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Presbyterianism
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Presbyterianism is a form of church government that locates church authority in pastors and elders who serve in the local congregation and in regional and national assemblies. It is ... part of the Reformed branch of the Protestant Reformation as distinguished from Lutheranism and Anglicanism. As such, Presbyterianism is the Anglophone world's equivalent for Reformed and traces its roots back to the church reforms of John Calvin (1509รข€“1564). Presbyterianism moreover is bound up with the peculiar character of the Church of England and the complicated relations between Crown, Parliament, and bishops. Although the Presbyterian creed, the Westminster Standards, originated at the instigation of Parliament during the English Civil War of the 1640s, Presbyterianism succeeded principally in Scotland and Northern Ireland, the Old World breeding grounds for Presbyterianism in North America.
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A notable figure in the history of local Presbyterianism was the Rev. S.C. Murray, who arrived with his bride on July 24, 1885. As the town grew, a larger church was a necessity, and in 1891 the present church at the corner of First Avenue and Mill Street was begun, part of the work being contributed on a voluntary basis. the new structure was opened for worship on March 15, 1892 with Rev. S.C. Murray as its first minister. the session consisted of W.F Young, John Coutts, J.J. Hamilton, and Peter Stewart. Names included on the 1892 Communion Roll were: Mr. W.D.
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Presbyterianism has had a strong presence in America since the colonial period. Reformed churches were first established in the colonies in the early 1600s and Presbyterians were instrumental in shaping the religious and political life of the fledgling nation. The only Christian minister to sign the Declaration of Independence, Reverend John Witherspoon, was a Presbyterian. The 18th-century "Great Awakening" was led by evangelically-minded Reformed theologians including Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield.
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The Christian Protestant religion of Presbyterianism has an estimated 3,200,000 to 18,000,000 followers or Presbyterians. (NOTE: There is one source that estimates there to be 75,000,000 Presbyterians, but that is a highly over-inflated number.) Presbyterian churches were originally known as the Reformed churches, that originated in Switzerland through the work of John Calvin. However, the modern founder of Presbyterianism is generally considered to be John Knox (1505-1572), who was a student of John Calvin, with the founding of the (Presbyterian) Church of Scotland in Scotland in 1557.
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Presbyterianism in Canada dates its origin from 1765, when a military chaplain began regular ministrations in Quebec. There was very little growth... until the early part of the nineteenth century, when British immigration set in. Before 1835 there were six independent organizations. The disruption of 1843 in Scotland had its echo in Canada, and secessionist bodies were formed, but during the sixties four organic unions prepared the way for the consolidation in 1875 of all the important bodies into one denomination, the Presbyterian Church in Canada. There remain only two small organizations not affiliated with this main body. The Canadian Church maintains many educational institutions and carries on extensive mission work. Its doctrinal standards are latitudinarian.
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Presbyterianism started out as Protestant Christianity in Scotland, and has historically been defined by the Westminster Confession of Faith, John Knox's Book of Order, and having a "presbyterian" form of church government. A presbyterian form of church government is similar to a Republic, where elected officials, in this case a board of elders or presbyters, rule the church on behalf of the people. There are strong strains of Federalism within some circles of Presbyterian thought as well. Worship style is usually simple but reverent, and has historically centered on the preaching of the Bible.
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