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114-699: The divisions which led to the formation of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church can be traced back to the First Great Awakening . At that time, Presbyterians in North America split between the Old Side (mainly congregations of Scottish and Scotch-Irish extraction) who favored a doctrinally oriented church with a highly educated ministry and a New Side (mainly of English extraction) who put greater emphasis on

228-483: A revival of religion and piety . The blending of these three traditions would produce an evangelical Protestantism that placed greater importance "on seasons of revival, or outpourings of the Holy Spirit , and on converted sinners experiencing God's love personally." In the 1710s and 1720s, revivals became more frequent among New England Congregationalists. These early revivals remained local affairs due to

342-777: A Children's Home in Denton, Texas . The Historical Foundation of the CPC and the CPCA maintains its library and archives at the Cumberland Presbyterian Center in Memphis. In recent years, the denomination adopted an alternate educational route to ordination of ministers, known as the Program of Alternate Studies . PAS, as it became known, was intended to serve persons embarking on a second vocation but not as an alternate

456-738: A Moravian small group called the Fetter Lane Society . In May 1738, Wesley attended a Moravian meeting on Aldersgate Street, where he felt spiritually transformed during a reading of Martin Luther 's preface to the Epistle to the Romans . Wesley recounted that "I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation, and an assurance was given me that he had taken away my sins, even mine , and saved me from

570-485: A Presbyterian polity, individual congregations are represented by elders (who form a session to govern the local church) at presbyteries. Presbyteries, in turn, send delegates to synods. Finally, the entire structure is governed by the General Assembly. The Assembly charges various boards and agencies with the day-to-day operation of the denomination. Cumberland Presbyterian congregations may be found throughout

684-451: A cautious approach to this issue, neither encouraging nor discouraging these responses, but they recognized that people might express their conviction in different ways. The conviction stage lasted so long because potential converts were waiting to find evidence of regeneration in their lives. The revivalists believed regeneration, or the new birth, was not simply an outward profession of faith or conformity to Christianity. They believed it

798-485: A few years. First Great Awakening The First Great Awakening , sometimes Great Awakening or the Evangelical Revival , was a series of Christian revivals that swept Britain and its thirteen North American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s. The revival movement permanently affected Protestantism as adherents strove to renew individual piety and religious devotion. The Great Awakening marked

912-635: A greater belief in God's glory than in self-glorification. Similar experiences would appear in most of the major revivals of the 18th century. Edwards wrote an account of the Northampton revival, A Faithful Narrative , which was published in England through the efforts of prominent evangelicals John Guyse and Isaac Watts . The publication of his account made Edwards a celebrity in Britain and influenced

1026-863: A large outdoor crowd from the courthouse steps. He then preached in many Presbyterian churches. From Philadelphia, Whitefield traveled to New York and then to the South. In the Middle Colonies, he was popular in the Dutch and German communities as well as among the British. Lutheran pastor Henry Muhlenberg told of a German woman who heard Whitefield preach and, though she spoke no English, later said she had never before been so edified. In 1740, Whitefield began touring New England. He landed in Newport, Rhode Island, on September 14, 1740, and preached several times in

1140-495: A leading role in American evangelicalism for the next century. Christianity • Protestantism The Great Awakening was not the first time that Protestant churches had experienced revival; however, it was the first time a common evangelical identity had emerged based on a fairly uniform understanding of salvation , preaching the gospel , and conversion . Revival theology focused on the way of salvation —the stages by which

1254-626: A new standard of personal morality. Revival theology stressed that religious conversion was not only intellectual assent to correct Christian doctrine but had to be a " new birth " experienced in the heart. Revivalists also taught that receiving assurance of salvation was a normal expectation in the Christian life. While the Evangelical Revival united evangelicals across various denominations around shared beliefs, it also led to division in existing churches between those who supported

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1368-587: A person receives Christian faith and then expresses that faith in the way they live. The major figures of the Great Awakening, such as George Whitefield , Jonathan Edwards , Gilbert Tennent , Jonathan Dickinson , and Samuel Davies , were moderate evangelicals who preached a pietistic form of Calvinism heavily influenced by the Puritan tradition, which held that religion was not only an intellectual exercise but also had to be felt and experienced in

1482-629: A protracted dispute which touched upon the nature of ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Ultimately, the synod decided to dissolve Cumberland Presbytery and expel a number of its ministers. The Cumberland Presbyterian denomination was made up of the expelled members of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (PCUSA) and others in the area when the Kentucky Synod dissolved the original Cumberland Presbytery. There

1596-568: A seminary called the Log College , where he trained nearly 20 Presbyterian revivalists for the ministry, including his three sons and Samuel Blair . While pastoring a church in New Jersey, Gilbert Tennent became acquainted with Dutch Reformed minister Theodorus Jacobus Frelinghuysen . Historian Sydney Ahlstrom described Frelinghuysen as "an important herald, if not the father of the Great Awakening". A pietist, Frelinghuysen believed in

1710-422: A seminary education. However, a larger and larger percentage of candidates for the ministry are being allowed by their presbyteries to choose this non-seminary route to ordination, prompting a debate over what many in the church regard as a lessening of educational standards. At the present rate, the number of Cumberland Presbyterian clergy ordained without a seminary degree will surpass seminary-trained clergy within

