Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (Covenanters) (1833 - Present) - Religious Group
Religious Family: Presbyterian/ReformedReligious Tradition: Evangelical Protestant
Description: The Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America traces its history to the 1643 Solemn League and Covenant, a document issued by a group (the Covenanters) which separated from the Church of Scotland. The Church remains as the only Covenanter branch that has not merged into one of the other Presbyterian churches. In 1833, Reformed Presbyterians split over the issue of participation in government, such as whether members could vote or hold office. The "New Lights," who allowed such participation, formed the Reformed Presbyterian Church, General Synod, while those who did not allow such participation continued as this group. The Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America is a member of the International Conference of Reformed Churches.
Official Site: https://reformedpresbyterian.org/
Interactive Timeline: Presbyterian/Reformed Family Interactive Timeline
Connections: Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (Covenanters)
| Group (Active) | Group (Defunct) | Other |
Maps: Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (Covenanters)1
Adherence Rate per 1,000 (2020)
Congregations (2020)
Top 5 Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (Covenanters) States (2020)1 [View all States]
| Rank | State | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas | 11 | 742 | 0.25 |
| 2 | Indiana | 11 | 1,423 | 0.21 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | 17 | 1,649 | 0.13 |
| 4 | Colorado | 4 | 476 | 0.08 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | 1 | 71 | 0.06 |
Top 5 Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (Covenanters) Counties (2020)1 [View all Counties]
| Rank | County | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clark County, KS | 1 | 24 | 12.05 |
| 2 | Rice County, KS | 1 | 109 | 11.56 |
| 3 | Gove County, KS | 1 | 28 | 10.30 |
| 4 | Louisa County, IA | 1 | 72 | 6.64 |
| 5 | Clay County, KS | 1 | 46 | 5.67 |
Top 5 Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (Covenanters) Metro Areas (2020)1 [View all Metro Areas]
| Rank | Metro | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbus, IN Metro Area | 1 | 137 | 1.67 |
| 2 | Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN Metro Area | 2 | 315 | 1.41 |
| 3 | Bellefontaine, OH Micro Area | 1 | 64 | 1.39 |
| 4 | Bloomington, IN Metro Area | 1 | 193 | 1.20 |
| 5 | Stillwater, OK Micro Area | 1 | 82 | 1.00 |
Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (Covenanters), Members (1940 - 2010)2
Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (Covenanters), Ministers & Churches (1940 - 2010)2
Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (Covenanters), Trends (1940 - 2010)2
| YEAR | MEMBERS | MINISTERS | CHURCHES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | 6,315 | 86 | |
| 1942 | 6,065 | 84 | |
| 1944 | 6,617 | 80 | |
| 1947 | 5,585 | 74 | |
| 1950 | 5,339 | 75 | |
| 1951 | 5,280 | 426 | 75 |
| 1952 | 5,174 | 96 | 75 |
| 1953 | 6,475 | 94 | 75 |
| 1954 | 6,442 | 416 | 74 |
| 1956 | 6,382 | 103 | 73 |
| 1957 | 6,382 | 105 | 75 |
| 1958 | 6,348 | 103 | 73 |
| 1959 | 6,214 | 102 | 72 |
| 1961 | 6,060 | 100 | 76 |
| 1963 | 5,881 | 98 | 67 |
| 1964 | 5,808 | 98 | 68 |
| 1966 | 6,185 | 98 | 73 |
| 1970 | 5,704 | 100 | 69 |
| 1972 | 5,560 | 97 | 68 |
| 1973 | 5,445 | 103 | 69 |
| 1974 | 5,445 | 103 | 69 |
| 1977 | 4,878 | 86 | 68 |
| 1981 | 4,836 | 95 | 67 |
| 1984 | 5,251 | 103 | 71 |
| 1985 | 5,146 | 123 | 71 |
| 1986 | 5,111 | 121 | 71 |
| 1987 | 5,114 | 123 | 70 |
| 1988 | 5,174 | 127 | 68 |
| 1993 | 5,657 | 131 | 70 |
| 1997 | 6,105 | 137 | 86 |
| 2003 | 6,259 | 148 | 83 |
| 2004 | 6,347 | 147 | 80 |
| 2009 | 6,641 | 151 | 81 |
| 2010 | 6,799 | 152 | |
Sources
1 The 2020 data were collected by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB) and include data for 372 religious bodies or groups. Of these, the ASARB was able to gather data on congregations and adherents for 217 and on congregations only for 155. [More information on the data sources]
2 All data on clergy, members, and churches are taken from the National Council of Churches’ Historic Archive CD and recent print editions of the Council’s Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches. The CD archives all 68 editions of the Yearbook (formerly called Yearbook of the Churches and Yearbook of American Churches) from 1916 to 2000. Read more information on the Historic Archive CD and the Yearbook.
Membership figures are "inclusive." According to the Yearbook, this includes "those who are full communicant or confirmed members plus other members baptized, non-confirmed or non-communicant." Each denomination has its own criteria for membership.
When a denomination listed on the Historic Archive CD was difficult to identify, particularly in early editions of the Yearbook, the ARDA staff consulted numerous sources, including Melton’s Encyclopedia of American Religions and the Handbook of Denominations in the United States. In some cases, ARDA staff consulted the denomination’s website or contacted its offices by phone. When a denomination could not be positively identified, its data were omitted.
