPTalk Update (Synod Report)

When Chuck Wilson is happy about how Synod went, you know it was a good Synod. Read Dr. Wilson's thoughts* in the latest issue of ARP Talk, here: ARP Talk: 2011 General Synod Report.

*However, I would add my own disclaimer: I do not agree with Dr. Wilson that the ARP ought to sever its ties with Erskine College and Seminary. My opinion is very similar to that of Rev. Fred Carr (ARP), who left a comment at ARP Talk, which you can read, here.

First Post After a Long Break (and ARP Synod Round Up)

First of all, I haven't posted in several weeks due to the premature arrival of my third daughter: Jane Grey Stark. For all of you who were praying for her, thank you! She has been home now for about a week, and is doing very well.

Second, here are some links to various posts summarizing the 207th ARP Synod which meet last week. I was not there, but these gentlemen seem to summarize things pretty well:

From Rev. Tim Phillips:

General Synod, Day One
General Synod, Day 2
General Synod, Day Three (part 1)
General Synod, Day Three (part 2)
General Synod, Day Three (part 3)
Erksine Motion

From Dr. William Evans:

A Most Surprising ARP Synod Meeting

From Rev. Brian Howard:

207th ARP General Synod

Even if you just glance at the above summaries, you will note several encouraging items. I, for one, very much look forward to getting my hands on a copy of our new ARP Psalter. Kent brought back a CD with 20 selections from the Psalter on it, and it made for excellent listening on the way home from church yesterday.

Erskine Tenure News

Inside Higher Ed (by no means a neutral news source) is reporting that Dr. Jay Hering has been denied tenure by President David Norman. Now, a "greivance committee" is complaining about this decision by Dr. Norman. .

According to the Inside Higher Ed report, Dr. Norman says that Dr. Hering's denial of tenure has nothing to do with Hering's involvement in last year's lawsuit against the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. The report states:

Norman denies that Hering's involvement in the legal action is at all tied to the tenure decision. According to the grievance committee report, Norman says he denied tenure to Hering because the tenure process was flawed, and the president would not go into more detail.

I, for one, will take Dr. Norman at his word. The report has other news in it as well, such as the fact that Dr. Michael Bush is no longer at Erskine (well, news to me, at least).

Feel free to read the entire article here, but, again, keep in mind that Inside Higher Ed is no friend of the ARP or of any church oversight of colleges or seminaries.

Also, continue to pray for Dr. Norman and his family, as well as the Board of Erskine. This was, no doubt, a difficult decision for Dr. Norman, and, as can be seen in the article, he is already taking a lot of flack for it. May God continue to strengthen him and continue the reformation of Erskine College and Seminary.

The Layman Online: Letter to the Editor

In light of the news coming out of the PCUSA today, I am reprinting a Letter to the Editor of The Layman Online written by my own pastor, Rev. Kent Moorlach. I think it very accurately sums up the issues with the PCUSA and explains why I will still call myself a Presbyterian, despite what the PCUSA says and does.

PCUSA will ultimately be supplanted by a more faithful Presbyterian denomination

Posted Thursday, March 24, 2011

Five years ago, we planted Communion Presbyterian Church (ARP). Just prior to this launch, our core team spent some time discussing whether or not we would actually banner “Presbyterian” in our church name. I still recall one dear saint pleading with our group, “Could we please not use the term Presbyterian? My Christian neighbors are concerned that I attend a Presbyterian church and I constantly tell them that we are not those Presbyterians.”

Who are those Presbyterians?

Those are they that:

• parade as animals and offer prayers lead by tribal Indian shamans at their General Assemblies;
• participate fully with the World Council of Churches in Geneva but fudge on Calvin’s doctrines of grace;
• demand their seminarians use “gender inclusive language” when referring to God but exclude students preaching an historic and conservative theology;
• condemn national Israel for their politics but condone unbelievers partaking of the Lord’s Supper;
• require "congregational quotas” for session members but reject the qualifications for elder delineated in Scripture;
• include the historic confessions of other Reformed bodies in their Book of Confessions yet have the audacity to re-write another communion’s document in order to accommodate denominational agendas;
• have fraternal relations with the UCC but are unrecognized by NAPARC;
• claim they are “open to the Spirit” but confuse what the Spirit has finally said in the canon.

