“In order to uphold our ordination vows, before God, our Father, the Lord Jesus, our Savior, and the Holy Spirit, who guides us into all truth, and to adhere to the Holy Scripture with utmost honesty and integrity and therefore obey God over the ungodly whims of hierarchal human manipulations, this new presbytery is being... Continue Reading

We remain firmly Presbyterian in polity, with the highest court being the General Synod. What seems to be at the center of this confusion is a short phrase in the new FOG “in order to:” That phrase indicates that the synod has the authority to do those things (organize, receive, divide, dissolve, etc.). And that... Continue Reading

I do not believe that the current situation in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church should be characterized as an ongoing constitutional crisis. My belief is based on my reading of our ARP Standards, which are, of course, subordinate to the Holy Scriptures. Since reading is the art of noticing details and understanding them in context,... Continue Reading

The ongoing crisis in the ARP Church has taken a new turn. Officers in the denomination are now refusing to release congregations with their property after their Presbytery has already granted them the right to dismissal. Does this recent turn in events indicate that the ARP is following the pattern of the PCUSA or the... Continue Reading

Editor’s Note: The document below is co-authored by Drs. John Cook and R. J. Gore and was read before the meeting of Second Presbytery by Dr. Cook on August 13 at the Due West ARP Church, Due West, SC. The document was also placed in the minutes of Second Presbytery and specified for distribution. Dr.... Continue Reading

Over the past two years, these allegations have mushroomed into a much broader battle between warring factions within the ARP – with some accusing the denomination’s leadership of opportunistically exploiting the situation to seize control of Second Presbytery, purportedly in contravention of the ARP’s governing constitution.   The Second Presbytery of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian (ARP) church... Continue Reading

There was no further discussion on the motion to declare an emergency, and it was defeated by a vote of 11-2. Therefore, since the Executive Board did not declare the two complaints to be an emergency, they were not considered, and the meeting was adjourned. The two complaints were declared as not being an emergency... Continue Reading

The enabling motion behind the debate: “That a special committee be formed to investigate Second Presbytery’s handling of the allegations against Chuck Wilson and that this special committee report back any irregularities and/or deviations from our Standards to the Executive Board at its Fall 2023 meeting along with any recommendations for further action.”   In... Continue Reading

Against the decision of the 220th General Assembly of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church to dissolve the Second Presbytery of the A.R.P.C. – and all associated Index #11 decisions tethered thereunto – without first upholding the giving of the ‘due process’ that is required to be given, per the A.R.P.C. Book of Discipline, to those... Continue Reading

The vote for Recommendation #1 to dissolve Second Presbytery passed 254 yes to 43 no. Second Presbytery will be dissolved…. The Canadian Presbytery of the ARP Church, humbly petitions the 220th General Synod the ARP to release our presbytery for the formation of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Canada beginning with our Fall Presbytery... Continue Reading