Westminster Presbyterian Church in the United States
Encyclopedia
The Westminster Presbyterian Church in the United States (WPCUS) is a small Presbyterian denomination
which was constituted in January 2006 in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania
. The founding churches separated from their former denominations and came together because of perceived equivocation on central Protestant
doctrines and because of tolerance of perceived excesses in worship
practices in other Presbyterian denominations. The founders were particularly concerned with the perceived spread of liberal
teaching within Presbyterianism in the United States
and in particular with Federal Vision
theology, which they believe supplies a different understanding of doctrines such as justification
and the perseverance of the saints
.
The WPCUS strictly subscribes to the Westminster Standards
(The Westminster Confession of Faith
, the Larger Catechism, the Shorter Catechism, the Directory of Public Worship
, the Directory for Family Worship
, and the Form of Presbyterian Church Government) as they were originally adopted by the Church of Scotland
(1645-48) and the colonies of North America (1716).
Additionally, the WPCUS adheres to the following distinctives related to public worship:
Religious denomination
A religious denomination is a subgroup within a religion that operates under a common name, tradition, and identity.The term describes various Christian denominations...
which was constituted in January 2006 in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania
Lansdowne, Pennsylvania
Lansdowne is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States located southwest of downtown Philadelphia. It was named for the Marquess of Lansdowne. The borough grew quickly in the early part of the twentieth century when a railroad stop was established near the intersection of...
. The founding churches separated from their former denominations and came together because of perceived equivocation on central Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
doctrines and because of tolerance of perceived excesses in worship
Worship
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. The word is derived from the Old English worthscipe, meaning worthiness or worth-ship — to give, at its simplest, worth to something, for example, Christian worship.Evelyn Underhill defines worship thus: "The absolute...
practices in other Presbyterian denominations. The founders were particularly concerned with the perceived spread of liberal
Liberal Christianity
Liberal Christianity, sometimes called liberal theology, is an umbrella term covering diverse, philosophically and biblically informed religious movements and ideas within Christianity from the late 18th century and onward...
teaching within Presbyterianism in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and in particular with Federal Vision
Federal Vision
The Federal Vision is a Reformed Evangelical theological conversation that focuses on covenant theology, trinitarian thinking, the sacraments of Baptism and Communion, biblical theology and typology, justification, and postmillennialism.A controversy arose in Calvinist, Reformed, and Presbyterian...
theology, which they believe supplies a different understanding of doctrines such as justification
Justification (theology)
Rising out of the Protestant Reformation, Justification is the chief article of faith describing God's act of declaring or making a sinner righteous through Christ's atoning sacrifice....
and the perseverance of the saints
Perseverance of the saints
Perseverance of the saints, as well as the corollary—though distinct—doctrine known as "Once Saved, Always Saved", is a Calvinist teaching that once persons are truly saved they can never lose their salvation....
.
The WPCUS strictly subscribes to the Westminster Standards
Westminster Standards
The Westminster Standards is a collective name for the documents drawn up by the Westminster Assembly. These include the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Westminster Shorter Catechism, the Westminster Larger Catechism, the Directory of Public Worship, and the Form of Church Government, and...
(The Westminster Confession of Faith
Westminster Confession of Faith
The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith, in the Calvinist theological tradition. Although drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly, largely of the Church of England, it became and remains the 'subordinate standard' of doctrine in the Church of Scotland, and has been...
, the Larger Catechism, the Shorter Catechism, the Directory of Public Worship
Directory of Public Worship
The Directory for Public Worship was a manual of directions for worship approved by an ordinance of Parliament early in 1645 to replace the Book of Common Prayer .-Origins:The movement against the Book of Common...
, the Directory for Family Worship
Directory for Family Worship
The Directory for Family Worship is a book of general directions for private, family worship in the Calvinist tradition. While generally approving of the products of the Westminster Assembly , the Church of Scotland viewed it as incomplete without directions for private worship...
, and the Form of Presbyterian Church Government) as they were originally adopted by the Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
(1645-48) and the colonies of North America (1716).