There is surely more.

I recognize that no church is perfect. My own denomination has come through over 200 years of debate and continues to seek purity of devotion to the Scriptures – this process is as old as Acts 15 (And yes, even before then).

So why did our church plant include an antiquated Greek word describing a form of government in our church name? Because we knew this day was coming: the day when the “mainline” PCUSA would no longer be the largest Presbyterian denomination. Our church embraces the heritage and convictions of the Westminster Confession of Faith (and Catechisms), and because these documents truly reflect the convictions of the Scriptures and a faithful Presbyterian church, we were convinced that the PCUSA would finally fracture, lose enough churches, and ultimately be supplanted by another, more faithful, Presbyterian denomination – one with whom our church would be pleased to represent our own communion. (Right now, that’s looking like the PCA, and when they are ready to join the ARP, we’ll be ready!)

The PCUSA certainly has the freedom to pursue the course on which it treads. The warnings regarding this day have been clearly posted by Machen and others. Regardless, with a sense of sadness, we mourn the trials of the PCUSA; especially for the many committed believers who wrestle with future affiliations. But a new day is here, and in all humility, we’d like to have the name back!

Rev. Kent Moorlach
Communion Presbyterian Church (ARP), Irvine, Ca.

Two Recent Articles about Erskine

In the last few days, two articles have been written in various places online about Erskine and the ARP. The first was written by Rev. Wes White and is entitled Erskine PCUSA Theology Professor on Inerrancy. Rev. White brings to the attention of a wider audience the response of Dr. Richard Burnett to the requirement of affirming inerrancy by Erskine faculty. Needless to say, Dr. Burnett objects.

The second article, which appears today at The Aquila Report is written by Rev. Ken Pierce and is entitled No New Battles--The Inerrancy Controversy Strikes Again on the Erskine Campus. Rev. Pierce points out the current self-contradiction of Erskine claiming to hold to inerrancy, and yet employing theology professors who deny the doctrine. He also highlights the difficult position the administration of Erskine, including President Norman, must find themselves in.

Both articles are worth taking the time to read. Be sure to also note the comments on Rev. White's article. Thanks to both Rev. White and Rev. Pierce for continuing to keep Erskine at the forefront of the news and minds of the Reformed community. We in the ARP appreciate the kind words and help of our brothers in the Lord!

Update on Church Plant in Leith, Scotland

Last year, I had the opportunity to meet Rev. Athole Rennie, a fellow ARP-er and pastor/church planter working in Leith, Scotland. At that time, Rev. Rennie was working to build up a core group in Leith for the purpose of planting a church. God has blessed that effort, and the core group which has been built up is now meeting on Sunday afternoons, and has chosen a name for the church: Grace Church Leith.

I rejoice with them at the success they have had thus far and will continue to pray for the important work they do in the land of Knox and Melville. Please keep them in your prayers, as well. To learn more about the work Rev. Rennie is doing, visit Reformission Scotland or e-mail him at leith@reformissionscotland.com. If you are on Facebook, you can "Like" the group "Grace Church Leith" as well.

A Blog Worth Following

My friend and fellow ARP-er, Rev. Benjamin Glaser, has moved his blog to a new address and renamed it Mountains and Magnolias.

If you don't already follow him, I recommend this blog to you. Keep up the good work, Ben!

ARPTalk Update

Dr. Charles Wilson has two new articles up at ARPTalk. The first is my own article posted here last week: "Understanding the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church & Its Relation to Erskine College and Seminary."

The second is written by Dr. Wilson himself: "Erskine Theological Seminary Irrelevant to the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church." In it, Dr. Wilson makes some very poignant observations concerning our Seminary, including that Dr. Steve Lowe, the interim Executive Vice President of Erskine Seminary, is a United Methodist minister. He also points out that our Barthian Professors are still "looming large like the proverbial elephant-in-the-room." Erskine Seminary has some serious problems. Head over to ARPTalk and read it all for yourself.

Neely Gaston Accepts Position at Gordon-Conwell

This story was just reported by the ARP Blog:

Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary announced today that Dr. Neely Gaston, former Erskine Theological Seminary Executive Vice President, will join the Seminary’s Charlotte (NC) team as Chief Advancement Officer.

