Hey, Church! 

It often surprises people to learn that Rio is a PCA church. I bet I just surprised some of YOU! But yes, we are affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). While our pastors fully align with the PCA’s doctrine and form of governance, we don’t emphasize “Presbyterian” in our name or messaging. That’s intentional: we want to welcome people from all backgrounds, not just those seeking a specific denomination.

That said, a church’s denomination is neither insignificant nor arbitrary. It represents the leadership’s core beliefs, a common history, and in many cases even the “style” of their worship. Rio is a bit of a black sheep in the PCA with regard to its worship, as well as its openness to (and desire for) demonstrations of the Holy Spirit. And we don’t apologize for that. 

It is worth explaining these distinctives, especially for anyone unfamiliar with our denomination. Over the next few Saturdays, I hope to offer a brief history of the PCA, its constitutional documents (i.e., its beliefs and practices), and its view of the sacraments. And, of course, the goal of these Saturday personal worship messages is always to help prepare your hearts for worship! 

A Brief History of the Presbyterian Church in America

The ideals of Presbyterianism are rooted in the 16th-century Reformation and first appeared in the (future) United States with Scottish and Irish immigrant settlers. The first presbytery was established in Philadelphia in 1706, which is considered the formal beginning of organized Presbyterianism. In that time, there was only one Presbyterian denomination, not the several branches that exist today. 

The first split occurred in the mid-1700s, when two opposing views emerged regarding revivalist preaching. Sermons during the First Great Awakening were delivered by itinerant preachers, and their speech was marked by fiery emotionalism to compel unbelievers to salvation. As a result, there was a strong emphasis on one’s personal, spiritual experience with God. But for some Presbyterians, the revivalists’ methods represented a negative doctrinal and pragmatic drift. Those who held to a more traditional approach were known as the Old Side; the Presbyterians who supported revivalism were called the New Side. 

Those two sides later reconciled (1758), but I want to point out that every subsequent rift resulted from essentially the same basic conundrum: how far should traditional doctrine and practice be allowed to bend to the changing demands of culture? Not unlike the divisions we see in politics, whenever the Presbyterian Church was divided on a particular issue, there was one group that wanted to maintain the traditional hardline (conservative) and another that wanted to accommodate cultural shifts (liberal/progressive). 

After American independence, the church reorganized into a national structure: The Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. In the 19th century, more disputes arose over revivalism and doctrine, compounded by the issue of slavery. These debates resulted in the Old School separating from the New School in 1837 and, in the Civil War era, a split between the North and the South in 1861. Over time, new divisions emerged, some groups were reconciled, and eventually, the main body in the south became the PCUS. 

In the 20th century, tensions within the Presbyterian Church in the United States (PCUS) grew over biblical authority and cultural engagement. In 1973, conservatives split to form the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). The mainline branch later became the Presbyterian Church (USA), or PCUSA. 

Today, the PCUSA is generally more progressive on issues like women’s ordination and LGBTQ inclusion, while the PCA remains more conservative, emphasizing biblical inerrancy over cultural assimilation. 

Ok, but how does any of this help prepare your heart for worship? I can think of at least three ways this brief history might be an encouragement to you this Sunday: 

1. Your pastors are committed to God’s Word first, which means the sermons you hear them preach will be faithful readings of scripture, not subject to the nauseatingly fickle tides of cultural sensibilities. Pray for them! And feast on God’s Word as it is preached this weekend. 
2. Your spiritual family tree has strong roots! In the coming weeks, we’ll look more closely at doctrinal distinctives as articulated most clearly by the Westminster divines. We are so blessed to walk in the path our forebears cleared for us. 
3. The Church is God’s Bride, eternal, and precious to Him. And yet, so long as its earthly administration is left to human beings, it will be imperfect. Let us remain humble in our worship, seek to sharpen one another, and remember that we’re all working with the same dim mirror until He comes again in glory (1 Cor. 13:12).