R. C. Sproul, Jr.

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R. C. Sproul, Jr.
R. C. Sproul, Jr.

Robert Craig Sproul, better known as R.C. Sproul, Jr., is a Calvinist Christian minister and theologian and is the son of Robert Charles Sproul, a noted Reformed theologian and founder of Ligonier Ministries.

Sproul holds degrees from Grove City College and Reformed Theological Seminary and received his D.Min. from Whitefield Theological Seminary. He is a teaching elder of Saint Peter Presbyterian Church (SPPC) and is founder, chairman, and teacher of the Highlands Study Center (HSC), both in the Bristol, Virginia area. At HSC, Sproul teaches a Bible study for the community and classes for homeschooled students, guides HSC's resident students through their independent studies, and serves as executive editor of Every Thought Captive, a bimonthly magazine published by HSC. He has spoken at a number of conferences and is a vocal supporter of homeschooling, traditional family roles, and limited government.

Sproul was first ordained in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARP). After a failed attempt to transfer into the Presbyterian Church in America,[1] he was ordained in the Reformed Presbyterian Church General Assembly (RPCGA) in 2000. The Confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC) currently recognizes him as ordained in that denomination.

In January 2006, Sproul and the Session of SPPC were deposed from office by the RPCGA under charges including "abuse of authority in an inexcusable manner" against several families, illegal use of the ARP's tax identification number, planting a church without authority, and practicing paedocommunion.[2] The SPPC Session issued a letter of apology and asked to be released from general membership in the RPCGA,[3] and the denomination granted their request.[4] SPPC requested pastoral oversight from the CREC, in which the congregation is now a mission church.[5]

Sproul has authored several books, including When You Rise Up: A Covenantal Approach to Homeschooling, Bound for Glory, Biblical Economics, Almighty Over All, Eternity in Our Hearts, and Tearing Down Strongholds. He has edited nine books, including After Darkness Light: Distinctives of Reformed Theology, and contributed to several others. He wrote three articles for World magazine and three articles for Covenant Syndicate. For ten years he was the editor of Tabletalk, a publication of Ligonier Ministries, and is still a monthly contributor to the magazine.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Johnson, Jerry. "The Saga of R. C. Sproul, Jr.", Presbyterian & Reformed News, vol. 5, no. 5, September-October 2000. pp. 8-9.
  2. ^ "Declaratory Judgement", Westminster Presbytery, Reformed Presbyterian Church General Assembly, Office of the Moderator, Dr. Kenneth Gary Talbot. January 26, 2006 (in PDF)
  3. ^ Letter from the Session of St. Peter Presbyterian Church to the Westminster Presbytery (in PDF)
  4. ^ Letter to the deposed session of St. Peter Presbyterian Church from Westminster Presbytery, Reformed Presbyterian Church General Assembly, Office of the Moderator, Dr. Kenneth Gary Talbot. February 3, 2006 (in PDF)
  5. ^ "Public Statement from the CREC Pastoral Commission for Saint Peter Presbyterian Church, Bristol, TN"

[edit] External links

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