What to expect at a ARP church

The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church is a small, conservative Presbyterian denomination with unusually deep roots in the Carolinas. It traces to Scottish Seceder Presbyterians who left the Church of Scotland in the eighteenth century, and formed in America in 1782. Its General Synod, its seminary, and Erskine College are all in South Carolina, and the ARP's congregations are concentrated in the two Carolinas to a degree no other Presbyterian body matches. If you have seen an ARP church, you have very likely seen it here.

• A structured service following a printed order, usually 60 to 75 minutes.
• Psalms and traditional hymns, historically sung a cappella or with a single instrument — most congregations now use piano or organ, and some a small band.
• An expository sermon of 30 to 40 minutes working through a book of the Bible.
• Corporate confession of sin, an assurance of pardon, and often a recited creed or catechism question.

Read the full ARP guide — beliefs, worship, and common questions →