1824-555: A slightly revised version of the 1883 Confession of Faith of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church (CPC); the main body of the CPC adopted a new Confession Of Faith in 1984. The seeds of the Upper Cumberland Presbyterian Church arose from a group known as the Fellowship of Cumberland Presbyterian Conservatives. Members of this group protested modernizing trends within that denomination, in particular

1938-448: A strong impulse towards interdenominational unity among the various Protestant denominations. Evangelicals considered the new birth to be "a bond of fellowship that transcended disagreements on fine points of doctrine and polity", allowing Anglicans, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, and others to cooperate across denominational lines. While divisions between the Old and New Lights remained,

2052-442: A theology of revival and salvation that transcended denominational boundaries and helped forge a common evangelical identity. Revivalists added to the doctrinal imperatives of Reformation Protestantism an emphasis on providential outpourings of the Holy Spirit . Extemporaneous preaching gave listeners a sense of deep personal conviction about their need for salvation by Jesus Christ and fostered introspection and commitment to

2166-437: A time when Enlightenment rationalism and Arminian theology were popular among some Congregational clergy, Edwards held to traditional Calvinist doctrine. He understood conversion to be the experience of moving from spiritual deadness to joy in the knowledge of one's election (that one had been chosen by God for salvation). While a Christian might have several conversion moments as part of this process, Edwards believed there

2280-400: Is a part of Midwest Synod of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Formed from Green River Synod in 1845 and dissolved back into Green River Synod in 1865. This Kentucky Synod's history is largely unknown. It was dissolved for repeatedly failing to meet. In 1888, the name of Green River Synod was changed to Kentucky Synod. In 1988, Kentucky Synod merged with North Central Synod to form

2394-491: Is entirely absent, and recent trends in the denomination seem to be moving it further towards traditionalism. As the denomination has become more conservative, some of its liberal ministers and members have transferred membership to the Presbyterian Church (USA), thereby intensifying already-present theological and social tendencies in the remaining CPC faithful toward evangelicalism. As with any church holding to

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2508-684: Is estimated in New England that in the churches there were about one-third each of New Lights, Old Lights, and those who saw both sides as valid. The Awakening aroused a wave of separatist feeling within the Congregational churches of New England. Around 100 Separatist congregations were organized throughout the region by Strict Congregationalists . Objecting to the Halfway Covenant , Strict Congregationalists required evidence of conversion for church membership and also objected to

2622-530: Is historical evidence in the writings of several of the founders that indicate they did not intend the split to be permanent and certainly did not anticipate a long-standing separate denomination. On February 4, 1810, near what later became Burns, Tennessee , in the log cabin home of the Rev. Samuel McAdow , he, the Rev. Finis Ewing and the Rev. Samuel King reorganized Cumberland Presbytery. After rapid growth, Cumberland Presbytery became Cumberland Synod in 1813 and

2736-473: Is present also in Iowa , Missouri , Illinois , Indiana , Michigan , Maryland , Pennsylvania , New York , Massachusetts , New Jersey , New Mexico, Arizona and California . The church has Korean language speaking Presbyteries. Prior to the 1906 partial union, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church placed a great deal of emphasis on education and sponsored 22 colleges and universities. All but one united with

2850-581: Is primarily concentrated in Alabama , Tennessee , and Texas , but the church extends north to Cleveland , Chicago , Oklahoma , Detroit and Marshalltown, Iowa . The church adheres to the Presbyterian Church governance. It has 4 Synods , the Texas Synod has 3 Presbyteries namely the Angelina (26 churches), Brazos River (58) and East Texas (4) Presbyteries. The Tennessee Synod has 3 Presbyteries,

2964-573: The Lutheran and Reformed churches of continental Europe. Pietism emphasized heartfelt religious faith in reaction to an overly intellectual Protestant scholasticism perceived as spiritually dry. Significantly, the Pietists placed less emphasis on traditional doctrinal divisions between Protestant churches, focusing rather on religious experience and affections. Pietism prepared Europe for revival, and it usually occurred in areas where pietism

3078-555: The Sacrament long, yet I never knew what true religion was" until he read Scougal. From that point on, Whitefield sought a new birth. After a period of spiritual struggle, Whitefield experienced conversion during Lent in 1735. In 1736, he began preaching in Bristol and London . His preaching attracted large crowds who were drawn to his simple message of the necessity of the new birth as well as by his manner of delivery. His style

3192-597: The Synod of the Midwest . Kentucky Synod was, perhaps, the best funded and organized of all Cumberland Presbyterian synods. Few other judicatories exercised synodic authority to the same degree. The synod maintained a "Center" in Bowling Green, Kentucky , and employed an executive and staff. The last Executive Presbyter was Rev. James W. Knight . The Cumberland Presbyterian Church is present in 23 US states, mainly in

3306-809: The Welsh Methodist revival . The origins of revivalism in Scotland stretch back to the 1620s. The attempts by the Stuart Kings to impose bishops on the Church of Scotland led to national protests in the form of the Covenanters . In addition, radical Presbyterian clergy held outdoor conventicles throughout southern and western Scotland, centered on the communion season . These revivals would also spread to Ulster and feature "marathon extemporaneous preaching and excessive popular enthusiasm." In

