March 28 Today in OPC History

On March 28, 1905, Robert Graham, a constituting member of the First General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, was born. A graduate of Wheaton College and Westminster Theological Seminary, Mr. Graham was ordained to the gospel ministry in the PCUSA in 1932. Standing with J. Gresham Machen in the Presbyterian conflict, Mr. Graham was deposed by the New Castle Presbytery of the PCUSA in 1936. The PCUSA congregation that he was serving at the time, Forest Church in Middletown, Delaware, supported his stand and renounced the jurisdiction of the PCUSA to join the newly-formed church.

Mr. Graham served as pastor of Grace OPC, Middletown, Del. (1938–43); Grace OPC, Los Angeles (1943–49); Covenant OPC, Berkeley (1949–55); Calvary OPC, Middletown, Penn. (1956–61); Bayview OPC, Chula Vista (1961–70); Novato OPC, Novato (1971–73); Valley OPC, Santee (1975–78); South OPC, San Jose (1979–81); and was organizing pastor of Grace OPC, Battle Mountain, Nev. (1989).

Married for 53 years to Ruth Hall Graham, the Graham family grew to include four children: Elizabeth, Margaret, Virginia and Robert. Elizabeth, Margaret and Virginia married three men who served as OPC ministers: John Mitchell (divorced 1989), Donald Duff, and Charles Dennison. Mr. Graham joined the Church Triumphant February 27, 1993.

Picture: Robert Graham