The 2021 RPCNA Synod voted to form a new Canadian Reformed Presbyterian denomination. This decision was made upon the request of six RP congregations in Canada and one RPCNA presbytery.

Recently the RP Witness sent questions to the formation committee of the RP Church of Canada. Answers were formulated and circulated via email among the committee members.

How did the RP Church in Canada and the U.S. begin, and how did they become one denomination?

This is an important question because sometimes in the rush to get the latest news the past can be overlooked; and we know the church that forgets her history is a church that is prone to repeating the mistakes of the past.

The RP Church in Canada began as mission works of the Irish and Scottish RP Churches. It’s a fascinating but also an incredibly sad story.

The Irish RP Connection. The first missionary from the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland (RPCI) to the Maritimes was Alexander Clarke. He and his family emigrated to Canada in June 1827, and within five years a presbytery had been formed. One historian, quoting the New Brunswick Courier, says that Clarke was an “indefatigable missionary.” The next 50 years saw both challenges and successes in the work, and by 1879 we find the Irish Synod “somewhat reluctantly” handing over the presbytery to the RPCNA Synod.

The Scottish RP Connection. In the early 1800s, many Scottish Presbyterian families, including RPs, emigrated to Canada and settled in Lanark County, Ont. Initially supplied by RP ministers from America, they were encouraged when, in 1833, the Scottish RP Church sent Rev. James McLachlan as a missionary minister to them. McLachlan was another worker like the Irishman Clarke, and the church work in Upper Canada prospered under his leadership. In 1853, 14 years before the Dominion of Canada was formed, the Scottish RP Church, taking a different approach than the Irish, transferred its members in Upper Canada into the RPCNA, with the exhortation that they become self-supporting.

Over the next few decades, with continuing immigration, the church in Canada grew to over 100 preaching stations and congregations. Sadly, the combination of a lack of ministers, the issue of the elective franchise (not voting in government elections), and the growth of the Free Church of Scotland in Canada had a devasting effect. By the 1960s there were just two RP congregations remaining, Almonte and Lochiel, both in Ontario.

The 1980s saw the Lord’s hand of blessing return, initially through the leadership of Dr. Rich Ganz in Ottawa, and in more recent years from men like Pastor Matt Kingswood in Russell, Pastor Matt Dyck in Almonte, Pastor Scott Wilkinson in Kitchener, Pastor Allan Mcleod in Toronto, and Pastor Patrick McNeely in Squamish.

What recent history led to the decision to have an RP Church of Canada, and why is this an opportune time to create two denominations from one?

It might seem like this is a development that has suddenly sprung from nowhere. The fact is, this decision has been a long time in the making. The genesis of it can be traced back to April 1999, when the St. Lawrence Presbytery passed a motion “to establish a Canadian Presbytery by July 1999,” which would occasionally meet with the new St. Lawrence Presbytery “for mutual support and encouragement until July of 2004.” That didn’t happen. Then in April 2015, the St. Lawrence Presbytery appointed a “Committee to Explore RP/ARP Union” in Canada. While there was a strong sense of mutual respect and shared vision, again despite the time invested, not much progress was made.

In October 2018, the St. Lawrence Presbytery appointed a committee “to initiate discussions among the Canadian ministers and elders and proceed to the formation of a Canadian RP Church.” Dr. Andrew Quigley, the chair of the RPC of Canada Formation Committee, visited each session in Canada, outlining the reasons for an RPCC. While reservations were expressed, sessions agreed to participate in the process with the understanding that no final commitment was required. Since spring 2019, four gatherings of ministers and elders have been held to discuss issues and to work on constitutional documents. Then, at the request of the participating sessions in Ontario and Quebec, the St. Lawrence Presbytery presented a petition to the RPCNA Synod in June 2021, asking that the participating congregations be sent out from the RPCNA in June 2022 to form a national RP Church of Canada. This petition was granted by the RPCNA Synod. A committee was appointed to work with the RPCC Formation Committee on the implementation of the decision.

Why is this an opportune time? Having been talked about in some form or other for over 20 years, it was time to act. The cross-border restrictions imposed because of COVID-19 underscored previously highlighted issues. And then there is the fact that five of the eight ministers in Canada are in their fifties or sixties.

What are the reasons for a distinct RP denomination in Canada, and how would this serve better than, say, a Canadian presbytery of the RPCNA?

There are two reasons for a distinct RP denomination in Canada—one theological, the other practical.
The theological reason. God created the nations according to their own languages, clans, and lands, and the boundaries of their dwelling places (Gen. 10:5, 20, 31–32, Acts 17:26). Psalm 2:10–12 teaches us that it is the duty of every civil magistrate to serve the Lord with fear and to kiss the Son of God. the Westminster Confession chapter 23:3 explains that this duty means the civil governments of every nation are to “take order, that unity and peace be preserved in the Church, and that the truth of God be kept pure and entire (Ezra 7:21–23, 25–28, Neh. 13:15–22).”

