Presbyterian Schism

The schism in the American Presbyterian church following the revivals of the late eighteenth century was, Niebuhr suggests, “a conflict between two generations of Scotch-Irish, between an immigrant generation nurtured in Europe and the first native-born, frontier-bred generation” (Social Sources of Denominationalism, 156-7).

The younger generation became a frontier church, which means, a revivalist church. The older generation thought of the revivalists as emotionally manipulative; the younger accused the older churches of being full of unregenerate pastors of unregenerate congregations.

This markedly changed the character of Presbyterian theology and practice: “The ‘demand for regenerate church membership not only set aside the judgment of charity of the reformed churches, but introduced the fashion of speaking of the adult communicants as the only ‘members of the church’ and of treating its baptized children as outside pagans, exempt from its discipline’ (quoting Robert Thompson’s History).The position of the ministry became less separate and formal while the sacramental theory changed from the institutional concept to the theory prevailing in the voluntaristic sects, that the rites were professions of grace and tokens of fellowship.”

The result was the development of the Presbyto-Baptist churches that still dominate much of conservative Presbyterianism.