Welcome to Ulster Worldly, a blog about the history of Presbyterianism. Many of these stories come from my own family, many others come from my own denomination.

Tim Hopper
Raleigh, NC


The Big Tent of the PCA

Excerpt from the report from the outgoing moderator at the 7th General Assembly of the PCA.   Read More

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Carl Henry’s Fear of Anti-Ecumenicism

In 1957 Christianity Today editor Dr. J. Marcellus Kik sent R. J. Rushdoony, then known primarily as a promising young critic of modernism and secular education, a letter announcing the launch of a new venture. At the time, Rushdoony had not yet abandoned the mainline Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) for J. Gresham Machen’s separatist Orthodox Presbyterian Church. If Rushdoony had done so, Kik would likely have never reached out to him because, as [Carl] Henry later recalled of his editorial strategy, "We solicited articles from evangelicals in mainline denominations, not because we were precommihted to ecumenism but because writers in the independent church might give the magazine an anti-ecumenical cast that would hinder our outreach."

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Ditty to Dot

A song for Dot Hopper upon on retirement from 38 years on the mission field.

A song for Dot Hopper upon on retirement from 38 years on the mission field.   Read More

Posted on by Tim Hopper