Rev. Ben Glaser, who served as chair of the Inter-Church Relations committee of the ARP, wrote…”Our Synod had sent several letters of concern, and had met with representatives of the EPC, about the rising rigidity of the EPC on women’s ordination, charismatic gifts, centralizing of institutional authority, and the recent flirting with Side B Christianity.”

The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARP) voted June 10 to end their fraternal relationship with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.

During the 222nd meeting of the General Synod in Flat Rock, N.C., the Inter-Church Relations Committee recommended that the ARP sever its ties with the EPC amid growing concern about leadership and denominational structure, women in ministry, and the promotion of charismatic gifts in ministry. The recommendation was approved with no debate or discussion from the floor.

“The ARP Inter-Church committee has instructed our representatives to have open and frank discussions with their EPC brothers about the situation in the EPC and to be in prayer with them,” the committee reported to the Synod. “The reasons for this include concerns about the nature of how leadership is wielded in the denominational structure of the EPC, growing support and hardening of the promotion of women in ministerial and elder offices, and continued concerns with the likewise promotion and support of charismatic gifts. We continue to pray for renewal within the EPC.”

The Synod action ended a fraternal relationship that began in 1985 when the EPC and ARP established a fraternal relationship and exchanged delegates at annual meetings. In 1991 the two denominations considered union, but decided for committees of both bodies to continue meeting for exploring ministry collaboration — particularly fruitful was the shared Church Planter Assessment Center (CPAC) that evaluated church planter candidates for the ARP and EPC.

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