About the RPCNA.

Our church is part of the Atlantic Presbytery of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America.

The history and character of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, known early on as the Scottish Covenanters, are somewhat unique. Since the late 1600s we have been staunch (sometimes combative!) in maintaining that Jesus Christ alone has ultimate authority over his people and over the nations of the earth. 

The "Reformed" in our name refers to our adherence to the biblical principles set down by the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. Our spiritual fathers include Martin Luther, John Calvin, and John Knox.

"Presbyterian" refers to our form of church government. Each congregation is under the oversight of those elected as elders, who are also part of the higher courts known as presbyteries and Synod.

In 1743 the first Reformed Presbyterian congregation was organized in North America. As with our Scottish roots, the Kingship of Christ has been maintained as a foundational principle of our denomination. Today, congregations reach all across North America. We also acknowledge sister churches of Reformed Presbyterians in Ireland, Scotland, Australia, and elsewhere.

We are willing to pay a real price for loyalty to Christ. Many of our spiritual ancestors died for their faith. We have a strong history of international missions. We do not have celebrity pastors; for a significant part of our history we didn’t have any pastors. Our people became tough: meeting for prayer and Bible study in gatherings called Societies, sometimes waiting years for a traveling pastor to administer baptism and the Lord’s Supper. 

While Reformed Presbyterians in America appreciated the freedom and opportunity of their new land, they believed that two terrible wrongs were enshrined in the Constitution: the enslavement of Africans and the refusal to acknowledge Jesus Christ and his rule over the nations. From early on, Covenanters opposed slavery and all forms of oppression, including the injustices done to Native Americans. According to historian Joseph S. Moore, they publicly opposed slavery even before the Quakers, serving as conductors on the Underground Railroad (often armed) and later fighting in the Civil War. 

We don’t believe that our forebears were perfect. Some of their ways of applying good doctrine we might reject today. But we do treasure what they gave us: a costly discipleship, strong bonds of friendship in the faith, a hatred for tyranny, and above all a fierce loyalty to the Lord Jesus Christ. 

We want to be a community of faith marked by these same values: a people of courage and faithfulness.