Westminster Presbyterian Church in the United

States
The Westminster Presbyterian Church in the United States
(WPCUS) was a Presbyterian denomination, founded in United Westminster Presbyterian
States in 2006, by Rev. Brian Schwertley, formerly affiliated with Church in the United
Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church and other pastors States
formerly affiliated with other Presbyterian Classification Protestant
denominations. [1][2][3][4] The founders were particularly Orientation Reformed
concerned with the perceived spread of liberal teaching within
Presbyterianism in the United States and in particular with Federal Theology Calvinist
Vision theology, which they believe supplies a different Evangelical
understanding of doctrines such as justification and the Polity Presbyterian
perseverance of the saints.[5] Reconstructivist

The denomination existed until the 2010s. After that, some of its Region United States
churches joined Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, Origin 2006
others Reformed Presbyterian Church - Hanover Presbytery and
Separated from Covenant
others remained independent.[6][7][8][9]
Reformed
Presbyterian
History Church
Separations 2014:
In the 1990s, Rev. Brian Schwertley served as an associate pastor
Westminster
at Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America. In this period,
Evangelical
he planted churches in the Great Lakes region.[1]
Presbyterian
In 2001, Schwertley was received as pastor by the Reformed Church
Presbyterian Church in the United States and in 2004, he became
pastor of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Manawa, linked to the Covenant Reformed Presbyterian
Church (CRPC).[1]

However, in 2006, the local church split from the CRPC and, together with pastors and churches that split
from the Presbyterian Church in America and Orthodox Presbyterian Church, started a new denomination
called Westminster Presbyterian Church in the United States. United States (WPCUS).[3]

In 2008, the denomination reached its peak, with 7 federated churches.[10]

In 2014, churches previously linked to the denomination formed the Westminster Evangelical Presbyterian
Church.[3]

The denomination existed until the 2010s. After that, some of its churches joined Reformed Presbyterian
Church of North America, others Reformed Presbyterian Church - Hanover Presbytery and others
remained independent.[6][7][8][9]

Doctrine
The WPCUS subscribed to the Apostles' Creed, Athanasian Creed and Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed.

In addition, he subscribed to the Westminster Confession of Faith, Westminster Larger Catechism and
Westminster Shorter Catechism.

It differed from other Presbyterian denominations by adopting Exclusive Psalmody, Complementarianism,

Theonomy, Young Earth Creationism and by opposing Women's ordination.[11]

The WPCUS strictly subscribes to the Westminster Standards (The Westminster Confession of Faith, the
Larger Catechism, the Shorter Catechism, the Directory of Public Worship, the Directory for Family
Worship, and the Form of Presbyterian Church Government) as they were originally adopted by the
Church of Scotland (1645–48) and the colonies of North America (1716).[12]

Distinctives
Regarding its doctrine, the WPCUS:

rejected all perceived variations from the Westminster Standards on the doctrine of
justification by grace alone through faith alone.
adhere to young earth creationism in which creation took place within the space of six 24-
hour days.
believed in complementarianism and rejects the ordination of women to church offices (elder
and deacon).
adhere to and teaches that all nations have a moral obligation explicitly to recognize Jesus
as king and supreme lawgiver in their constitutions, courts, legislatures, etc. and that the civil
government has the duty to legislate in conformity with God's moral law summarized in the
Ten Commandments. Consequently, they work for the restoration of the establishment of the
Christian faith in the United States and reject religious pluralism, secularism, and
governmental authority that is not divinely mandated in accordance with their understanding
of the Westminster Standards and the principles of the Solemn League and Covenant.
(Compare Covenanting and Established Church.)

Additionally, the WPCUS adhere to the following distinctives related to public worship:

A strict interpretation of the regulative principle of worship;

The exclusive use of the biblical Psalter for public worship, unaccompanied by musical
instruments ;
The rejection of the ecclesiastical calendar and holy days;
The rejection of traditional prayer books and liturgies.

References
1. "History of the Westminster Presbyterian Church in the United States" (https://www.monergis
m.com/topics/mp3-audio-multimedia/all-north-american-speakers-messages/brian-schwertle
y). Monergism. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
2. "History of the Westminster Presbyterian Church in the United States" (http://www.usachurch
es.org/denomination/westminster-presbyterian-church-in-the-united-states.htm). Churches in
the United States USA. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
3. "History of the Westminst Evangelical Presbyterian Church er" (https://wepresch.org/about-u
s-constitution/). Retrieved January 17, 2022.
 4. (April, 2006, Page 14). "News: Westminster Presbyterian Church in the United States."
Banner of Truth Magazine, Banner of Truth.
5. (January 3, 2006). "New Presbyterian Denomination." British Church Newspaper.
6. "Church List of the Westminster Presbyterian Church of the United States" (https://web.archi
ve.org/web/20170303171458/http://www.wpcus.org:80/congregations.asp). Archived from
the original (http://www.wpcus.org/congregations.asp) on March 3, 2017. Retrieved March 3,
2017.
7. "Westminster Presbyterian Church in the United States" (https://www.puritanboard.com/threa
ds/westminster-presbyterian-church-in-the-united-states.58210/). Puritan Board. Retrieved
January 17, 2022.
8. "List of churches of Hanover Presbytery" (https://rpchanover.org/churches-within-the-hanove
r-presbytery/). Retrieved January 28, 2022.
9. "List of churches of Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America" (https://rpcna.org/trunk/
page/congregations). Retrieved January 28, 2022.
10. "Church List of the Westminster Presbyterian Church of the United States" (https://web.archi
ve.org/web/20080703205439/http://www.wpcus.org/congregations.asp). Archived from the
original (http://www.wpcus.org/congregations.asp) on July 3, 2008. Retrieved July 3, 2008.
11. "Beliefs of the Westminster Presbyterian Church in the United States" (https://www.reformed
online.com/about.html). Retrieved January 17, 2022.
12. The Westminster Presbyterian Covenant of Union (http://www.wpcus.org/WPC_Covenant_o
f_Union.htm)

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