Chapter 7: The Bible Presbyterian Church - PCA Historical Center

The Bible Presbyterian Church 291appealed to it, is as impossible in the Presbyterian system asfor an American citizen to reject or ignore a ruling of theSupreme Court.‟ The minority report, of course, could notagree. Dr. McIntire had walked out in the middle of theproceedings. 120The Twentieth General Synod was scheduled to meet inColumbus, Ohio, at the end of November. Meanwhile,McIntire called for a rival Synod at Collingswood to combatthe „revolutionary change‟ which had taken place in theChurch. The St. Louis Synod was „illegal‟ in that the standingrules of Synod were neglected. There are four major issuesbefore the Church: 1) Tighter control over the local churchon the part of Synod. 2) Repudiation of the ACCC andICCC‟s militant policy of „consistent separation from apostasy.‟3) The attempt to discredit Carl McIntire. 4) The failureto recommend the Independent Board for PresbyterianForeign Missions. The Collingswood Synod opposes all ofthese. What will be the character of the Collingswood Synod?„Under the constitution of the Bible Presbyterian Church aSynod meets and when it adjourns it is “dissolved” and thatis the end of the Synod. The Synod is not something thatcontinues, or that men belong to throughout the year.‟ Onemust make his choice between the Collingswood or theColumbus Synod. 121When the Collingswood Synod met at the end of November,its theme was „A 20th Century Synod Promoting a 20thCentury Reformation.‟ With Carl McIntire as moderator, the120. FP, 2:2 (Nov. 9, 1956), 7-13.121. Ibid., 1-7. For the argument concerning the „illegality‟ of the St. LouisSynod, see especially 3 f. For a reply, see Minutes of the Twentieth GeneralSynod, 66 f. Cf. BPO, 4 (Mar. 1956), 1, 7, MacNair, op. cit., 9 ff. Note Dr. Harris‟appeal for men to line up with the Columbus Synod: „Let us further assure allconcerned that we do not wish the slightest change in the Bible Presbyteriantestimony. We wish no “tighter” Synod than we have always had. . . . Brethren, weurge you to make a decision on the basis of the evidence and stay with theChurch and its legal Synod and Presbyteries. Anything else will only furtherbesmirch the whole Separation testimony in the eyes of Christians and non-Christians alike.‟ R. L. Harris, To the Brethren of the Bible Presbyterian Church(Mimeographed), Nov. 20, 1956.History Behind the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod, pp. 244-296.