3420-463: The burning of books by religious authors such as John Flavel and Increase Mather . Following the intervention of two pro-revival " New Light " ministers, Davenport's mental state apparently improved, and he published a retraction of his earlier excesses. Whitefield, Tennent, and Davenport would be followed by a number of both clerical and lay itinerants. However, the Awakening in New England

3534-567: The creation of the world, God determined who would be saved (the elect) on the basis of his own choosing. The preaching of these doctrines resulted in the convicted feeling both guilty and totally helpless, since God was in complete control over whether they would be saved or not. Revivalists counseled those under conviction to apply the means of grace to their lives. These were spiritual disciplines such as prayer , Bible study, church attendance, and personal moral improvement. While no human action could produce saving faith, revivalists taught that

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3648-586: The established religion , whereas in the religiously tolerant Middle Colonies , the Quakers , Dutch Reformed , Anglican , Presbyterian , Lutheran , Congregational , and Baptist churches all competed with each other on equal terms. In the Southern Colonies , the Anglican Church was officially established, though there were significant numbers of Baptists, Quakers, and Presbyterians. At

3762-506: The heart . This moderate revival theology consisted of a three-stage process. The first stage was conviction of sin , which was spiritual preparation for faith by God's law and the means of grace . The second stage was conversion, in which a person experienced spiritual illumination, repentance , and faith. The third stage was consolation , which was searching for and receiving assurance of salvation . This process generally takes place over an extended period of time. Conviction of sin

3876-596: The laity increased, especially among the town's young people. Edwards wrote to Boston minister Benjamin Colman that the town "never was so full of Love, nor so full of Joy, nor so full of distress as it has lately been. ... I never saw the Christian spirit in Love to Enemies so exemplified, in all my Life as I have seen it within this half-year." The revival ultimately spread to 25 communities in western Massachusetts and central Connecticut until it began to wane in 1737. At

3990-1036: The 1750s and 1760s. The Great Awakening aggravated existing conflicts within the Protestant churches, often leading to schisms between supporters of revival, known as "New Lights", and opponents of revival, known as "Old Lights". The Old Lights saw the religious enthusiasm and itinerant preaching unleashed by the Awakening as disruptive to church order, preferring formal worship and a settled, university-educated ministry. They mocked revivalists as being ignorant, heterodox , or con artists . New Lights accused Old Lights of being more concerned with social status than with saving souls and even questioned whether some Old Light ministers were even converted. They also supported itinerant ministers who disregarded parish boundaries. Congregationalists in New England experienced 98 schisms, which in Connecticut also affected which group would be considered "official" for tax purposes. It

4104-621: The 18th century, the Evangelical Revival was led by ministers such as Ebenezer Erskine , William M'Culloch (the minister who presided over the Cambuslang Work of 1742), and James Robe (minister at Kilsyth ). A substantial number of Church of Scotland ministers held evangelical views. In the early 18th century, the Thirteen Colonies were religiously diverse. In New England , the Congregational churches were

4218-471: The 19th century joined in the union with the PCUSA in 1906 after the General Assembly voted to unite with that body. However, so did a fair number of the country churches, who were likely served at the time by pastors with relatively greater theological training, which would have been required by the mainstream Presbyterian tradition for admission to the ministry. The genesis of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church

4332-511: The American colonies, the Awakening caused the Congregational and Presbyterian churches to split, while strengthening both the Methodist and Baptist denominations. It had little immediate impact on most Lutherans , Quakers , and non-Protestants, but later gave rise to a schism among Quakers that persists to this day. Evangelical preachers "sought to include every person in conversion, regardless of gender, race, and status". Throughout

4446-745: The Anglican church. He then moved on to Boston, Massachusetts, where he spent a week. There were prayers at King's Chapel (at the time an Anglican church) and preaching at Brattle Street Church and South Church . On September 20, Whitefield preached at First Church and then outside of it to about 8,000 people who could not gain entrance. The next day, he preached outdoors again to about 15,000 people. On Tuesday, he preached at Second Church and on Wednesday at Harvard University . After traveling as far as Portsmouth, New Hampshire, he returned to Boston on October 12 to preach to 30,000 people before continuing his tour. Whitefield then traveled to Northampton at

4560-444: The Awakening. Samuel Blair described such responses to his preaching in 1740: "Several would be overcome and fainting ; others deeply sobbing, hardly able to contain, others crying in a most dolorous manner, many others more silently weeping. ... And sometimes the soul exercises of some, thought comparatively but very few, would so far affect their bodies, as to occasion some strange, unusual bodily motions." Moderate evangelicals took

4674-633: The CPC. The General Assembly voted by a significant majority for the union in the 1906 meeting. As a result, a large number of Cumberland congregations re-entered the PCUSA in 1906 and those who remained in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church felt somewhat antagonistic towards the PCUSA for generations afterward. About 1,000 pastors and 90,000 former Cumberland Presbyterian Church members joined the Northern Presbyterian Church, but about 50,000 stayed out and continued on as Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) ,

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4788-581: The Cumberland Presbyterian Church's May 1869 General Assembly asked for assistance in organizing a separate body for African Americans, allowing them to become more independent and self-reliant, develop their own clergy and other leaders, and maintain their own church buildings, all with financial support from the parent denomination. The new church was organized in May 1874 as the Colored Cumberland Presbyterian Church . It later

4902-536: The Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America held concurrent 2006 general assemblies in Birmingham, Alabama in celebration of 300 years of Presbyterianism in North America. The confessional differences between the denominations that resulted in the CPC's split have largely disappeared. However, new differences have arisen such as the stances on homosexuality and views toward

