Thread: What are the denominations that practice exclusive psalmody?

After I get my PhD from my university in South Africa, I would like to seek a faculty position in America. It will be hard to find many cities that have an appropriate university program in my field AND a congregation that is EP. Of course, there are other things than EP that I will be looking for, but this is a place to start.

The denominations that I have on my list at this time are:

Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA)
Westminster Presbyterian Church in the United States (WPCUS)
Presbyterian Reformed Church (PRC)
Free Church of Scotland (FCS)
Free Church of Scotland (continuing) (FCSC)
Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland (FPCS)

I also understand that the San Francisco OPC church is EP, as is my home (ARP) church in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Have I missed any?

** I am sure that some information or links is outdated or incomplete (especially the last link) and could be supplemented, but the following is a list that I keep as a reference, which may be helpful.

There are a variety of individual EP congregations, within the PCA, OPC and other non-EP denominations, along with occasional Reformed Baptist congregations (Reformed Baptist Church of Topeka, KS; Emmanuel Church Salisbury; Crosslanes Chapel; Templepatrick Baptist Church).

http://www.puritanboard.com/f67/excl...pca-opc-27487/

American Presbyterian Church
Associated Presbyterian Churches
Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Australia
Free Church of Scotland
Free Church of Scotland (Continuing)
Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland
Free Reformed Churches of North America (?)
Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia
Presbyterian Reformed Church
Reformed Presbyterian Church of Australia
Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland
Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America
Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland
Reformed Presbytery of North America
Westminster Presbyterian Church in the United States

Links and Downloads Manager - General Links - Reformed Denominations Online - The PuritanBoard
http:///www.tateville.com/churches.html
Reformed & Presbyterian Churches & Denominations in North America
Psalm Singing Church of the World

Heritage Reformed Churches
Protestant Reformed Churches
Free Reformed Churches of North America

As for the WPCUS, I am not sure that it is around anymore? Isn't there only one congregation left (thus taking the P out)?

Originally Posted by nleshelman

Heritage Reformed Churches
Protestant Reformed Churches
Free Reformed Churches of North America

As for the WPCUS, I am not sure that it is around anymore? Isn't there only one congregation left (thus taking the P out)?

I know the first two are not EP. I attended one of the former and hymns were sung, and the PRCA sings a variety of non-Psalter songs too, such as the ten commandments, the Lord's Prayer, the songs of Mary, Zacharias, Simeon, morning and evening hymns, the "praise God from whom all blessings flow" doxology, etc.

Adam King or others may be able to provide an update on the status of the WPCUS.

Originally Posted by VirginiaHuguenot

Adam King or others may be able to provide an update on the status of the WPCUS.

As of the June presbytery meeting the WPCUS has two functioning congregations: Waupauca, WI (Rev. Schwertley) and Lynchburg, VA (Rev. DiLella) and one mission work meeting regularly for worship (Mays Landing, NJ). There are some families in NC, NJ and VT that would like to see mission works revived and temporarily remain under the oversight of the WPCUS but do not presently assemble to worship in WPCUS works.

Whatever your opinion may be/have been about the WPCUS please pray for these dear brothers who often times feel like sheep without a shepherd and no where to go because they desire to faithfully adhere to the standards of our covenanted reformation.

Originally Posted by ADKing

Originally Posted by VirginiaHuguenot

Adam King or others may be able to provide an update on the status of the WPCUS.

As of the June presbytery meeting the WPCUS has two functioning congregations: Waupauca, WI (Rev. Schwertley) and Lynchburg, VA (Rev. DiLella) and one mission work meeting regularly for worship (Mays Landing, NJ). There are some families in NC, NJ and VT that would like to see mission works revived and temporarily remain under the oversight of the WPCUS but do not presently assemble to worship in WPCUS works.

I sure appreciate the update. I did not realize Fred DiLella was in the WPCUS. It's been a long time since I've seen him.

Whatever your opinion may be/have been about the WPCUS please pray for these dear brothers who often times feel like sheep without a shepherd and no where to go because they desire to faithfully adhere to the standards of our covenanted reformation.

Originally Posted by VirginiaHuguenot

Originally Posted by ADKing

Originally Posted by VirginiaHuguenot

Adam King or others may be able to provide an update on the status of the WPCUS.

As of the June presbytery meeting the WPCUS has two functioning congregations: Waupauca, WI (Rev. Schwertley) and Lynchburg, VA (Rev. DiLella) and one mission work meeting regularly for worship (Mays Landing, NJ). There are some families in NC, NJ and VT that would like to see mission works revived and temporarily remain under the oversight of the WPCUS but do not presently assemble to worship in WPCUS works.

I sure appreciate the update. I did not realize Fred DiLella was in the WPCUS. It's been a long time since I've seen him.

Whatever your opinion may be/have been about the WPCUS please pray for these dear brothers who often times feel like sheep without a shepherd and no where to go because they desire to faithfully adhere to the standards of our covenanted reformation.

Thank you all. This is useful information.

I believe there may be a few (probably no more than three or four) ARP congregations in Canada that were formerly Covenanter churches and still practice exclusive psalmody, but I am not certain.

