Chart of the RCUS Synod Prepared for Trinity Covenant Church, RCUS Colorado Springs, CO
1792-93	Independence from Holland and the Constitution for a Synod for the RCUS. Reasons: Communication with Holland was very difficult and long, because of the Revolutionary War and the hostility that continued for a generation. It often took months to get permission for a licensure or a ordination. The Reformed Church was becoming stronger and able to stand alone.
Early Difficulties	Conflict over language. The first English sermons were preached by a Rev. Casper Wack in western New Jersey, but Philadelphia the controversy became acute, even leading to a division in the congregation. Members asked Synod to call a halt to English preaching. Synod usually did not act on the matter and gradually the congregations became English speaking. Usually, the churches waited too long, and caused young people to seek other denominations. Scarcity of ministers. They could no longer depend upon Holland. For a time private instruction by older ministers helped supply the lack, and one minister alone is said to have prepared as many as 27 young men for the ministry. In 1820 it was decided to raise money, appoint a Dr. Milledoler as professor and open a seminary at Frederick, MD. But after consideration, Dr. Milledoler declined, the money was not collected, and a reaction against spending so much money for a seminary. Some thought it an extravagance, some fear the tyranny of a seminary, and others thought it was too far from the center of the denomination. As a result of this controversy some ministers and churches left the denomination and formed a free synod which lasted for some fifteen years, which at one time had 51 ministers and more than 100 congregations. In 1837 it returned to the denomination. Finally in 1825 the church opened the new seminary at Carlisle, PA, where it prospered. It was moved to York, and then to Mercersberg, where it remained until 1871.
Missions and Ecumenicity	Missions: The church spread into the Ohio valley, and prospered. A separate synod was organized and another seminary. Foreign missions were to come later. Ecumenicity: Church union between the Reformed and the Lutheran was taking place in Europe and began to be talked of in America, but did not take place. Fraternal relations were established with the Presbyterian Church and the Dutch Reformed Church. 1840: These were the “halcyon days of the Reformed Church.” She was united, progressive, and growing. Controversy had been minor and left to permanent marks. Institutions were becoming permanently established. The future looked good.
Progress and Controversy	1840: The Election of J. W. Nevin from the Presbyterian Church to be professor of theology at Mercersburg. With the death of Dr. Rauch in 1841, a successor had to be obtained. They looked to the famed F. W. Krummacher. He declined and later became the court preacher for the court of Prussia, but recommended Phillip Schaff, who was then professor at the University of Berlin. The influence of Nevin and Schaff on the RCUS has been enormous. Controversy. A major controversy during these years was over the liturgy of the church. Every church has a liturgy of some sort, but great controversy can arise over the order, the form, the prayers, music, etc, that is used. The church was conflicted for many years over this issue, which was between those who held to a more Lutheran view, which emphasized the liturgy as a means of grace, and the more traditional Reformed view, which emphasized praise, thanksgiving, and freedom. The appointing of a commission on compromise resulted a new Order of Worship being adopted in 1887, a new hymnbook in 1889. J. I. Good: In 1863 the Church observed the 300th anniversary of the publication of the Heidelberg Catechism in 1563 and a large conference was held in Philadelphia, January 17th, 1863. The various classes and congregations held tercentenary services during that year. Free-will offerings were made which in the Eastern Synod alone amounted to $108,000. In 1863 the various Synods and Classes united to form the General Synod of our Church. In 1893 the Church observed the Centennial of the organization of its synod independent of the Reformed Church of Holland. Thus, in spite of controversy, the Church kept on increasing. There is no doubt that she lost much by it and would have grown faster had there been no controversy. Yet in the nineteenth century she had grown to fifty times as many ministers and fifteen times as many members as at its beginning. And if the liberty that has been granted by the peace compact be continued, the Church will continue to grow even faster in the new century. In 1901 she had eight Synods, 57 Classes, 1,074 ministers, 1,653 congregations, 242,831 members, 195,033 communicants, 1,466 Sunday-schools, 182,134 Sunday-school scholars, 223 students for the ministry; she had raised yearly $244,430 for benevolent purposes, and $1,181,350 for congregational purposes…. ------------- Dr. Good was so optimistic that he could write at the turn of the century the following: “If our Church has revealed such progress in the nineteenth century, what will be her progress in the twentieth? At the present rate of increase, which may be even increased during the splendid twentieth century upon which we have just entered, she should have, a century hence, about 25,000 ministers, 16,000 congregations, and more than 2,000,000 communicants. May our prayer be continually for her prosperity. Her prosperity will depend on you, her members.” What happened was the devastation of liberalism with the influence of Nevin and Schaff. We will consider that in the next lesson.