1801 Cane Ridge camp meeting by led by James McGready typical of early Presbyterian work on western frontiers
and 2nd Awakening. Often accompanied by unusual signs.- By Rev. Nate Wilson
1801 Cane Ridge camp meeting by led by James McGready typical of early Presbyterian work on western frontiers
and 2nd Awakening. Often accompanied by unusual signs.
Revival movement continued through
generations: notably D.L. Moody, Billy Sunday, and Billy Graham
Armenianism: Charles Finney’s “new
measures” in evangelism – psychological pressure (also Albert Barnes of Barne’s
Notes)
Early Liberalism: Nathan Taylor of
Yale “New Haven” theology – Christ’s atonement exemplary rather than
substitutionary, and other issues with the Westminster Confession.
1837 Presbyterians split b/w Old
School (Asahel Nettleton, Charles Hodge) and New School (Finney,
Lyman, Beecher)
Kept Presbyterians (and other
denominations) divided between South & North. Union in 1980’s
precipitated the PCA split-off.
Dabney and slavery
Little impact on missions
1883 Robert Wilder, student, forms
Princeton Foreign Mission Society. Membership included signing a statement that
one was “willing and desirous, God permitting, to go to the unevangelized portions
of the world.”
1886 Luther Wishard (Princeton
student) sets up intercollegiate Summer Bible conference with D.L. Moody at Mt. Hermon, MS.
(251 students from 89 colleges). A.T. Pierson preaches on God’s Providence In
Missions (“all should go and go to all”). Wilder signs up 100 attendees to his
Princeton Covenant.
1886-7 Wilder travels to 162
colleges and signs up 2,106 more students – incl. Samuel Zwemer (500 of these
signers were women).
1887 Wishard was appointed
Corresponding secretary of the YMCA in higher ed. institutions. Purpose: to
convert students and get them active in Christian service – esp. foreign
missions.
1888 SVM was organized with John
R. Mott (YMCA), Nettie Dunn (YWCA) and Robert Wilder (Inter-Seminary Missionary
Alliance) as executive committee.
1891 Cleveland Conference - First
of quadrennial student missionary conventions sees total of 6,200 signers from
352 educational institutions, 321 of whom had already sailed for overseas
service.
1895 World Student Christian
Federation founded by John R. Mott, who traveled world-wide to spread the
movement to other countries. Eventually grew to 20,500 signers.
Watchword: “The evangelization of
the world in this generation”
1834 Schliermacher writes Addresses
on Religion – pietistic background, defines religion as Geful – deep feeling of
dependence
Albrecht Ritschl – studied under Schliermacher,
Kingdom of God theology, sin as social evil, Bible not inspired word
of God.
1892 Charles Briggs brought German
higher criticism into the American Presbyterian church, tried for heresy, and
defrocked.
1918 Karl Bart follows
Kierkegaard’s “leap of faith” in his Commentary on Romans considering the resurrection
as Gesisthe, not real history, and meaning of salvation is personally defined.
Charles Darwin: Evolution
Transcendentalism, Unitarianism in
America (Emerson, Thoreau)
1919 World Christian Fundamentals
Association, financed by oil tycoons, sent booklets to all pastors in the USA
underscoring 5 fundamentals to counteract liberalism: 1. Biblical inspiration
and inerrancy, 2. Deity of Christ, 3. Vicarious atonement of Christ, 4. Imminent
return of Christ, 5. Bodily resurrection. This unites conservatives and
provides interdenominational base for statements of faith among evangelical
mission agencies started at this time.
1923 Auburn Affirmation signed by
1,274 Presbyterian pastors “to safeguard the unity and liberty of the church”
Stated that inerrancy of Scripture, and Jesus’ virgin birth, miracles,
vicarious sacrifice, and bodily resurrection are not essential doctrines.
1927, General Assembly of the
PCUSA upholds anti-fundamentalist Harry Emerson Fosdick’s ordination.
1932 Presbyterian document
“Rethinking Missions” released, sponsored by J.D. Rockefeller, negating the
exclusiveness of Christianity and promoting syncretism.
1929 J. Greshem Machen, Robert
Wilson, ? Alice, and Cornelius Van Tihl left Princeton Seminary (because the
board had been stacked with liberals) and formed Westminster Seminary.
1933 Machen forms the Independent
Board of Presbyterian Foreign Missions after getting exasperated with Pearl
Buck’s Presbyterian mission work in China.
1935-6 The PCUSA kicks Machen and
other conservatives out, who form the Presbyterian Church in America (now
existing as the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Bible Presbyterian Church, and Reformed
Pres. Church Evangelical Synod)
SOURCES: Earle Cairns Christianity Through The Centuries, Joseph Hall Modern Church History Notes, David Howard Student Power in World Missions, Ralph Winter Perspectives On the World Christian Moevment, Robert Walton Chronological Charts of Church History.
