Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-12-28
PRESBYTERIAN COUNCIL
Coming Conference in Washington Of
General Executive Committee.
TEN BRANCHES OF THE CHURCH
TO BE REPREEENTED-ITS EARLY
A,AfERIC-AN HISTORY.

AMERIc-NN HISTORY.
washington Star (Dec. 49,
The western section of the Pan
Presbyterian Executive Committee,
which includes the United States and
Canada, has been called to meet IN
Was 1ington N the near future, for
the consideration of maGt,,s Of inter
est to the several church bodies repre-
scented. This committee represents ten
branches of the Presbyterian faith.
The Canadian Presbyterian church,
one of those represented, dates from
about the middle of the eighteenth
century, and is the leading denomina-
ton of the dominion. Its first minis
ter was Rev. George Henry, chaplain
of a Scottish regiment, stationed at
Quebec in 1865, and it's first congre-
cation was organized in 1887 by Rev.
Alexander Spark, sent over from the
Kirk of Scotland. The first Presby-
terian church in Montreal was erected
in 1890, and in 1903 the first Presby-
terian congregation was organized. In
1881 the Synod of the Presbyterian
church of Canada was formed, and in
1875 there was general union formed
of the four great divisions of the
Presbyterian family in Canada. The
standards of the Canadian church are
the Westminster confession of faith
and the catechism. At present it has
919 churches, LOTT ministers and a
membership of 100000.
FIRST ORGANIZATION.
The first Presbyterian church or
ganized in America, according to the
authorities, was that of the Reformed
Dutch church of New Amsterdam, N.
Y, in 1923. Probably the first Eng
disappearing Presbyterian church was
that founded at Rehoboth, Md, by
Rev. Francis Mackenzie in 1888. The
first presbytery was held in Philadel-
phia in 1905, and the first synod in
171S The Presbyterian churches were
united in 1853 and steps Saken to eX-
tend the organization in the United
States.
The first general assembly met in
Philadelphia in May, 1889, at which
time the Westminster confession of
faith was re-adopted, with three
slight alterations, and the larger and
shorter catechism with but one
change. This assembly included seven
teen presbyteries, 419 congregations
and 1870 ministers. In 1884, the Asso-
ciated Reformed church was merged
into the Presbyterian church. In 1888
this was divided into the old and new
school Presbyterians, but in 1871 they
were reunited. During the separa-
ton both churches grew rapidly in
numbers and educational interest, so
that their union constituted the
strongest Presbyterian organization in
the United States, having 7,031
churches, 1929 ministers and a mem
bership of over $4,000.
The Presbyterian church South, also
represented in the committee, was
formally organized December 4, 1861, at
Augusta, Ga. The occasion was the
adoption of a paper relative to the
civil war by the old school Presby-
terrain assembly at Philadelphia the
May previous. A protest against this
action was made by the Rev. Charles
Hodge, d. D., of Princeton Theologi
cal seminary, and concurred in by
forty-fve other members OF the as
sembly The action caused the min
listers of the southern churches to Sc
cede, and ninety-two ministers and
ruling elders were present at the for
NAL organization of the General AS
sembly of the Confederate States of
America
CHANGE IN NAME.
At the close of the war the name
was changed to 1.-The Presbyterian
Church of the United States" This
body is second in size to that of the
u COOy iCl ldA ShulCu, y. "a, iNo
greatest strength being in the south
and southwest west. 1t has 2,S16
churches, 1893 ministers and a men,
bership of about 212,00O. In common
with the other branches of the Presby
terrain family, it holds to the West
minister confession of faith and cate
chism, and declares that ''synods and
councils are to handle nothing but that
which is ecclesiastical"
The Cumberland Presbyterian
church has representation. 1t is the
outgrowth of great revival which
began in southwestern Kentucky in
1897, through the efforts of Rev. James
McGready. The rapid and extended
growth of the revival led the Cumber-
land presbytery to ordain certain men,
who could not meet the theological
and educational requirements of the
confession of faith. This led to dis
sensions in the synod of Kentucky,
which eliminated in 1906 in the disso-
luton of the Cumberland presbytery.
Thus sent adrift and unwilling to
form an independent organization, the