Vanguard Presbytery | |
---|---|
Classification | Evangelical Protestant |
Orientation | Reformed |
Theology | Conservative & Confessional |
Governance | Presbyterian |
Region | United States of America |
Origin | 2020 |
Separated from | Presbyterian Church in America |
Separations | Christ Reformed Presbyterian Church (2022) |
Congregations | 19 (2021) [1] |
Official website | vanguardpresbytery |
The Vanguard Presbytery is a Presbyterian denomination formed in 2020 by churches that separate from the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) due to conflicts over the application of ecclesiastical discipline and the charge that the PCA has become excessively hierarchical. [2] [3]
In 2018 St. Louis Memorial Presbyterian Church, a local church federate to the Presbyterian Church in America, started the Revoice Conference, aimed at people sexually attracted to other people of the same sex. The conference argued that sex should only be practiced in marriage and that Christian marriage is only between a man and a woman. Therefore, Christians sexually attracted to other people of the same sex should be celibate. [4]
However, it was argued that Christians sexually attracted to other people of the same sex could identify themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual, since sexual attraction would be an essential element of the individual's identity. Such a position was the subject of controversy and decisions regarding ecclesiastical discipline were a source of conflict. [3] [4]
A group of disaffected churches broke away from the Presbyterian Church in America and formed the Vanguard Presbytery. The denomination's first General Assembly took place on July 30, 2020. [5]
After the formation of the Vanguard Presbytery, the Reformed Presbyterian Church in the United States – another splinter denomination from the Presbyterian Church in America, formed in 1973 – was dissolved and its local churches joined the new denomination. [6] [7]
In May 2022 a number of congregations withdrew from Vanguard Presbytery to form a new denomination called Christ Reformed Presbyterian Church. [8] [9]
The Vanguard Presbytery believe in Young Earth Creationism. [10]
The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PC(USA), is a mainline Protestant denomination in the United States. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the US, and known for its liberal stance on doctrine and its ordaining of women and members of the LGBT community as elders and ministers. The PC(USA) was established by the 1983 merger of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, whose churches were located in the Southern and border states, with the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, whose congregations could be found in every state. The similarly named Presbyterian Church in America is a separate denomination whose congregations can also trace their history to the various schisms and mergers of Presbyterian churches in the United States. Unlike the PCA, the PC(USA) supports evangelical feminism and supports practise of same gender marriages. It also welcomes gay and lesbian persons to serve in leadership positions as ministers, deacons, elders, and trustees.
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