Use of Lord's Supper at Presbytery/Synod/General Assembly

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Backwoods Presbyterian

Puritanboard Amanuensis
This is a history question that I was curious about.

Does the PB brethren and sisterthren have an idea about when Presbyteries, Synods, and General Assemblies began regularly having the Lord's Supper at their meetings? I can find very little example of this practice until the 20th Century at the earliest.

Thanks.
 
Benjamin, I'm sorry not to have any helpful answer, but I have been trying to figure out where the word "sisterthren" comes from.

"Sistern" was used in conjunction with "brethren" in the Middle Ages up through maybe the early 18th century. I had never heard of "sisterthren" until this thread, but, after a search, I see that it is used at least occasionally.
 
Do you know there was a time in history where this wasn't the practice? If a presbytery is a regional church, and the sacrament has been called for by a court of the church, then it is entirely appropriate. ~signed, your little sisterthren :)
 
Thanks, Ben, for a great question.

I've been overdue for some new page to post at The Continuing Story, and pursued your question to this end:

On the Celebration of the Supper by the Courts | - The Continuing Story -

The short version is that it looks like it was a New School practice later incorporated by the reunited PCUSA, and only picked up by the Southern Presbyterians in 1912. The Southerns may have been the first to move it to the opening of the Assembly.

. . . (and with that, I'll bet Andrew will soon be writing up an overture to correct the matter)

More research could be done to see if the practice first came out of some Presbytery or Synod, and then was picked up at the Assembly level. If it was a New School practice, as I think the evidence shows, then you only have four Synod Minutes to research. Regrettably, those Minutes are not available to me here. It might even go back into Congregationalism, but that's a search for another day.
 
Thanks, Ben, for a great question.

I've been overdue for some new page to post at The Continuing Story, and pursued your question to this end:

On the Celebration of the Supper by the Courts | - The Continuing Story -

The short version is that it looks like it was a New School practice later incorporated by the reunited PCUSA, and only picked up by the Southern Presbyterians in 1912. The Southerns may have been the first to move it to the opening of the Assembly.

. . . (and with that, I'll bet Andrew will soon be writing up an overture to correct the matter)

More research could be done to see if the practice first came out of some Presbytery or Synod, and then was picked up at the Assembly level. If it was a New School practice, as I think the evidence shows, then you only have four Synod Minutes to research. Regrettably, those Minutes are not available to me here. It might even go back into Congregationalism, but that's a search for another day.

Thanks Wayne!

From what I have been able to find it was a 1930's addition in the ARP (likely from our many attempts to join the PCUS) and is still not practiced in the RPCNA.
 
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