Historian of the OPC

The Historian of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, elected to office by the General Assembly, oversees the denomination's efforts to preserve her history through the collection and organization of historical documents and records. He is responsible for the organization of the denomination's archives, the production of materials that promote a greater understanding of Orthodox Presbyterian history, and the organization of conferences to observe the denomination's anniversaries. The Committee for the Historian, also elected by the General Assembly, provides assistance and oversight to the Historian in carrying out his responsibilities.

Today in Church History

Read about important events that happened on this day in church history.

Historian Interviews

The Committee for the Historian is pleased to announce the appearance on OPC.ORG of portions from transcribed interviews with Orthodox Presbyterians from the Orthodox Presbyterian Church archives. Historians Charles Dennison and John Muether conducted the interviews, which span over a twenty-five year period. It is the Committee for the Historian's intention that the interviews not only educate concerning the history and life of the OPC, but also provide a glimpse regarding the wonderful Christ-centered servants that the Lord has blessed the OPC with since its earliest days. Please click on the following links to access the growing list of published interviews.

• Interview with Rev. George Haney by Charles Dennison
• Interview with Mrs. Egbert (Betty) Andrews by Charles Dennison

Publications of the OPC Historian

			D.G. Hart, Between the Times, $10 Hart's Between the Times explores the history of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church between its founding and contemporary periods. It attempts to examine in greater detail than any existing account the representative events, decisions, and efforts of the OPC from the rise of neo-evangelicalism during the 1940s down to the debates over and repercussions from Joining and Receiving in the 1980s. The book is not comprehensive in the sense that it encyclopedically covers the OPC during these years. But a sense of the OPC's development, mission, and character does clearly emerge from the activities, debates, and planning that absorbed the attention of commissioners to the Assembly and that writers for the Presbyterian Guardian and New Horizons communicated to those magazine's readers.
			John Muether and Danny Olinger,eds., Confident of Better Things, $12 Table of Contents John Muether and Danny Olinger's Confident of Better Things is an offering of thanksgiving to God for the Orthodox Presbyterian Church on her seventy-fifth anniversary. In the spirit of its predecessor, Pressing Toward the Mark (1986), this anthology collects diverse voices in the church as it seeks to assess the convictions and struggles of this small manifestation of the visible church. Contributors include Mark T. Bube, Gary W. Davenport, William D. Dennison, Bryan D. Estelle, J. V. Fesko, Richard B. Gaffin, Jr., Mark A. Garcia, James S. Gidley, W. Robert Godfrey, John R. Muether, Richard A. Muller, Robert B. Needham, Stephen J. Oharek, Danny E. Olinger, Thomas R. Patete, Ronald E. Pearce, Gregory E. Reynolds, Jack W. Sawyer, Roger W. Schmurr, John S. Shaw, Alan D. Strange, Robert B. Strimple, Lane G. Tipton, Stephen J. Tracey, A. Craig Troxel and Thomas E. Tyson.
			Ministerial Register of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, 1936-2011, $10 Updated by Linda Porter Foh, the fourth edition of this popular reference tool contains biographical sketches of all the ministers who have served the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, past and present, up to December, 2010.
			Edward J. Young, The God-Breathed Scripture, $5
			Robert K. Churchill, Lest We Forget: A Personal Reflection on the Formation of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, $2
			Edwin H. Rian, The Presbyterian Conflict, $5
			D. G. Hart and John Muether, Fighting the Good Fight: A Brief History of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, $5
			Bruce F. Hunt, For a Testimony: The Story of Bruce F. Hunt Imprisoned for the Gospel of Christ, $5
			Danny E. Olinger and David K. Thompson, eds., History for a Pilgrim People: The Historical Writings of Charles G. Dennison, $5
			Ned B. Stonehouse, J. Gresham Machen: A Biographical Memoir, $10
			OPC: A Video History (DVD), $15
			Minutes of the General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, 1936-2004 (PDF, two CDs), $15

Note: All publications of the historian can be ordered from bookorders@opc.org. Prices do not include postage and handling.

Historical Articles

• Gordon H. Clark, The Auburn Heresy (published in tract form by the Committee on Christian Education in the early days of the OPC)
• John P. Galbraith, Choose Ye This Day! An Analysis of the Reasons Why Christians Should Separate from the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (reprinted from The Presbyterian Guardian, November, 1938)
• John P. Galbraith, Why the Orthodox Presbyterian Church? (published in booklet form by the Committee on Christian Education in 1939)
• Robert S. Marsden, Twentieth-anniversary Address, May 23, 1956
• John Murray, The Sovereignty of God (published as a long tract by the Committee on Christian Education in the early days of the OPC)
• R. B. Kuiper, What's Right with the Orthodox Presbyterian Church? (reprinted from The Presbyterian Guardian in the 1940s)

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