8/12/2019 2004 Issue 2 - The Formation of the RPCUS - Counsel of Chalcedon

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Tbe ormation of be

RP US

The Formation o the

RPCUS

On February 20, 1983 the Chalcedon Presbyterian

Church congregation voted to withdraw from the

Presbyterian Church

in

America,

the

denomination with

which the church had been affiliated since its founding.

We would like, here,

to

present the resolution which

the congregation passed on that day in 1983.

A Resolution

I , hereas Chalcedon Presbyterian Church has been raised

up

by

God

to

glorify God

by

being faithful

to the Word

of

God,

the

Reformed Faith, and

the Great

Commission;

churches;

d ' ' ' l ' . no ,ftt\e

Westminster

,

,:> ,

,.

of Q9Wto defend, expound

its w?r.ldYiew

in

an age

,#ith/other systems and

and

b ' i ) ~ e : r v a t i v e

Presbyterian

4.

Whereas

the officers of Chalcedon have taken vows

6.

to

uphold

those

Standards

in all

their emphases and

distinctives;

ereas G

eat

Com

d discipl

~ d u c a t i o

and

insti,

all to

Chalcedon

is to

carry

out

the'

on which includes world evangelization

, church planting and nurturing, Christian

the

Christian reconstruction of

all

areas

n ~ i ~ f : ' l i U l n a n sociEttyl. / ',

:,(J ,

. Y

s ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ n t

iJ'NirthIG(;)brgia

s b y t E l ~ J ~ ~

Church

in

America

mitm

i t o

and

u p h o l c \ j n ~ , o f

the.

ards system of dqqtrine of.tpe \

7. Whereas

this laxity

is

producing

an

increasing separation

of Chalcedon and its st rict confessional position from

presbytery;

8. this laxity has allowed

North

Georgia

ry,

within recent months,

to

receive ministers,

the time of their reception, would

not

affirm:

hat theistic evolution is unbiblical;

I revelation has ceased along with tongue

hat regeneration necessarily precedes faith;

at reception of Jesus as Savior and Lord may never

ivided into

two

distinct decisions

or

acts;

e. That Christians

may not

be divided into

two

categories - the carnal and

the

spiritual;

f

That

the

first day of

the

week from

the

resurrectio

of Christ

to

the

end of

the

world

is

the Christian

Sabbath;

9.

Whereas

it has become apparent to the officers of

Chalcedon

that

there

has developed

an

impasse betwee

the

presbytery and the session creating an immediate

crisis of great potential danger for Chalcedon and

her

officers:

a.

Chalcedon's session,

in

faithfulness

to

its

ordination vows requires all the elders and

deacons of Chalcedon

to

hold

to

theonomy I and

postmillennialism

2

, as taught

in

our Standards

(along with

the

many

other

historical distinctives o

Presbyterianism and Calvinism);

b. The

majority interpretation

of the

Presbyterian

Church

in

America's position on theonomy

is

that

believing theonomy may

not

be used as a

requirement

to

hold office

in

the

Presbyterian

Church

in

America;

c.

The record

of North

Georgia Presbytery

is

clearly

opposition to strict adherence

to the

Confession;

d.

The officers

of

Chalcedon are convinced

that

compromise on this issue

is

compromise

of the

Word

of God,

the

demands

of

our

vows, and

the

constitution

of

the Presbyterian Church

in

America

e. It is apparent

that

th

7

invElstigating committee from

the

presbytery,

l t h o u ~ n c b m p r i s e d

of very Christi

men,

is not in a g r e e m ~ l t w i t h our

position;

f.

Pres,ByUry has beeh

; ~ c c e s s f u l l y

maneuvered

intcithe position with Chalcedon thaJ, allows for

onlY9neoftwo

alternatives -

the

present session

mQstlbe removed from office

o ~ , c t t a l c e d o n

must

Withdraw from

North

Georgi,af';respytery and

the

i ~ r i s b y t e r i a n

Church

il l\rnEirica.j:

" . ; . ' . . .

