Today we continue our examination of American Presbyterianism, focusing on the critical period from 1923 to 1936 that led to the formation of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. This era was marked by escalating theological conflict, institutional battles, and ultimately the painful but necessary separation of those committed to biblical orthodoxy from the Presbyterian Church in the USA.

The Auburn Affirmation and Its Aftermath (1923-1925)

Background: The Five Fundamentals

Following the 1923 General Assembly’s declaration that ordination candidates must affirm five fundamentals—inerrancy of Scripture, the virgin birth, substitutionary atonement, bodily resurrection, and Christ’s miracles—liberal opposition quickly organized. In December 1923, theological liberals met in Auburn, New York, to draft what became known as the Auburn Affirmation.

The Two-Pronged Attack

The Auburn Affirmation made two distinct arguments. First, it challenged the General Assembly’s authority to impose these requirements without presbyterial consent—a constitutional point with which even conservatives agreed. However, the document went beyond procedural objections to attack the fundamentals themselves, dismissing them as mere “theories about the Bible” rather than biblical truths.

Consider their statement on inerrancy: they claimed that belief in biblical inerrancy “impairs [Scripture’s] supreme authority of faith and life, and weakens the testimony of the church to the power of God unto salvation through Jesus Christ.” This wasn’t simply a disagreement about authority—it was a direct assault on the nature of Scripture itself.

Within a year, nearly 1,300 ministers had signed the Auburn Affirmation, representing about 10% of the denomination’s clergy. The theological battle lines were now clearly drawn.

Machen’s Response

J. Gresham Machen quickly responded with characteristic clarity, writing to the New York Times that many signers “agree with Dr. Fosdick in being opposed not only to the creed of the Presbyterian Church, but to everything that is really distinctive of historical Christianity. The plain fact is that two mutually exclusive religions are being proclaimed in the pulpits of the Presbyterian Church.”

This statement encapsulated Machen’s central thesis from Christianity and Liberalism: these were not mere differences of emphasis but fundamentally different religions operating under the same denominational roof.

The Moderate Response and Its Consequences (1925)

Charles Erdman’s Leadership

At the 1925 General Assembly, Charles Erdman was elected moderator. Though conservative in many respects and a contributor to The Fundamentals, Erdman represented the moderate position that prioritized unity over doctrinal purity. When Henry Sloan Coffin of Union Seminary threatened that liberals would leave if disciplinary action was taken, Erdman viewed this as the worst possible outcome.

Rather than addressing the clear violations of Presbyterian doctrine, Erdman steered the assembly toward establishing a commission to study “the present spiritual condition of our church and the causes making for unrest.” This commission, composed primarily of theological moderates, would spend a year investigating why there was discord in the denomination.

The Commission’s Report: Blame the Conservatives

The commission’s 1926 report proved devastating to the conservative cause. It identified five causes for denominational discord: intellectual movements, historical ecclesiastical differences, varying approaches to polity, theological developments, and misunderstanding. Notably absent from this list was any mention of liberalism or modernism.

The report went further, declaring that “it had discovered no radically liberal group in the church” and blaming the “misjudgments and unfair and untrue statements of conservatives” for causing conflict. The Auburn Affirmationists, who had explicitly denied fundamental Christian doctrines, were apparently not the problem—those who opposed them were.

The Battle for Princeton Seminary (1925-1929)

Machen Under Attack

Simultaneously, Machen faced personal attack at Princeton Seminary. When the board appointed him chairman of the Department of Apologetics and Christian Ethics, two charges were raised against him at the General Assembly.

First, Machen had voted against his presbytery’s resolution supporting Prohibition enforcement. His opposition wasn’t necessarily to Prohibition itself but to the presbytery’s inappropriate interference in civil affairs, violating the Westminster Confession’s restriction on ecclesiastical courts meddling in civil matters except in extraordinary circumstances.

Second, and more significantly, colleagues Charles Erdman and J. Ross Stevenson accused Machen of being “temperamentally defective, bitter and harsh in his judgment of others, and implacable to those who did not agree with him.”

Character Assassination

This character assassination reveals the heart of the moderate position. They weren’t opposed to conservative theology per se—they were opposed to anyone who would insist that contrary positions were wrong. Norman Pittenger, a liberal Anglican minister who knew Machen personally, later wrote: “I got to know Machen personally. He was kind to me, polite and cooperative. I thought him a charming, vigorous, traditional, but kindly man.”

Pittenger could only recall one “biting comment” from Machen: that liberal Protestants focused on ethics because “they had nothing much else to believe in.” Even this observation, while pointed, was hardly evidence of the character defects his colleagues alleged.

The Seminary Reorganization

The General Assembly appointed another commission to study the Princeton conflict. Their solution was purely administrative: combine the seminary’s two boards into one. This reorganization, implemented in 1929 despite legal challenges from Machen, placed two Auburn Affirmation signers on the board—men who denied biblical inerrancy now had authority over theological education.