Which I find interesting, in light of what was reported twelve days ago, at the same site:

Dr. Neely Gaston resigned his position as executive vice president of Erskine Theological Seminary this morning. “Over the past few months, Neely and I have discussed his growing desire to return to pastoral ministry,” said Erskine President David Norman. “This desire, combined with the intensity of the events over the past 18 months at Erskine, has led Neely to this decision."

Just interesting, that's all.

Understanding the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church & Its Relation to Erskine Seminary

Last week, there were two news items released regarding The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARP) and Erskine College and Seminary (hereafter "Erskine") (see the first and second articles). As a Ruling Elder in the ARP, but also a relative newcomer to the denomination, I know it can be difficult to follow all the names, institutions, and organizations involved in the ARP and our internal workings. If it is difficult for me, a member of the ARP, to keep track of these things, I can only imagine how much more difficult it must be for my brothers and sisters in other denominations. With that in mind, I write today to give a brief history of the main issues involving Erskine and the ARP to date, then give a summary of where we stand today, and finally, offer some possibilities of what may happen in the future.

A BRIEF HISTORY (1770-2010)
The ARP, as it exists today, is the remnant of the old Associate Reformed Church that had its beginnings in the mid-seventeen hundreds. (For more on the history of our beginnings, read up on Ebenezer Erskine and the Marrow Controversy). In the 1820s, our old denomination broke into four synods, three of which were eventually absorbed into other Presbyterian bodies (eventually, these three, through a series of mergers, became part of the modern PC(USA)). The one remaining synod, the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Synod of the South, remained out of these mergers, and has, over the last 190 years, slowly grown. We’ve been known by a couple of different names over the years, but today we are known by the name, The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

In 1839, the ARP started a college and then a seminary in Due West, South Carolina. The name Erskine was given to the school, to honor Ralph and Ebenezer Erskine, who had "seceded" from the Church of Scotland several years earlier.

Over the course of the history of the ARP, various parties have influenced the denomination. Beginning in the 1960s, a conservative resurgence began, which called the ARP back to its Reformed roots. In 1979, a statement on Biblical authority and integrity was adopted by the Synod. However, because the word "inerrant" was not explicitly used, those within the ARP who were opposed to the doctrine of inerrancy wrote a dissenting document titled "A Covenant of Integrity." It was not until 2008 that the Synod adopted a clearer statement on inerrancy. That statement read "that the Bible alone, being God-breathed, is the Word of God written, infallible in all that it teaches, and inerrant in the original manuscripts."

Partly because the 1979 statement had not been explicit in its use of "inerrancy" (though that was clearly the intent of the statement) and partly because the denomination did not enforce the 1979 statement, those who did not hold to inerrancy were allowed to remain in the denomination, and some of them came on staff at Erskine. When the 2008 statement was adopted, this caused some backlash from professors at Erskine who do not hold to inerrancy, as well as ministers who had been allowed to resist the 1979 statement. One such minister was Dr. Randall Ruble, who also had become President of Erskine. The 1979 dissenters, who had become entrenched at Erskine, had also ignored the Synod's directives for approximately thirty years. Rev. Charles Wilson (who blogs at arptalk.org) documented the long history of Synod directing Erskine to do something. Erskine would then ignore the Synod's directives. In the following years, someone at Synod would then complain that Erskine had not obeyed the directives of Synod. Synod would then form an investigatory committee, who would look into the allegations of Erskine not following the Synod's directives. The committee would report back to a subsequent Synod, who would then direct Erskine to follow the directives of Synod. Erskine would ignore the new directives, and the whole cycle would begin again. To see Rev. Wilson's chronology of the interaction of Erskine and the Synod, see "A CHRONICLE OF THE LONG FAILURE OF GENERAL SYNOD TO OVERSEE ERSKINE COLLEGE AND SEMINARY, (1976 – 2008)" in the PDF available here.

Though I have highlighted the issue of inerrancy, other issues have arisen at Erskine, including open hostility to the Christian worldview, admission of non-Christians to our DMin program, and neo-Barthian professors in our seminary.