5016-487: The Cumberland Presbyterian denomination in 1829 when the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church was established. A replica of the Rev. Samuel McAdow's cabin now stands where the three founded the church, and a sandstone chapel commemorating the event has been erected nearby. These two buildings are two of the main attractions in the surrounding Montgomery Bell State Park . An outgrowth of

5130-816: The Elk River (11), Hiawassee (9), New Hopewell Presbyteries (11). The Kentucky Synod has 3, the Cleveland Ohio (4), the Kansouri (12), and the Ohio (5), the Purchase (5) Presbyteries. The biggest synod is Alabama Synod with 6 Presbyteries, namely the Birmingham (6), the Florence (5), Huntsville (68), South Alabam (16), Tennessee Valley (8) and Tuscaloosa (7) Presbyteries. In 2012 the general assemblies of both

5244-627: The Great Revival of 1800 , also called the Second Great Awakening, the new denomination arose to minister to the spiritual needs of a pioneer people who turned from the doctrine of predestination as they interpreted it to embrace the so-called "Whosoever Will" gospel of the new church. The Red River Meeting House in Logan County, Kentucky , marks the location of the revival meeting thought by some to have given rise to

5358-464: The Hands of an Angry God " is an example of such preaching. As Calvinists, revivalists also preached the doctrines of original sin and unconditional election . Due to the fall of man , humans are naturally inclined to rebel against God and are unable to initiate or merit salvation, according to the doctrine of original sin. Unconditional election relates to the doctrine of predestination —that before

5472-574: The Ministerial Training Committee. Some prominent ministers of the denomination have held other careers while serving as pastors. By 1900, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church was the third largest Presbyterian or Reformed body in the United States and was rapidly growing. After making revisions to the Westminster Confession in 1903, the PCUSA (the so-called "Northern" denomination) proposed reunification with

5586-639: The New Lights became less radical over time, and evangelicalism became more mainstream. By 1758, the Old Side–New Side split in the Presbyterian Church had been healed, and the two factions had reunited. In part, this was due to the growth of the New Side and the numerical decline of the Old Side. In 1741, the pro-revival party had around 22 ministers, but this number had increased to 73 by 1758. While

5700-652: The North American colonies, especially in the South , the revival movement increased the number of African slaves and free blacks who were exposed to (and subsequently converted to) Christianity. It also inspired the founding of new missionary societies, such as the Baptist Missionary Society in 1792. Historian Sydney E. Ahlstrom sees the Great Awakening as part of a "great international Protestant upheaval" that also created Pietism in

5814-537: The Presbyterian Church. The denomination now maintains a single four-year liberal arts college, Bethel University, formerly Bethel College , located in McKenzie, Tennessee . Recently, the denomination has related to this institution through a covenant agreement, forgoing direct ownership and control. The denomination also operates a seminary, Memphis Theological Seminary , in Memphis, Tennessee . The Cumberland Presbyterian Center , also located in Memphis, houses other church boards and agencies. The denomination maintains

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5928-642: The Reason why Congregations have been so dead, is because dead Men preach to them." Whitefield met Gilbert Tennent on Staten Island and asked him to preach in Boston to continue the revival there. Tennent accepted and, in December, began a three-month-long preaching tour throughout New England. Besides Boston, Tennent preached in towns throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Like Whitefield's, Tennent's preaching produced large crowds, many conversions, and much controversy. While antirevivalists such as Timothy Cutler heavily criticized Tennent's preaching, most of Boston's ministers were supportive. Tennent

6042-417: The Soul of Man (the latter work was a favorite of Puritans ). Scougal wrote that many people mistakenly understood Christianity to be "Orthodox Notions and Opinions", "external Duties" or "rapturous Heats and extatic Devotion". Rather, Scougal wrote, "True Religion is an Union of the Soul with God ... It is Christ formed within us ." Whitefield wrote that "though I had fasted, watched and prayed, and received

6156-487: The South. Tennessee has far the highest adherents rate 4.64 /1,000 people, about 30,000 members, followed by Kentucky with 10,000 members. Arkansas and Alabama has a large followers of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church represents both 1.23/1,000 adherents rate, with about 6,000 members in 59 churches in Alabama, and 3,600 members in 61 congregations in Arkansas. In the South churches are in Texas , Oklahoma , Louisiana , Mississippi , Georgia , Florida . The denomination

6270-446: The U.S. as well as in several foreign countries (Japan, Hong Kong, Colombia, etc.) but are primarily located in the American South and border states , with strong concentrations in Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Missouri , southern Illinois , Arkansas , and Texas . Many of those congregations are located outside major metropolitan areas, in small towns and rural communities. The majority of those churches founded in towns and cities in

6384-505: The anti-revival "Old Side" and the pro-revival "New Side". At issue was the place of revivalism in American Presbyterianism, specifically the "relation between doctrinal orthodoxy and experimental knowledge of Christ." The New Side, led by Gilbert Tennent and Jonathan Dickinson, believed that strict adherence to orthodoxy was meaningless if one lacked a personal religious experience, a sentiment expressed in Tennent's 1739 sermon "The Danger of an Unconverted Ministry". Whitefield's tour had helped