Distinctives
Regarding its doctrine, the WPCUS:- rejects all perceived variations from the Westminster Standards on the doctrine of justification by grace aloneSola gratiaSola gratia is one of the five solas propounded to summarise the Reformers' basic beliefs during the Protestant Reformation; it is a Latin term meaning grace alone...
through faith aloneSola fideSola fide , also historically known as the doctrine of justification by faith alone, is a Christian theological doctrine that distinguishes most Protestant denominations from Catholicism, Eastern Christianity, and some in the Restoration Movement.The doctrine of sola fide or "by faith alone"...
. - adheres to young earth creationismYoung Earth creationismYoung Earth creationism is the religious belief that Heavens, Earth, and all life on Earth were created by direct acts of the Abrahamic God during a relatively short period, sometime between 5,700 and 10,000 years ago...
in which creation took place within the space of six 24-hour days. - believes in complementarianism and rejects the ordination of womenOrdination of womenOrdination in general religious usage is the process by which a person is consecrated . The ordination of women is a regular practice among some major religious groups, as it was of several religions of antiquity...
to church offices (elder and deaconDeaconDeacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
). - adheres to and teaches that all nations have a moral obligation explicitly to recognize JesusJesusJesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
as king and supreme lawgiver in their constitutionConstitutionA constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
s, courtCourtA court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...
s, legislatureLegislatureA legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
s, etc. and that the civil governmentGovernmentGovernment refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
has the duty to legislate in conformity with God’s moral law summarized in the Ten CommandmentsTen CommandmentsThe Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
. Consequently, they work for the restoration of the establishment of the Christian faithState religionA state religion is a religious body or creed officially endorsed by the state...
in the United States and reject religious pluralismReligious pluralismReligious pluralism is a loosely defined expression concerning acceptance of various religions, and is used in a number of related ways:* As the name of the worldview according to which one's religion is not the sole and exclusive source of truth, and thus that at least some truths and true values...
, secularismSecularismSecularism is the principle of separation between government institutions and the persons mandated to represent the State from religious institutions and religious dignitaries...
, and governmental authority that is not divinely mandated in accordance with their understanding of the Westminster StandardsWestminster StandardsThe Westminster Standards is a collective name for the documents drawn up by the Westminster Assembly. These include the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Westminster Shorter Catechism, the Westminster Larger Catechism, the Directory of Public Worship, and the Form of Church Government, and...
and the principles of the Solemn League and CovenantSolemn League and CovenantThe Solemn League and Covenant was an agreement between the Scottish Covenanters and the leaders of the English Parliamentarians. It was agreed to in 1643, during the First English Civil War....
. (Compare CovenantingCovenanterThe Covenanters were a Scottish Presbyterian movement that played an important part in the history of Scotland, and to a lesser extent in that of England and Ireland, during the 17th century...
and Established Church.)
Additionally, the WPCUS adheres to the following distinctives related to public worship:
- A strict interpretation of the regulative principle of worshipRegulative principle of worshipThe regulative principle of worship is a teaching shared by some Calvinists and Anabaptists on how the Bible orders public worship. The substance of the doctrine regarding worship is that God institutes in the Scriptures everything he requires for worship in the Church and that everything else is...
; - The exclusive use of the biblical PsalterExclusive psalmodyExclusive psalmody is the particular worship practice of several small Protestant denominations worldwide which use a metrical version of the Book of Psalms from the Bible as the only manual of songs that may be sung in their services...
for public worship, unaccompanied by musical instrumentsA cappellaA cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
; - The rejection of the ecclesiastical calendarLiturgical yearThe liturgical year, also known as the church year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches which determines when feast days, including celebrations of saints, are to be observed, and which portions of Scripture are to be read. Distinct liturgical colours may appear in...
and holy daysHolidayA Holiday is a day designated as having special significance for which individuals, a government, or a religious group have deemed that observance is warranted. It is generally an official or unofficial observance of religious, national, or cultural significance, often accompanied by celebrations...
; - The rejection of traditional prayer books and liturgiesChristian liturgyA liturgy is a set form of ceremony or pattern of worship. Christian liturgy is a pattern for worship used by a Christian congregation or denomination on a regular basis....
.
External links
- The Westminster Presbyterian Church in the United States, the official website
- The Westminster Guardian, the denomination's online magazine