Chapter 7: The Bible Presbyterian Church - PCA Historical Center

270 The Bible Presbyterian Churchlonger. Their challenge to the McIntire version of the testimonyof separation was to propel the Church into the throesof controversy.The Throes of ControversyThe Bible Presbyterian Synod of 1953 called upon allBible-believing Christians in the various Presbyterian Churchesto join with it in its vigorous attempt to perpetuate thehistoric Reformed Faith as set forth in the Westminster Standards—withthe prayer that the Lord would protect themfrom being divided into small Presbyterian bodies, as opposedto a united stand for the faith once delivered unto thesaints. 70 However, the Church would have to despair of animmediate answer to this prayer, for the next three yearswould be ones of internal nightmare for the Bible PresbyterianChurch itself.There was much unrest in the Church in 1953 and 1954:Is ours really a Presbyterian Church or simply another associationof independent fundamental churches believing in infantbaptism? Are the church courts being circumvented byMcIntire and the Christian Beacon? How close is McIntire tobeing a pope? Are we really interested in building the BPChurch? Why are National Missions so little supported.‟ Whatwould be the result if McIntire gave as much time to buildingthe Church as he does to the ACCC and ICCC? Are theseCouncils assets or liabilities to the Church? What is the truthabout their statistics? Are McIntire and the Beacon assets orliabilities to the BP Church? How many are scandalized bythe Beacon? Are we becoming a separation sect rather than atrue church? Would informed evangelicals in the modernistPresbyterian Churches join us before we cleaned house? „Willwe have to separate from the Bible Presbyterian Church inorder to solve these problems? Will McIntire‟s closest friends70. Harden, 87.This digital edition prepared by the staff of the PCA Historical Center, 04/10/2009.