6498-419: The conversion experience, which typically lasted several days or weeks under the guidance of a trained pastor. True conversion began when the mind opened to a new awareness and love of the gospel message. Following this illumination, converts placed their faith in Christ, depending on him alone for salvation. At the same time, a hatred of sin and a commitment to eliminate it from the heart would take hold, setting

6612-479: The emergence of Anglo-American evangelicalism as a trans-denominational movement within the Protestant churches. In the United States , the term Great Awakening is most often used, while in the United Kingdom, the movement is referred to as the Evangelical Revival . Building on the foundations of older traditions— Puritanism , Pietism , and Presbyterianism —major leaders of the revival such as George Whitefield , John Wesley , and Jonathan Edwards articulated

6726-415: The experiential techniques championed by the Great Awakening. The formal split between Old Side and New Side lasted only from 1741 to 1758, but the two orientations remained present in the reunified church and would come to the fore again during the Second Great Awakening . At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Presbyterians on the frontier suffered from a shortage of educated clergy willing to move to

6840-637: The fervor of the Awakening would fade, the acceptance of revivalism and insistence on personal conversion would remain recurring features in 18th- and 19th-century Presbyterianism. The Great Awakening inspired the creation of evangelical educational institutions. In 1746, New Side Presbyterians founded what would become Princeton University . In 1754, the efforts of Eleazar Wheelock led to what would become Dartmouth College , originally established to train Native American boys for missionary work among their own people. While initially resistant, well-established Yale University came to embrace revivalism and played

6954-466: The first organized Cumberland Presbyterian congregation. In 1826, Cumberland Presbyterians established Cumberland College in Princeton, Kentucky , in order to better train their candidates for the ministry. Although very much a frontier institution, under the presidency of Franceway Ranna Cossitt , Cumberland College was one of the first colleges in the United States to accept women as students. Ann Harpending and Melinda Barnett, for example, enrolled in

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7068-460: The first to include women as ordained clergy. Cumberland Presbyterians were also early to ordain African-Americans to the ministry. The 1984 revision of the Cumberland Presbyterian Confession of Faith, reflecting the denomination's long-standing traditions, was one of the first inclusive confessional documents in the Reformed tradition. This Confession was revised by a broad composite of theologians of both Cumberland Presbyterian Churches. However, for

7182-408: The foundation for a life of repentance or turning away from sin. Revivalists distinguished true conversion (which was motivated by love of God and hatred of sin) from false conversion (which was motivated by fear of hell ). True conversion meant that a person was among the elect, but even a person with saving faith might doubt his election and salvation. Revivalists taught that assurance of salvation

7296-413: The frontier beyond the Appalachian Mountains . At the same time, Methodists and Baptists were sending preachers with little or no formal training into frontier regions and were very successful in organizing Methodist and Baptist congregations. Drawing on New Side precedents, Cumberland Presbytery in Kentucky began ordaining men without the educational background required by the Kentucky Synod . This

7410-406: The gospel promises to everyone in their audiences, without stressing that God redeems only those elected for salvation"—was contrary to these notions. While they preached indiscriminately, however, revivalists continued to affirm Calvinist doctrines of election and predestination. Another issue that had to be addressed was the intense physical and emotional reactions to conviction experienced during

7524-406: The gospel, and other Christian virtues . It was not enough, however, to simply reflect on past experiences. Revivalists taught that assurance could only be gained by actively seeking to grow in grace and holiness through mortification of sin and using the means of grace. In Religious Affections , the last sign addressed by Edwards was "Christian practice", and it was this sign to which he gave

7638-476: The grounds that he was a religious enthusiast . In response, he began open-air field preaching in the mining community of Kingswood, near Bristol. Open-air preaching was common in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, but it was unheard of in England. Further, Whitefield violated protocol by preaching in another priest's parish without permission. Within a week, he was preaching to crowds of 10,000. By March, Whitefield had moved on to preach elsewhere. By May, he

7752-414: The group enjoyed a religious revival. Soon, the community became a refuge for other Protestants as well, including German Lutherans, Reformed Christians, and Anabaptists . The church began to grow, and Moravian societies would be established in England, where they would help foster the Evangelical Revival as well. Christianity • Protestantism While known as the Great Awakening in the United States,

7866-446: The growing revival movement in that nation. A Faithful Narrative would become a model on which other revivals would be conducted. George Whitefield first came to America in 1738 to serve at Christ Church in Savannah and found Bethesda Orphanage . Whitefield returned to the Colonies in November 1739. His first stop was in Philadelphia, where he initially preached at Christ Church , Philadelphia's Anglican Church, and then preached to

7980-475: The invitation of Jonathan Edwards. He preached twice in the parish church, and Edwards was so moved that he wept. He then spent time in New Haven, Connecticut, where he preached at Yale University. From there, he traveled down the coast, reaching New York on October 29. Whitefield's assessment of New England's churches and clergy prior to his intervention was negative. "I am verily persuaded," he wrote, "the Generality of Preachers talk of an unknown, unfelt Christ. And

8094-414: The lack of coverage in print media . The first revival to receive widespread publicity was that precipitated by an earthquake in 1727. As they began to be publicized more widely, revivals transformed from merely local to regional and transatlantic events. In the 1720s and 1730s, an evangelical party took shape in the Presbyterian churches of the Middle Colonies, led by William Tennent , Sr. He established

