Sometimes eyes glaze over as kids listen to a story from our past. This can be deflating for us, the storytellers. We want our stories to pique their interest. We want our youth to care about our past, to understand it, learn from it, and use it as a context for the present. When Christians look at the past, we look for what the Lord has done for His people. We want our youth to see that most of all.

That is why 18-year-old Nathaniel Pockras is a breath of fresh air. He is interested in the past, especially in a book about the RP Church published in 1888. The History of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in America was written by W. M. Glasgow and is commonly referred to as “Glasgow’s History.” It includes biographical sketches of the ministers, and histories and descriptions of all the congregations, societies, and institutions up to that time. Even to some adults, it may sound like a dull read.

However, Nathaniel became intrigued with the book without any encouragement. He decided it was so interesting that he would make the book available to others. The volumes of the book that still exist have crumbling pages that have long ago detached from their binding. Nathaniel has recomposed the lengthy book, including scans of all the plate illustrations of the moderators of Synod. Because of the work of Nathaniel and his volunteer assistants, Crown & Covenant Publications is able to make this classic available in PDF format, free of charge, on the denominational website— www.ReformedPresbyterian.org.

What follows is his foreword to the new digital edition, with some minor format adjustments for magazine readability. The foreword tells why this book captured his imagination and how he executed the project. It also explains some of what he learned about the present by looking at the past. Most importantly, Nathaniel looks at what the Lord has done for His people.

—Lynne Gordon

Over 100 years ago, Rev. W. Melancthon Glasgow published his History of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in America. In the intervening years, copies of this book have become rather rare. Some have been destroyed by mischance, and many others have been ruined by the poor quality of paper and binding.

Glasgow’s desire that “his imperfect work prove acceptable and interesting to those for whom it has been gathered” has truly been granted. Today, many people know of this History and would like to own their own copy—or at least want to read and to use one. To that end, this edition is being published today. Although available only on the Internet and not in book form, it is now accessible to nearly all who care about the history of the Re- formed Presbyterian Church.

The Project Begins

This edition started as a personal project. One day, I discovered my father’s copy on a bookshelf and was so interested that I determined to buy a copy. However, advertising on the denominational e-mail network produced little advice, no offers to sell, and one request by someone to buy a copy.

I decided that the only way to have a copy was to make one, so I set out to type the entire book into our home computer. Three months later, I finished the project with a very different purpose in mind.

For some time, I have been involved in the Boy Scouts. To advance to the high- est rank, that of Eagle Scout, a boy must plan and lead a service project to benefit his church, community, or school. My father conceived the idea of republishing this book as my project. Although I did not consider the notion useful at first, he soon persuaded me to pursue it. From January 2005 until now, making plans and arrangements with the Board of Education & Publication has occupied much of my time, as well as coordinating proofreading of the typescript. The volunteers who have done the work live across America, from Kansas to Alabama to Pennsylvania. Many of them are not ministers (although some are), and they range from retirement age to that of 14 years.

The RP Church Has Changed

Since this History was published in 1888, the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America has undergone many changes in its testimony to the nations. Primary among these is in political dis- sent. The preface of Glasgow states, “Reformed Presbyterians have never voted at any of the elections, nor held offi ce under the government.” Today, Reformed Presbyterians routinely vote, and at least one Reformed Presbyterian holds state offi ce. Likewise, there is no longer a prohibition against citizenship oaths, service on juries, or related acts.

Other matters, as well, have changed. While Glasgow says, “It will be seen that this is a temperance Church,” and while abstinence from alcoholic beverages is still encouraged, members and officers are no longer required to refrain. Similar restrictions—for example, on the use of tobacco—have been revised or removed.

As the years have passed, new errors have arisen in church and society, and our RP Testimony has been updated to keep pace. The church of 1888 did not make reference to willful abortion. Today, however, abortion is one of the most dynamic social controversies, and we should praise God that He has enabled this church to maintain a testimony against such murder.

