Considering that the Covenant Presbyterian Church was formed in 2006, can you imagine the series of events that led to its establishment? The Covenant Presbyterian Church is a Reformed denomination in the United States. It was founded by churches that split from the Reformed Presbyterian Church General Assembly. These Presbyterian churches originate from the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. They adhere to Reformed theology.
The Presbyterian form of ecclesiastical organization features governance by an assembly of elders. This model became common in Protestant churches. It was notably developed in Switzerland, Scotland, Netherlands, France, and parts of Prussia, Ireland, and later, the United States. In 1983, the Reformed Presbyterian Church merged with the Presbyterian Church in America. Some churches in the PCA’s Georgia Presbytery disagreed with the merged denomination’s decision-making. These churches then separated. They formed the Presbytery of the Covenant.
This presbytery expanded. By 1985, it split into four presbyteries. This led to the assembly of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in the United States. In 1990, the denomination changed its name. It became the Reformed Presbyterian Church in the Americas. By 1991, conflict arose among the four RPCA presbyteries. Hanover Presbytery became its own denomination. It was named the Reformed Presbyterian Church – Hanover Presbytery. Westminster Presbytery and Geneva Presbytery formed the Reformed Presbyterian Church General Assembly. The fourth presbytery remained as a remnant of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in the United States.
In 2006, four churches and nine elders left the RPCGA. They formed the Covenant Presbyterian Church. A primary reason was the desire for presbyterian governance. They also wanted to allow local sessions the freedom to practice paedo-communion. The Covenant Presbyterian Church has grown since then. It currently has 12 member churches. Like other Presbyterian denominations, the CPC follows specific doctrines. It subscribes to the Westminster Confession of Faith. It also uses the Westminster Larger Catechism and Shorter Catechism.
Its churches adhere to young earth creationism. They also practice male head-of-household voting. The denomination values equality among elders. It emphasizes Christian education for all ages. It seeks a balance of character and doctrine for elder qualifications. It does not strictly require a seminary degree. The Covenant Presbyterian Church is conservative. It opposes same-sex unions and abortion. Today, the Covenant Presbyterian Church continues to uphold its founding principles. It serves its members through faith and community.