The Reformed Presbyterian Church - Hanover Presbytery is a very conservative Protestant, Presbyterian denomination, founded in 1991, with congregations in United States and also in Brazil.[2]
In 1983 the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod (RPCES) merged with Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). Since then, a group of churches in the PCA's Georgia Presbytery has objected to the way the merged denomination made its decisions. Therefore, these churches separated from the PCA and formed the Presbytery of the Covenant.[4]
In 1985 this presbytery grew and split into four presbyteries, thus organizing the assembly of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in the United States (RPCES). In 1990, the denomination changed its name to the Reformed Presbyterian Church in the Americas.
Since then the denomination has continued to grow and currently has churches in Brazil[10]
Attempt to join in 2004
In 2004 the Presbytery of Hanover held a joint meeting with the Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church, another conservative denomination in United States, aiming at union.[11] However, differing views on the government of the denomination by a higher court and on membership in Freemasonry prevented the union.[12]
^Jean-Jacques Bauswein and Lukas Vischer (eds), The Reformed Family in the World: A Survey of Reformed Churches, Theological Schools, and International Organizations, WB Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1999, ISBN 0802844960, p. 538
^Although Presbyterianism itself originated in Scotland, those denominations stand out as having a more prominent Scottish heritage and/or connection with Scottish Presbyterian denominations.
^Those denominations allow member churches to be more diverse as regards the reformed tradition that they adhere to.