The Orthodox Presbyterian Church

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 18, 2025, 2:00 PM

The Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) is a confessional Presbyterian denomination located primarily in the United States, with additional congregations in Canada, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico. It was founded by conservative members of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (PCUSA), who objected to the rise of Liberal and Modernist theology in the 1930s. The OPC is considered to have had an influence on evangelicalism far beyond its size.[2] The Orthodox Presbyterian Church was founded in 1936, largely through the work of John Gresham Machen. Machen, who, prior to this time was a PCUSA minister, had a longstanding distrust of liberalism in Christianity, as typified by the Auburn Affirmation. He and others founded Westminster Theological Seminary in 1929 in response to rising liberal sentiments at Princeton Theological Seminary, and in 1933, Machen formed the Independent Board for Presbyterian Foreign Missions, due to his...

Machen's views were met with opposition. In 1935, the PCUSA General Assembly declared Machen's Independent Board unconstitutional, and gave the associated clergy an ultimatum to break their ties with it. When Machen and seven other clergy did not disavow the Independent Board, they were suspended from PCUSA ministry.[3] In light of these events, Machen and a group of likeminded ministers, elders, and laymen met in Philadelphia on June 11, 1936, to form what they then called the Presbyterian Church of America (not... Stonehouse, J. Oliver Buswell, and Edward Joseph Young.

Machen died shortly thereafter in January 1937. Later that year, a faction led by Carl McIntire broke away to form Bible Presbyterian Church, affirming total abstinence from alcohol and premillennialism.[5] We seek to live in the joy and comfort of our Savior, Jesus Christ, through the teaching of His Word, worship, and fellowship. Morning Service: 11am | Evening Service: 5pm Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! The Regional Church of the Northwest includes all of the members of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church’s congregations and mission works in the Pacific Northwest.

Its geography includes the states of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington, and now a congregation in Alberta. The presbytery includes the ruling elders of those churches, and the ministers of the region. The presbytery meets twice a year, usually on the fourth Friday and the following Saturday of April and September. The spiritual care and oversight of a local congregation is provided through elders (including ruling elders, elected from the membership of the local church, and ministers, either pastors called by a local congregation or... In fact, our name reflects the practice of oversight found in the book of Acts. Paul, on his missionary journeys, made sure that elders were chosen to oversee and nurture the newly planted churches (see Acts 14:23; 20:17-25; 1 Timothy 3:1-7).

The Greek word for “elder” is presbuteros or “presbyter.” Similarly, matters that concern the regional church are handled by the ruling elders from the local churches and ministers, assembled in a meeting of presbytery. THE SPIRIT and the decisions of the 1935 General Assembly made it clear that the conservatives of the church would have to organize and unite on a definite program of reform and preparation for... Accordingly, a letter was written by two elders and a layman and addressed to 100 or more conservative leaders in the East, inviting them to be present at a meeting in Philadelphia on June... Approximately 100 attended the meeting at which time the Presbyterian Constitutional Covenant Union was organized, officers elected, an executive committee formed, and a constitution adopted. A campaign was launched to obtain signers of the covenant, to form chapters, and to promote the program of the Covenant Union. The covenant read as follows:

We, the members of this Covenant Union, are resolved, in accordance with God’s Word, and in humble reliance upon His grace, to maintain the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A., (1) making... It became obvious that the officers and executive committee of the Covenant Union were determined not only to expose modernism in the boards of the church and to attempt a reform, but also to... This was certain from the second part of the pledge. Immediately, the Covenant Union was attacked not only by the church machine but also by the Rev. Samuel G. Craig, D.D., a former member of the board of trustees of Westminster Theological Seminary and a former member of the Independent Board, because the Covenant Union by its pledge committed men to withdraw from...

Do you ever wonder about the various denominations within Christianity and what distinguishes them from one another? If you’re curious about the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) and its key tenets and practices, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we will provide you with an informative overview of the OPC, shedding light on its history, beliefs, and worship practices. Whether you’re deeply religious or simply intrigued by different faith traditions, this article will equip you with a clear understanding of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and its unique position within the Christian landscape. So, let’s delve into the world of the OPC and broaden our knowledge of this venerable denomination. An Orthodox Presbyterian Church is a denomination of Christianity that adheres to the principles and teachings of Orthodox Presbyterianism, which originated in the early 20th century in North America.

This branch of Protestant Christianity emphasizes the authority and inspiration of the Bible, and the sovereignty of God in all aspects of life. Orthodox Presbyterians believe in the Reformed faith, which includes the doctrines of grace, the sovereignty of God in salvation, and the sufficiency of Scripture. They uphold the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms as their subordinate standards, which serve as guides for their beliefs and practices. In an Orthodox Presbyterian Church, worship is centered on the preaching and teaching of God’s Word. The sermons are typically expository, delving into the meaning and application of Scripture. The sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper hold central importance, as they symbolize and commemorate the work of Christ in the life of believers.

The denomination is governed by a system of Presbyterian polity, with multiple layers of church courts overseeing the local congregations. These courts ensure accountability, promote doctrinal purity, and make decisions on matters of doctrine and practice. The Orthodox Presbyterian Church was founded on June 11, 1936, in the aftermath of the fundamentalist-modernist controversy, under the leadership of J. Gresham Machen, a longtime professor of New Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary, who also founded Westminster Theological Seminary in 1929. With the infiltration of theological liberalism, the mainline Presbyterian Church in the USA had departed from historic Christianity, including the rejection of doctrines such as the inspiration and authority of Scripture, the virgin birth... Originally calling itself the Presbyterian Church of America, the young church was forced by the threat of a lawsuit to change its name in 1939, and it adopted the name Orthodox Presbyterian Church.

We are a gospel-centered church. The word gospel means good news, and we believe we have the best news in the world. Jesus Christ has come. He died for our sins on the cross and God has raised Him from the dead. This is the good news we proclaim. We are unashamed to declare that Christ said, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life and that no one comes to God except through Me’ (John 14:6).

We want to be true to the Bible’s teaching and what Christians have historically believed. Sometimes we are called are a confessional church because we believe the Westminster Standards most accurately summarizes what the Bible teaches. That’s what a confession does, it gives you an anchor to God’s revealed truth. Therefore, we believe that we need to be true to the historic Christian faith. For this reason we are a Protestant church, in line with historic, biblical Christianity. We are called “Orthodox” because we try, by God’s power, to stay true to His Word in the Bible.

We are a connected church, that is, congregations are bound together to serve and help one another. Every one of our bulletins declares on the cover, “A Mission Church of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.” In an age of non-denominationalism why are we denominational? The Westminster Standards connect us to believers from the historic Presbyterian Church as far back at the 17th century. . They also link us to each other. Just as every state in the USA must follow the United States’ Constitution, so every congregation in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church must follow the Orthodox Presbyterian Church’s confession.

The congregations of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church are led by elders or ‘presbyters’, men who have committed themselves to serving the church. There are three parts of a Presbyterian church: the session, the presbytery, and the General Assembly. A session is the elected body of men in a local congregation. Groups of congregations in the same geographic region send elders to a body called the presbytery. In turn, each presbytery in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church elects presbyters to attend the national General Assembly. At every level, Orthodox Presbyterian church government provides accountability and connects each congregation to the worldwide mission of the church.

The Orthodox Presbyterian Church

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The Greek Word For “elder” Is Presbuteros Or “presbyter.” Similarly,