Five Churches in Illinois Withdraw from the RCA, Vote to Join the PCA

Aquilla Report ^ | Friday, December 26, 2014

[Gamecock]

Five Illinois Churches in the Reformed Church RCA) in America have voted to affiliate with the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). The PCA’s Chicago Metro Presbytery met with, examined, and approved the pastors and elders of these churches during 2014.

On October 15, 2014, the churches were officially approved and received by the Chicago Metro Presbytery. The Presbytery will have a special service of celebration and welcome on February 1, 2015 at 3:00 p.m.; during this service the pastors and elders will be installed. The service will be held at the First Reformed Church in Lansing, IL. Dr. Ligon Duncan, Chancellor of Reformed Seminary, will be the guest preacher.

The five churches in Illinois are:

Crete Reformed Church, Rev. David Smith, pastor

Grace Reformed Church, Lansing, without a pastor

First Reformed Church, Lansing, Rev. Ben Kappers, pastor

Peace Community Church, Frankfort, Rev. Kurt Kruger, pastor

Missio Dei Church, New Lenox, Rev. Paul Vroom, pastor

These churches had submitted to the process for withdrawing set up by the RCA Classis of Illiana Florida. A number of conditions were included in the agreement. For example, each of the churches was allowed to withdraw with their respective properties and assets. However, if a church should withdraw from the PCA within five years of the approval of the agreement, then the property is to revert to the Classis of Illiana Florida.

Also, each church will have to pay its annual assessments for five years (2015-2019) to the RCA Synod, the Regional Synod of Mid America, and the Classis of Illiana Florida. These payments may be made annually or in one lump sum.

Further, the churches must take action to notify the general public that they are no longer affiliated with the RCA. The agreement stated, “A name change may be the best way to communicate this new reality.”

Chicago Metro Presbytery extends an invitation to all to attend the welcoming and installation service on February 1.

[steve8714]

My father’s family were E&R, my mistake.

[agrarianlady]

Ish - yes. I’ve been a member of the PCA for 25 years, and we claim Machen as our ancestor. We share the same seminary with the OPC.

[Gamecock]

All of us conservative Presbys love Machen!

**We share the same seminary with the OPC.**

Yup. Between Westminster (various ones) and Covenant you will find a wide variety of conservative Presbyterian seminarians, as well as Continental Reformed folk.

[Cronos]

ok, but if they are very similar in theology and the RCA is slightly less conservative than the PCA, what’s the (sorry for putting it in business terms) advantage for these three to join the PCA? Does it mean their theological stance is made more conservative or is it more like “we have similar if not the same beliefs, we should not be apart”?

[Gamecock]

I suspect these congregations were left behind when their previous denomination became more liberal and wanted to join a group that reflected their level of understanding on a liberal-conservative continuum. Hope that helps.