8/12/2019 2004 Issue 2 - The Formation of the RPCUS - Counsel of Chalcedon

2/2

The ormation of he RP US

~ ;

, , : ~ . ' ; ' j ~ ~ ; ~ : i A

p irfcthe Presbyterian

ontinual complaints

r stand and actions;

Whereas,

ccintlnua Involvement in these complaints and

appeals would be a

constant

drain on

our

precious

time

and limited energies;

14. Whereas, membership in North Georgia Presbytery

will subject

our

congregation to continual harassment

, ~ l I y q , ~ J ] o r a l i z i n g our people;

15. \

S

in which we

live

are of such critical

> ctionfrom

our

great c O . l 1 ) m i s ~ i ? n to

l o X ( ~ r t 1 p r i t i ~ ~ 7 w e p ~ 6 ' ~

s t ~ a r d s ~ i ~ )

of

i l i 1 d ~ e s o u r 5 P ~ ( J ~ ~ l .

. ) ~ y ;

n, d' p l i n e , j ~ \ P ( e ~ ~ t 5 J ~ r y res

s ~ n t i a l l y m a l ~ ~ t h e l ~ r s i o n un

a.

Shepherd and lead its flock;

b.

Practice discipline;

c. Preserve purity of

doctrine

and

life in

officers;

d. Maintain the distinctives of Chalcedon.

e. Carry

out

the Great C o m m i s s i ~ ? l l i j ) i f s entirety;

f. Place ministerial

students

train y Chalcedon in

pulpits

in

the Presbyterian Ch

in

America. ,

i .

~ ; ?

17. Whereas, it is

the

responsibility e session t 9 o t ec t

the congregation from false

do

e and unnet ry

disturbance; / ;i';;{

18.

Whereas, it is the r e s p o n s f b n i ~ ~ ~ ~ t h e

c ~ A g r e g ~ : i o n

to protect her officers from unnecessary hardship

or

unjust

treatment,

such as disciplinary action because

of

faithfulness to ordination vows;

19.

Whereas,

if Chalcedon were to with]

for s n

opportunitl .V ,\

/ , j f j i i i ;Y

: ~ r ~ . ~ / a ; f ; i t i c a c : j ( { ~ b \ f u e r i c a ; ' f q ; r a

t h o r o u g h I Y f ~ f ~ ~ m e d

d e n o m i n a t i ~ ~

possessed with

the Biblical vision of a

world converted to

Jesus

Christ

through the faithfulness of his church to his word,

by

His

Spirit

to

His glory;

Resolution: Therefore, by

the grace

of

God,

with grief for

our

brothers

whom we

leave and with joy because of the

door

God has

opened

for us - be it resolved that:

I.

Chalcedon Presbyterian Church withdraw from North

Georgia Presbytery and the Presbyterian Church

in

America effective this date.

7

the

COUNSEL

of CHALCEDON

2. Chalcedon Presbyterian Church continue to recognize

valid the ordination of her minister, elders and deacons

3. A new embryonic presbytery be established for

the

glory of God, called Covenant Presbytery, a seminal

Presbyterian denomination, which presbytery would

have as its constitution the Westminster Confession of

Faith, and Larger and Shorter Catechisms, requiring str

subscription

to

them

by all

church officers.

3

4. We invite

all

churches and ministers who share our vis

to join with

us

in this

great

undertaking to

the

glory of

God

in all openness, unhindered.

,/'-_::: :F::;;;';J

dnotes:

I.

For the

Westminster

Standards on theonomy, the

application of

the

Old Testament case laws see:

2.

a.

Chapter XIX, paragraph IV.

b.

Chapter

XXIII, paragraph

III,

and Scriptural

footno

(in the original).

c. Chapter XXIV, paragraph liV, and Scriptural footno

d. Scriptural

footnotes

to questions 99-148 in the

Larger Catechism.

For the

Westminster

Standards on postmillennialism se

a. Question

9 in the Larger Catechism and Scriptu

footnotes.

b. Question 45 in the Larger Catechism and Scriptur

footnotes.

c.

Question

26 in

the

Shorter Catechism and Scriptu

footnotes.

d. ChapterVIII, paragraphYlll and Scriptural footnote

The e s t m i n s ~ 7 r ( c O n f e ~ ~ j ~ ~ ; ~ f Faith is interpreted

according

to the

~ ~ ~ n t i o n

drits

original

authors

and as

inf ,,,r,,,r,,l,.,ii by < ; ~ ~ ~ n " " n t

Presbytery.