For Machen, this was the final straw. He could not continue at an institution where those who denied fundamental Christian doctrines held governing authority.

Westminster Theological Seminary (1929)

A New Beginning

In summer 1929, Machen and several colleagues traveled to Philadelphia to establish Westminster Theological Seminary. Their goal was explicit: to continue the old Princeton theology of Charles Hodge and Benjamin Warfield, maintaining “the same principles that old Princeton maintained, that the Christian religion set forth in the confession of faith of the Presbyterian Church is true.”

The Cost of Conviction

Machen’s decision reveals remarkable character. As an independently wealthy bachelor who enjoyed European travel, mountain climbing, and football games, he could have lived comfortably as a Greek professor at Princeton. Instead, he chose the uncertain path of starting a new institution during the onset of the Great Depression, ultimately shortening his life in service to biblical truth.

The Faculty

Several distinguished scholars joined Machen, including Robert Dick Wilson, whose story deserves special attention. At age 73, Wilson left his secure position at Princeton, abandoning his pension to stand with Machen. This Old Testament scholar had mastered 45 languages to defend the Hebrew Scriptures against higher criticism. After teaching one year at Westminster, he died at 74—a man who sacrificed everything for the cause of biblical fidelity.

The Missions Crisis (1930-1935)

“Rethinking Missions”

In 1932, the Rockefeller-funded report “Rethinking Missions” called for Protestant missions to abandon Christianity’s exclusive claims and work cooperatively with other religions. The report’s goal was “promoting world understanding on a spiritual level” rather than Christian conversion.

Pearl Buck, a PCUSA missionary to China who would later win the Nobel Prize in Literature, enthusiastically endorsed the report. She declared herself “weary unto death with this incessant preaching” and advocated spreading Christianity “by mode of life than preaching.” Buck also stated: “I do not believe in original sin. I agree with the Chinese who feel their people should be protected from such superstition.”

Machen’s Response

Machen sent an overture to the 1933 General Assembly requesting that only Bible-believing missionaries be appointed and that the board be instructed to ensure missionary orthodoxy. The assembly voted down Machen’s overture and gave Robert Speer, the missions secretary, a standing ovation—clearly indicating their support for the status quo.

The Independent Board

When the denomination refused to address the missions crisis, Machen announced formation of the Independent Board for Presbyterian Foreign Missions in summer 1933. This board, starting with 15 ministers, five ruling elders, and five women, would send missionaries committed to biblical Christianity and gospel proclamation.

The denomination’s response was swift and harsh. The 1934 General Assembly compared not supporting denominational boards to refusing communion—effectively treating doctrinal conviction as ecclesiastical rebellion.

Trial and Suspension (1934-1936)

The Charges

In December 1934, Machen was charged with multiple violations of his ordination vows, including “violation of his ordination vows,” “disapproving of the government and discipline of the church,” “advocating rebellious defiance,” and “contempt and rebellion against his superiors.”

The trial, conducted in February and March 1935, was widely regarded as unfair. The moderator was himself an Auburn Affirmation signer, virtually guaranteeing bias against Machen. On March 29, 1935, Machen was suspended from ministry in the PCUSA.

Appeals and Final Break

Machen appealed to the 1936 General Assembly, which upheld his suspension. The denomination had made clear that there was no place for those who insisted on biblical orthodoxy and confessional fidelity.

The Birth of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (1936)

June 11, 1936

On June 11, 1936, the Constitutional Covenant Union—formed the previous year to defend Presbyterian constitutional principles—transformed into the first General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of America (later renamed the Orthodox Presbyterian Church to avoid confusion with the PCUSA).

Machen reflected on this moment: “What a joyous moment it was how the long years of struggle seemed to sink into nothingness compared with the peace and joy that filled our hearts. We became members at last of a true Presbyterian church.”

The New Denomination

The initial assembly included 34 ministers and 17 ruling elders, with an average ministerial age of just 34. Within months, membership grew to 75 ministers organized into nine presbyteries. These were largely young men willing to sacrifice security and career prospects for doctrinal integrity.

Conclusion

The formation of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church represents both tragedy and triumph. Tragedy, because denominational division is always painful and contrary to Christ’s prayer for unity. Triumph, because when institutional churches abandon biblical truth, faithful believers must choose Scripture over human authority.

Machen and his colleagues faced a choice between comfortable compromise and costly conviction. They chose to stand with the Word of God, establishing a church committed to the Westminster Confession’s declaration that Scripture is “the only infallible rule of faith and practice.”

Their legacy reminds us that defending biblical truth often requires sacrifice, but the alternative—remaining silent while error advances—ultimately serves neither Christ nor His church. The Orthodox Presbyterian Church emerged from this crucible refined and committed to the principle that Christianity without biblical authority is not Christianity at all.