8208-730: The larger white church. The joint committee drafting the plan of union agreed and made such a stipulation in its reporting to the General Assembly. However, many in the white, rural, southern-based church were not willing to cede that much power and balked at the plan. Both denominations are now working on a plan of organic merger. The two denominations continue to share a Confession of Faith and cooperate in many common ministries. Denominational headquarters are located in Huntsville, Alabama . There are 153 congregations, which are organized into 15 presbyteries and four synods, in Alabama , Kentucky , Tennessee and Texas and Illinois . Membership

8322-569: The last half of the 18th century. By 1804, there were over 300 Baptist churches in New England. This growth was primarily due to an influx of former New Light Congregationalists who became convinced of Baptist doctrines, such as believer's baptism . In some cases, entire Separatist congregations accepted Baptist beliefs. As revivalism spread through the Presbyterian churches, the Old Side–New Side Controversy broke out between

8436-413: The late 1980s. The African American church wanted equal representation on all boards and agencies, feeling that otherwise they would be swallowed up by the larger white church. The joint committee drafting the plan of union agreed and made such a stipulation in its reporting to the General Assembly. However, many in the white, rural, southern-based church were not willing to cede that much power and balked at

8550-740: The law of sin and death." Wesley understood his Aldersgate experience to be an evangelical conversion, and it provided him with the assurance he had been seeking. Afterwards, he traveled to Herrnhut and met Zinzendorf in person. John Wesley returned to England in September 1738. Both John and Charles preached in London churches. Whitefield stayed in Georgia for three months to establish Bethesda Orphanage before returning to England in December. While enjoying success, Whitefield's itinerant preaching

8664-437: The means of grace might make conversion more likely. Revival preaching was controversial among Calvinists. Because Calvinists believed in election and predestination, some thought it inappropriate to preach to strangers that they could repent and receive salvation. For some, such preaching was only acceptable within their own churches and communities. The revivalists use of "indiscriminate" evangelism—the "practice of extending

8778-549: The most part, the CPC's constituency and theology resembles that of the United Methodist Church , appealing mainly to long-established families with revivalistic religious tastes and generally conservative cultural dispositions, derived chiefly from the agricultural orientation of most of its historic territory, the Upper South . Although explicit fundamentalism and liberalism are rare in the CPC, neither

8892-617: The most space in his treatise. The search for assurance required conscious effort on the part of a convert and took months or even years to achieve. Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America The Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America is a historically African-American denomination which developed from the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in 1874. The church was formed after African-American delegates to

9006-521: The movement is referred to as the Evangelical Revival in Britain. In England, the major leaders of the Evangelical Revival were three Anglican priests: the brothers John and Charles Wesley and their friend George Whitefield . Together, they founded what would become Methodism . They had been members of a religious society at Oxford University called the Holy Club and "Methodists" due to their methodical piety and rigorous asceticism . This society

9120-675: The name refers to the fact that the denomination was established in Gallatin, Tennessee , on the Upper Cumberland River , the section of the Cumberland River east of Nashville, Tennessee . The King James Version is the official Bible of the denomination. The Upper Cumberland Presbyterian congregations are mostly rural, country churches. They are located in three geographic areas: East of Nashville, South of Nashville and North Central Alabama. The representatives of

9234-508: The necessity of personal conversion and living a holy life. The revivals he led in the Raritan Valley were "forerunners" of the Great Awakening in the Middle Colonies. Under Frelinghuysen's influence, Tennent came to believe that a definite conversion experience followed by assurance of salvation was the key mark of a Christian. By 1729, Tennent was seeing signs of revival in the Presbyterian churches of New Brunswick and Staten Island. At

9348-628: The opportunity to recruit followers to the movement. Faced with growing evangelistic and pastoral responsibilities, Wesley and Whitefield appointed lay preachers and leaders. Methodist preachers focused particularly on evangelizing people who had been "neglected" by the established Church of England. Wesley and his assistant preachers organized the new converts into Methodist societies. These societies were divided into groups called classes —intimate meetings where individuals were encouraged to confess their sins to one another and to build each other up. They also took part in love feasts , which allowed for

9462-477: The peak of revivalism established him as the primary founder of the Methodist movement. By the time of Wesley's death in 1791, there were an estimated 71,668 Methodists in England and 43,265 in America. The Evangelical Revival first broke out in Wales. In 1735, Howell Harris and Daniel Rowland experienced a religious conversion and began preaching to large crowds throughout South Wales . Their preaching initiated

9576-536: The plan. No other plans for union have been attempted. However, the two denominations share a confession of faith and cooperate in many common ministries. In 1889, Cumberland Presbyterians were the first body in the Presbyterian or Reformed traditions to ordain a woman as a minister, Louisa Mariah Layman Woosley . A relatively conservative body, Nolin Presbytery, ordained Woosley while a relatively liberal body, Kentucky Synod , opposed her ordination and instructed

9690-634: The presbytery to remove her from the ministerial roll. The Upper Cumberland Presbyterian Church is a small denomination which broke off from the Cumberland Presbyterian church over issues of membership in the National Council of Churches and the use of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible ; it has fewer than 1,000 members among twelve congregations in Alabama and Tennessee . The Upper Cumberland Presbyterian Church uses