This duty is rooted in every man’s moral responsibility to obey and glorify God in every part of life, including the work of being a civil magistrate. But it is also a duty connected to the gracious invitation of the gospel (Acts 26:28–29). Jesus Christ has commissioned the Church to make disciples of every nation (Matt. 28:19–20, Luke 24:45–47). In the Westminster Confession chapter 25:4, the expression “particular churches” refers to national churches (e.g., the Church of England, the Church of Scotland, the Church of Ireland, etc.). The universal visible church is distributed regionally among the nations of the earth. The Larger Catechism Q. 191 reminds us that when we pray “Your kingdom come,” we are asking God to grant that the civil magistrates of every nation will countenance and maintain the church within their lands. There is a prophetic promise in Isaiah 49:23 that kings shall be foster fathers and queens nursing mothers to the Church. This is why the idea of a nationally covenanted church is a well-established biblical principle in Reformed and Presbyterian church history.

The practical reason. The need for a coherent vision to be devised and communicated within Canada necessitates a national church. It is essential that the men serving in Canada be given and take the opportunity to focus on the specific needs of the bride in this nation. To the question—“Why would a presbytery within the RPCNA not best serve that goal?”—the answer is straightforward, i.e., because it would be impossible for men, ministers, and elders serving in a local congregation, a Canadian presbytery, and probably in some capacity in the RPCNA, to have the time and energy needed to fulfill those responsibilities adequately.

How many congregations are involved, and is this enough for a “critical mass” of Presbyterians?

Six congregations are currently participating: Hillside (Almonte, Ont.) RPC, Hudson/Saint Lazare (Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que.) RPC; New Creation (Kitchener, Ont.) RPC; Ottawa, Ont., RPC; Russell, Ont., RPC; and Evangelical (Toronto, Ont.,) RPC. Others are involved in the conversation, and we might have eight or nine congregations involved by June 2022. Regarding the question of critical mass, 1 Samuel 14:6 is a great reminder that nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few, and there are examples throughout history of how the Lord has blessed the RP Church when she has humbled herself and pleaded with God to restore and revive her. Scriptures like Psalm 85:4, Psalm 65:8, Proverbs 3:5–6, Psalm 126:5, Isaiah 55:8–9, and Matthew 16:18 are words of real encouragement to us.

What involvement is the RPCNA having in the development of the new Canadian RP Church?

The petition, which the 2021 RPCNA Synod granted, had as part of it a request that a committee of the RPCNA Synod be formed, as per the Directory for Church Government (3.C.iii–v), to work towards the establishment of the RPC of Canada, along with the St. Lawrence Presbytery RPCC Formation Committee. That Synod committee was duly appointed, and the work has already begun. Due to the work already done in Canada, and the positive and conscientious efforts of the men on the RPCNA Committee, excellent progress has been made in a relatively brief period of time. Agreement has been reached on the way forward, and the details are being systematically worked through.

How will a new Canadian denomination affect cross-border fellowship, such as at camps, etc.; and how will denominational agencies be affected, such as joint efforts in global missions?

If, as we are seeking, the Lord’s hand of blessing rests on the new RP church in Canada, and she grows, then the expectation is that this will lead to more Canadians participating in the wider church, including cross-border camps and conferences. We truly believe that by God’s grace only good will come of this.

Regarding opportunities for shared ministry, we have a strong desire to engage bilaterally where and whenever we can, especially, if possible, in areas such as mission work. This is currently being discussed with our brothers in the RPCNA.

Where will Canadian men be trained for pastoral ministry?

The training of men in Canada has been an aspect of the RP Church in Canada for the past 40 years. God willing, this will continue. However, that does not mean if a man’s situation would be better served by taking a part, or all, of his theological education at RPTS in Pittsburgh, that we would stand in the way of that; we would not.

Will there be any doctrinal, theological, testimonial, or ecclesiological differences between the Canadian denomination and the RPCNA?

The RPC of Canada will be sent out from the RPCNA in June 2022 with the same constitutional standards as the RPCNA. Thereafter, the newly formed RPC of Canada will meet to formally establish herself, God willing, on the basis of the constitutional documents that she will agree.

How can we be in prayer for this matter?

Thank you for the question. Give thanks for the Lord’s blessing on this process thus far. The Lord has knit hearts and minds around the vision for a Canadian RP Church in a way that few anticipated possible. Please pray for continued wisdom for those involved in the implantation process and for those congregations still considering their potential involvement.