Last year, a called meeting of our Synod met in March. This was unprecedented in ARP history. At this meeting, our Synod reorganized the Board of Erskine to bring it more into line with the doctrine and teachings of the ARP. Three members of the Board then sued the denomination (two elders in the ARP being a part of the suit). In June of 2010, at the regular meeting of Synod, a compromise was reached between the church and those who had brought the suit. The compromise was that the suit would be dropped if the ARP revoked the resolutions (we call them "Memorials" in the ARP) it had passed at the Called Synod that had resulted in the reorganization of the Board. Another important development last year was that Dr. Ruble retired from his position as President of Erskine, and Dr. David Norman was hired to serve as Erskine’s fifteenth President.

ARP AND ERSKINE: THE CURRENT SITUATION
Currently the Board of Erskine is chosen by the Synod of the ARP. Every year, five new members are appointed for a term of six years. In this way, the entire board (not including the four ex-officio members) rotates out every six years. In addition to the reorganization of the Board and the lawsuit last year, the former President of Erskine, Dr. Randy Ruble, retired and a new President was appointed. Dr. David Norman received the unanimous approval of the Board of Trustees of Erskine, which is quite an accomplishment, since the Board has been split between pro-ARP and anti-ARP sides--a division that was rather pronounced last year. Dr. Norman briefly presented his vision for Erskine at last year's Synod, and he is also writing a three part series in our denominational magazine, ARP Magazine, beginning with the January issue in which he will expand on his goals as President. I was able to meet Dr. Norman at Synod last year, and I have confidence that he will carry out the directives of the ARP at Erskine, while continuing to uphold the tradition of academic excellence that he inherited.

ARP AND ERSKINE: LOOKING FORWARD
It may seem from my presenting of this history that all our problems in the ARP are resolved. Erskine has a new President and the lawsuit has been dropped. Sadly, this is not the end of our fight. I do believe we are moving in the right direction, but we aren't out of the woods, yet. Both from without and from within, we face challenges. From without, there are still plenty of people who want to see Erskine become completely independent of the ARP. Some of the alumni and even some of the faculty at Erskine fall into this category. From within, the ARP faces the same challenge of lethargy that many other Reformed and Presbyterian denominations have faced in the past and still face today. Constant vigilance is the required duty of the Church, and if we in the ARP wish to see our denomination and our college and seminary further reformed, we must remain vigilant. Thankfully, God has blessed us with men such as Charles Wilson and Dr. John De Witt (along with many others) who had the courage to sound the alarm and wake enough of us up from our slumber to do something before it was too late. However, even at last year's Synod I already saw signs of the old, laissez-faire way of doing business in the ARP coming back.

I anticipate that Erskine will still be a hot topic at this year’s Synod. Important things to watch for include who exactly gets put on Erskine’s Board. I am confident that the only way for Erskine to fulfill its purpose of being "the ARP in higher education" is to continually, year after year, ensure that godly, reformed men are placed on its Board. Another issue will most likely involve those who are elders in the church who brought the lawsuit against the ARP. Obviously, this cannot be tolerated and yet these men have been allowed to continue in their offices without consequence, and Scripture has been twisted to attempt to justify these actions by one of our very own seminary professors. So, as I have said, we certainly have our work cut out for us. I would ask those of you reading this who are not in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church to remember us in your prayers. And I would remind those of you reading this who are in the ARP to “Be strong and of good courage.” The road ahead is long and arduous, but, by God’s grace, our victory is assured in Christ our Lord.

ARP and Erskine News

Two stories today, related to the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARP), and, more directly, to Erskine College and Seminary.

The first is the news that Executive Vice President of Erskine Seminary, Dr. Neely Gaston, has resigned from his position at Erskine. Read the story here. (UPDATE: The Aquila Report also is covering this news, and has a bit more info here.)

The second is a new article at ARPTalk which details some of the conversations that have happened on Facebook about and involving Dr. David Norman, president of Erskine. You can read that here.

Also noteworthy is the series of articles Dr. Norman will be writing for ARP Magazine. The first in the 3-part series is in the January issue. Together, they will present his vision for Erskine College and Seminary. I may have to resubscribe just to read them!