Originally Posted by VirginiaHuguenot

Originally Posted by nleshelman

Heritage Reformed Churches
Protestant Reformed Churches
Free Reformed Churches of North America

I know the first two are not EP. I attended one of the former and hymns were sung, and the PRCA sings a variety of non-Psalter songs too, such as the ten commandments, the Lord's Prayer, the songs of Mary, Zacharias, Simeon, morning and evening hymns, the "praise God from whom all blessings flow" doxology, etc.

Article 69 of the Dutch Reformed book of Church Order does indeed provide for the use of the Biblical Canticles you mentioned in addition to the 150 Psalms of David. In practice I wonder how often anything besides the Psalms are used in the Netherlands Reformed Congregations, the Heritage Reformed Congregations, the Free Reformed Church and the Protestant Reformed Church? Bishop Ken's doxology probably has gained some acceptance; beyond that, I doubt if you would hear anything besides the Psalms sung with any frequency.

Originally Posted by yeutter

Originally Posted by VirginiaHuguenot

Originally Posted by nleshelman

Heritage Reformed Churches
Protestant Reformed Churches
Free Reformed Churches of North America

I know the first two are not EP. I attended one of the former and hymns were sung, and the PRCA sings a variety of non-Psalter songs too, such as the ten commandments, the Lord's Prayer, the songs of Mary, Zacharias, Simeon, morning and evening hymns, the "praise God from whom all blessings flow" doxology, etc.

Article 69 of the Dutch Reformed book of Church Order does indeed provide for the use of the Biblical Canticles you mentioned in addition to the 150 Psalms of David. In practice I wonder how often anything besides the Psalms are used in the Netherlands Reformed Congregations, the Heritage Reformed Congregations, the Free Reformed Church and the Protestant Reformed Church? Bishop Ken's doxology probably has gained some acceptance; beyond that, I doubt if you would hear anything besides the Psalms sung with any frequency.

When I was at Joel Beeke's church last year for a morning worship service, there were two hymns sung as I recall from which I abstained.

The PRCA will usually and regularly (every worship service) sing the doxology "Praise God from whom all blessings flow", as the first song after the call to worship and silent prayer. Outside of that, the hymns allowed by article 69 of the Church Order of Dordt are rarely used. Most of them are never used. One in particular, the Song of Simeon, makes me cringe every time I hear it (which is not often, thankfully):

Lord, in thy temple we appear,
As happy Simeon came,
And hope to meet our Savior here,
Oh! make our joys the same!

With what divine and vast delight
The good old man was filled,
When fondly in his withered arms
He clasped the holy child.

"Now I can leave this world," he cried,
"Behold, thy servant dies!
I've seen thy great salvation, Lord,
And close my peaceful eyes.

"This is the light prepared to shine
Upon the Gentile lands;
Thine Israel's glory and their hope,
To break their slavish bands."

Jesus! the vision of thy face
Hath overpowering charms!
Scarce shall I feel death's cold embrace,
If Christ be in my arms.

When flesh shall fail, and heart-strings break,
Sweet will the minutes roll;
A mortal paleness on my cheek,
But glory in my soul

As if he had one foot in the grave, already....

The only ones song in our congregation have been, besides that one (remember it sung in our church once), are the Song of Mary and the Song of Zacharias

I now have it on good authority that there is probably only one Canadian church in the ARP that still practices EP: Covenant Reformed Presbyterian in Halifax, NS.

Are there any US EP ARP's?

(trying to see how many acronyms I can fit in a sentence)

Originally Posted by Backwoods Presbyterian

Are there any US EP ARP's?

(trying to see how many acronyms I can fit in a sentence)

There are probably a very few, but most are probably older, smaller churches. For instance, there were a couple of churches (Generostee, near Anderson, SC; Bethlehem, near Augusta, GA) that I preached at while a seminary student that used the ARP's Bible Songs book. They are both small and cannot afford a pastor. But even Bethlehem would use hymns (Christmas hymns) during the month of December.

Originally Posted by Marrow Man

I now have it on good authority that there is probably only one Canadian church in the ARP that still practices EP: Covenant Reformed Presbyterian in Halifax, NS.

Yes, that is my home church. I am a member there.

Originally Posted by Marrow Man

I now have it on good authority that there is probably only one Canadian church in the ARP that still practices EP: Covenant Reformed Presbyterian in Halifax, NS.

correct. All canadian ARP's are newish (under 20 yo) & are church plants that come out of the PCC mostly, with a few Dutchmen in Ont.

Geographicly the maritime churches, i.e. New Brunswick & Nova Scotia (5 total) are in "covenanter territory" (esp Moncton & Halifax) but all of the Covenanting congregations were absorbed into the various unions that became the PCC & the United Church of Canada.

No direct historical link, but a lot of Covanenter DNA here.

This book is a great history of the covenanting movement here. Chignecto Covenanters, The

A bit on the expensive side, but very well writen. I just read it a few months ago & loved it

Originally Posted by Tim

Yes, that is my home church. I am a member there.

Well, I guess that's what I get for not reading your signature, Tim...