9804-521: The revival party grow but only worsened the controversy. When the Presbyterian Synod of Philadelphia met in May 1741, the Old Side expelled the New Side, which then reorganized itself into the Synod of New York . Historian John Howard Smith noted that the Great Awakening made sectarianism an essential characteristic of American Christianity. While the Awakening divided many Protestant churches between Old and New Lights, it also unleashed

9918-452: The revivals and those who did not. Opponents accused the revivals of fostering disorder and fanaticism within the churches by enabling uneducated, itinerant preachers and encouraging religious enthusiasm . In England, evangelical Anglicans would grow into an important constituency within the Church of England , and Methodism would develop out of the ministries of Whitefield and Wesley. In

10032-540: The same time, Gilbert's brothers, William and John, oversaw a revival in Freehold, New Jersey. The most influential evangelical revival was the Northampton revival of 1734–1735, under the leadership of Congregational minister Jonathan Edwards . In the fall of 1734, Edwards preached a sermon series on justification by faith alone , and the community's response was extraordinary. Signs of religious commitment among

10146-542: The same time, church membership was low because it had failed to keep up with population growth, and the influence of Enlightenment rationalism was leading many people to turn to atheism , Deism , Unitarianism , and Universalism . The churches in New England had fallen into a "staid and routine formalism in which experiential faith had been a reality to only a scattered few." In response to these trends, ministers influenced by New England Puritanism , Scots-Irish Presbyterianism , and European Pietism began calling for

10260-413: The scriptures. The CPC, for the most part, holds to more conservative beliefs than the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), with an orientation toward Arminianism as opposed to the strict Calvinism of other conservative Presbyterian churches in the U.S. Cumberland Presbyterians were among the first denominations to admit women to their educational institutions and to accept them in leadership roles. They were

10374-513: The semi-presbyterian Saybrook Platform , which they felt infringed on congregational autonomy. Because they threatened Congregationalist uniformity, the Separatists were persecuted, and in Connecticut they were denied the same legal toleration enjoyed by Baptists, Quakers, and Anglicans. The Baptists benefited the most from the Great Awakening. Although numerically small before the outbreak of revival, Baptist churches experienced growth during

10488-465: The sharing of testimony , a key feature of early Methodism. Growth in numbers and increasing hostility impressed upon the revival converts a deep sense of their corporate identity. Three teachings that Methodists saw as the foundation of Christian faith were: The evangelicals responded vigorously to opposition—both literary criticism and even mob violence —and thrived despite the attacks against them. John Wesley's organizational skills during and after

10602-446: The twelve congregations meet twice a year to form a presbytery . This is the highest church court of the denomination. There are no synods or general assemblies as in other Presbyterian bodies. A moderator of presbytery is elected for a six-month term. The denomination's official publication is called The Bulletin . The denomination does not have a college or seminary . Ministers are usually self-taught men who are then further trained by

10716-418: The very first class. The Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America , a primarily African-American denomination, split from the primarily white Cumberland Presbyterian Church in 1874. Relations between the two groups have for the most part been very cordial, and many of the CPCA ministers have trained at Memphis Theological Seminary . A reunion attempt on the part of both denominations failed to win approval in

10830-576: The widespread usage of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible. The Fellowship of Cumberland Presbyterian Conservatives formed a conference and planned a second one in Memphis, Tennessee . When the CP General Assembly declared its actions to be unconstitutional, several leaders of the group left the CPC and formed the new Upper Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The Upper Cumberland part of

10944-467: Was a greater emphasis on prayer and devotional reading, and the Puritan ideal of converted church membership was revived. It is estimated that between 20,000 and 50,000 new members were admitted to New England's Congregational churches even as expectations for members increased. By 1745, the Awakening had begun to wane. Revivals would continue to spread to the southern backcountry and slave communities in

11058-487: Was a single point in time when God regenerated an individual, even if the exact moment could not be pinpointed. The Northampton revival featured instances of what critics called enthusiasm but what supporters believed were signs of the Holy Spirit. Services became more emotional, and some people had visions and mystical experiences. Edwards cautiously defended these experiences as long as they led individuals to

11172-458: Was an instantaneous, supernatural work of the Holy Spirit, providing someone with "a new awareness of the beauty of Christ, new desires to love God, and a firm commitment to follow God's holy law." The reality of regeneration was discerned through self-examination, and while it occurred instantly, a convert might only gradually realize it had occurred. Regeneration was always accompanied by saving faith, repentance, and love for God—all aspects of

11286-625: Was bad enough for supporters of the Old Side, but what was even worse was that the presbytery allowed ministers to offer a qualified assent to the Westminster Confession , only requiring them to swear assent to the Confession "so far as they deemed it agreeable to the Word of God". Old Siders in the Kentucky Synod (which had oversight over Cumberland Presbytery) sought to discipline the presbytery. Presbytery and synod were involved in

11400-659: Was controversial. Many pulpits were closed to him, and he had to struggle against Anglicans who opposed the Methodists and the "doctrine of the New Birth". Whitefield wrote of his opponents, "I am fully convinced there is a fundamental difference between us and them. They believe only an outward Christ, we further believe that He must be inwardly formed in our hearts also." In February 1739, parish priests in Bath and Bristol refused to allow Whitefield to preach in their churches on