In 1888, if a Covenanter minister were asked to name the most distinctive prin- ciple of his church, the response would deal with political dissent—an issue about which many members know little today. If a similar question were asked of an RP minister today, the response would surely deal with worship—a matter relatively little debated then. Many churches outside the RPCNA used only the unaccompanied Psalms, and would continue to do so for many years. Today, while nearly every other denomination has abandoned exclusive psalmody without instruments, RP belief and practice have remained the same, except for the use of choirs in some congregations.

New debates have appeared during the 20th Century, and the 21st will surely be the same. The Synod of 1888, which Glasgow does not record, approved the ordination of women to the diaconate. With the changes in doctrines relating to alcohol, the elements of the Lord’s supper are not free from debate, and the Synod will most likely continue to discuss these (and other) issues for years to come.

If a viewer, altogether ignorant of the history of our church, were to compare statistics of 1887 and 2003, he would consider the denomination to be in decline.

In 1887, the RP Church had 114 ministers, 11 licentiates, 20 students of theology, 121 congregations, 10,832 communicant members, annual contributions of $24.04 per member, and 11 presbyteries.

In 2003, there were 148 ministers, 12 licentiates, 40 men under care of presbyteries (including 6 licensed to preach but not to receive a call), 77 congregations, 4,440 communicant members, annual contributions of $1,878.28 per member, and 7 presbyteries.

Discounting contributions, which are difficult to compare across centuries, the viewer would say that the denomination has a much better minister-to-congregation ratio, but that it is at risk of extinction. However, after looking at some intermediate years, we indeed have reason to thank God for improving the situation. Since 1980, He has given much growth. At one point in that period, there were fewer than 3,900 communicant members and only 66 congregations.

Consistent Growth

A quick sketch of RP history since 1888 is in order.

Three years after Glasgow’s book was published, the denomination suffered the “East End Controversy.” A few ministers met at the East End RPC in Pittsburgh, Pa., to oppose political dissent. Their trial and conviction at Synod led to their departure and to that of hundreds of members. Although the church recovered slightly and grew for a few more years, a long, slow decline began at the 1891 split. Liberalism fueled this decline; the Synod of 1939 even decided to ordain women to the eldership. At the same time, the preaching of Covenanter distinctives grew at the expense of the gospel. One man, long an elder at the Belle Center, Ohio, RPC, was an RP his entire life, yet he declared that he had never heard the gospel until he was an adult.

Graciously, God raised up others to oppose man-made ideas and to replace them with His truth. The RP Church has now seen over 20 years of almost constant growth in numbers and in purity. In the last 25 years, God has given it more than 1,200 more members—an increase of nearly 25 percent! He has also given a strong sense of church planting, and new churches have been founded in many areas: several new churches in New York, Ontario, and Indiana, the first churches in Maryland in 100 years, and the first congregation in the Carolinas since before the Civil War.

Attention to Details

Careful readers of this edition, when comparing it to an original copy, may notice some differences. Except for my own errors, modifications were made to improve upon the accuracy of the original volume. Various knowledgeable persons submitted these corrections. As Glasgow says on a somewhat different matter, “These were perseveringly brought to light from all parts of the Church, and used in furnishing material for this volume.” As this book is used for historical research, an original error that is reproduced causes only further confusion. Since some errors doubtless exist in this online text, the E&P Board welcomes further corrections. All intentional changes are marked in the text and are listed in an appendix.

As we look to the future of Christ’s Church, we have cause to rejoice, whether we consider all of organized Christianity or just the RPCNA. We know that God will ultimately have the victory, be it tomorrow or thousands of years into the future, and for this let us praise Him.

A seed shall rise to serve His will,

And to the age it shall be told

About our Lord; then they shall come

And shall His righteousness unfold

Unto a people yet unknown,

That this was done by Him alone.

(Psalm 22:30-31)

—Nathaniel Pockras

Find the complete book online at ReformedPresbyterian.org