11514-574: Was dissolved only to be reformed as a much larger presbytery . The last stated clerk was Rev. James W. Knight . Primarily located in central and eastern Kentucky with one congregation in Pennsylvania, Cumberland Presbytery forms the traditional heart of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. This incarnation of the presbytery was formed in the Cumberland Presbyterian middle judicatory realignment of 1988. Cumberland Presbytery

11628-629: Was dramatic, and his preaching appealed to his audience's emotions. At times, he wept or impersonated Bible characters. By the time he left England for the colony of Georgia in December 1737, Whitefield had become a celebrity . John Wesley left for Georgia in October 1735 to become a missionary for the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge . Wesley made contact with members of the Moravian Church, led by August Gottlieb Spangenberg . Wesley

11742-841: Was followed in the summer of 1741 by itinerant minister James Davenport , who proved to be more controversial than either Tennent or Whitefield. His rants and attacks against "unconverted" ministers inspired much opposition, and he was arrested in Connecticut for violating a law against itinerant preaching. At his trial, he was found mentally ill and deported to Long Island. Soon after, he arrived in Boston and resumed his fanatical preaching, only to once again be declared insane and expelled. The last of Davenport's radical episodes took place in March 1743 in New London, when he ordered his followers to burn wigs, cloaks, rings, and other vanities. He also ordered

11856-477: Was impressed by their faith and piety, especially their belief that it was normal for a Christian to have assurance of faith. The failure of his mission and encounters with the Moravians led Wesley to question his own faith. He wrote in his journal, "I, who went to America to convert others, was never myself converted to God." Back in London, Wesley became friends with Moravian minister Peter Boehler and joined

11970-604: Was known as the Second Cumberland Presbyterian Church before assuming its current name in 1992. Relations between the two Cumberland Presbyterian groups have for the most part been very cordial, and many of the CPCA ministers have trained at Memphis Theological Seminary . A reunion attempt on the part of both denominations failed to win approval in the late 1980s. The African American church wanted equal representation on all boards and agencies, feeling that otherwise they would be swallowed up by

12084-564: Was modeled on the collegia pietatis ( cell groups ) used by pietists for Bible study , prayer, and accountability. All three men experienced a spiritual crisis in which they sought true conversion and assurance of faith . George Whitefield joined the Holy Club in 1733 and, under the influence of Charles Wesley, read German pietist August Hermann Francke 's Against the Fear of Man and Scottish theologian Henry Scougal 's The Life of God in

12198-554: Was one of the best organized and funded of all Cumberland Presbyterian judicatories . After the partial reunion of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America in 1906, it was the financial stability of Cumberland Presbytery that enabled the Cumberland Presbyterian Denomination to survive. In 1988, as part of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church middle judicatory realignment, this Cumberland Presbytery

12312-622: Was preaching to London crowds of 50,000. He left his followers in Bristol in the care of John Wesley. Whitefield's notoriety was increased through the use of newspaper advertisements to promote his revivals. Wesley was at first uneasy about preaching outdoors, as it was contrary to his high-church sense of decency. Eventually, however, Wesley changed his mind, claiming that "all the world [is] my parish". On April 2, 1739, Wesley preached to about 3,000 people near Bristol. From then on, he continued to preach wherever he could gather an assembly, taking

12426-469: Was primarily sustained by the efforts of parish ministers. Sometimes revival would be initiated by regular preaching or the customary pulpit exchanges between two ministers. Through their efforts, New England experienced a "great and general Awakening" between 1740 and 1743, characterized by a greater interest in religious experience, widespread emotional preaching, and intense emotional reactions accompanying conversion, including fainting and weeping. There

12540-473: Was strong. The most important leader of the Awakening in central Europe was Nicolaus Zinzendorf , a Saxon noble who studied under Pietist leader August Hermann Francke at Halle University . In 1722, Zinzendorf invited members of the Moravian Church to live and worship on his estates, establishing a community at Herrnhut . The Moravians came to Herrnhut as refugees, but under Zinzendorf's guidance,

12654-493: Was succeeded by Cumberland Synod . King Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church met only three times in 1843 and 1844 before being renamed Cumberland Presbytery by Green River Synod in 1844. Located primarily in South-Central and Eastern Kentucky , this Cumberland Presbytery was a member judicatory of Green River Synod from 1844 to 1888 and of Kentucky Synod from 1888 to 1988. This Cumberland Presbytery

12768-411: Was the product of Christian maturity and sanctification . Converts were encouraged to seek assurance through self-examination of their own spiritual progress. The treatise Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards was written to help converts examine themselves for the presence of genuine "religious affections" or spiritual desires, such as selfless love of God, certitude in the divine inspiration of

12882-491: Was the reformed Cumberland Presbytery organized on February 4, 1810. The presbytery was made up of members of the Presbyterian Church and others in the area left abandoned when Kentucky Synod PCUSA dissolved the original Cumberland Presbytery and expelled many of its ministers. The new independent presbytery struggled to be reunited with the larger Presbyterian Church. At the same time, it grew rapidly and divided into three smaller presbyteries in 1813. Cumberland Presbytery

12996-437: Was the stage that prepared someone to receive salvation, and this stage often lasted weeks or months. When under conviction, nonbelievers realized they were guilty of sin and under divine condemnation and subsequently faced feelings of sorrow and anguish. When revivalists preached, they emphasized God's moral law to highlight the holiness of God and to spark conviction in the unconverted. Jonathan Edwards' sermon " Sinners in

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