PCA HISTORICAL CENTER
Archives and Manuscript Repository for the Continuing Presbyterian Church

Manuscript Collections :
Synthetic Collections :

SUCCESSION OF MODERATORS OF
THE REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH,
GENERAL SYNOD and EVANGELICAL SYNOD

(together with the date and place of meeting for each Synod)

Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America, General Synod [RPCNA,GS: 1833 - 1965]
Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod [RPC,ES: 1965 - 1982]

Synod No.
Place and Date of Meeting
Moderator Elected
Paxtang, PA, 10 March 1774
John Cuthbertson
Octorara, PA, 1 May 1775
Matthew Linn
Rock Creek, PA, 26 August 1776
Alexander Dobbin
Lower Chanceford, PA18 August 1777
John Cuthbertson
Octorara, PA, 28 October 1778
John Cuthbertson
Pequea, PA, 9 June 1779
John Cuthbertson
Junkin Tent, PA12 August 1780
John Cuthbertson
Donegal, PA, 1 December 1781
Matthew Linn
Pequea, PA, 13 June 1782
John Cuthbertson
Philadelphia, PA, 18 May 1798
James McKinney
New York, NY — 19 February 1799
James McKinney
Ryegate, VT — 24 June 1800
William Gibson
Rocky Creek, SC — 28 January 1801
Samuel B. Wylie, DD
New York, NY — 16 June 1802
William Gibson
Conococheague, PA — 4 October 1803
Samuel B. Wylie, DD
Conococheague, PA — 18 September 1804
Thomas Donnelly
New York, NY — 6 May 1806
William Gibson
Conococheague, PA — 6 October 1807
Matthew Williams
Philadelphia, PA — 16 May 1809
William Gibson
1
Philadelphia, PA — 24 May 1809
Gilbert McMaster, MD, DD
2
New York, NY — 15 May 1811
Gilbert McMaster, MD, DD
3
Pittsburgh, PA — 11 August 1812
John Kell
4
Philadelphia, PA — 4 May 1814
Alexander McLeod, DD
5
Philadelphia, PA — 16 May 1816
William Gibson
6
Coldenham, NY — 3 September 1817
Robert Lusk
7
Pittsburgh, PA — 26 May 1818
Thomas Donnelly
8
Conococheague, PA — 10 August 1819
John Cannon
9
Philadelphia, PA — 17 October 1821
John Gibson
10
Pittsburgh, PA — 5 August 1823
James R. Willson, DD
11
New York, NY — 2 August 1825
James Milligan, DD
12
Philadelphia, PA — 16 May 1827
Gilbert McMaster, MD, DD
13
Philadelphia, PA — 6 August 1828
James Christie, DD
14
Pittsburgh, PA — 4 August 1830
Samuel Wylie, DD
15
Philadelphia, PA — 3 August 1831
Samuel W. Crawford, DD
A division of the Reformed Presbyterian Church occured in 1832-1833 over issues such as the Church's stance on the propriety of swearing allegiance to the national government and other matters related to the civic life of church members. Two denominations resulted from the division. That which maintained the stricter view against involvement with the government was termed the "Old Light" wing of the division, and was known as the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America, Synod group.
The other wing of the division had come to take a more moderate position on oaths of allegiance, voting, and the holding of government office by church members. This group took the name Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America, General Synod and was also known as the "New Light" group. It is this latter body which is followed from this point.
16
Philadelphia, PA — 7 August 1833
Hugh McMillan, DD
17
Pittsburgh, PA — 5 August 1835
John Niel McLeod, DD
18
New York, NY — 15 August 1837
John Black, DD
19
Pittsburgh, PA — 14 August 1839
Gavin McMillan
20
Philadelphia, PA — 18 May 1842
Andrew W. Black, DD
21
Pittsburgh, PA — 29 May 1843
William Wilson, DD, LLD
22
Pittsburgh, PA — 7 August 1844
Thomas C. Guthrie, DD
23
Philadelphia, PA — 22 May 1845
John McMaster, DD
24
Xenia, Ohio — 5 August 1846
Andrew G. Wylie
25
Pittsburgh, PA — 26 May 1847
Gordon T. Ewing
26
New York, NY — 11 October 1848
Andrew Heron, DD
27
Xenia, Ohio — 15 May 1850
Samuel Wylie, DD
28
Pittsburgh, PA — 21 May 1851
Gilbert McMaster, MD, DD
29
Philadelphia, PA — 19 May 1852
George Scott, DD
30
Chicago, IL — 25 May 1853
Andrew W. Black, DD
31
Philadelphia, PA — 17 May 1854
John W. Morrison
32
Pittsburgh, PA — 23 May 1855
Theodorus W.J. Wylie, DD
33
New York, NY — 21 May 1856
Alexander Clarke, DD
34
Cedarville, OH — 21 May 1857
J. Agnew Crawford
35
Eden, IL — 27 May 1858
Andrew G. Wylie
36
Philadelphia, PA — 25 May 1859
John Nevin
37
Alleghany, PA — 16 May 1860
William Sterrett, DD
38
New York, NY — 15 May 1861
Gavin McMillan
39
Princeton, IN — 16 May 1862
John Douglas, DD
40
Cedarville, OH — 20 May 1863
Samuel W. Crawford, DD
41
Philadelphia, PA — 18 May 1864
John McMillan
42
Newcastle, PA — 17 May 1865
David Herron
43
Xenia, Ohio — 16 May 1866
John McMaster, DD
44
New York, NY — 15 May 1867
William S. Bratton
45
Pittsburgh, PA — 20 May 1868
David Steele, DD, LLD
46
Cedarville, OH — 19 May 1869
Michael Harshaw
47
Cincinnati, OH — 18 May 1870
John Niel McLeod, DD
48
Philadelphia, PA — 17 May 1871
Archibald Thomson
49
Brooklyn, NY — 15 May 1872
James F. Morton, DD
50
Pittsburgh, PA — 21 May 1873
Samuel Young
51
Cedarville, OH — 20 May 1874
James S. Scott
52
Coulterville, IL — 19 May 1875
Andrew R. Gailey
53
Philadelphia, PA — 17 May 1876
John Alford, DD
54
Cincinnati, OH — 16 May 1877
Samuel M. Ramsey
55
New York, NY — 15 May 1878
Andrew G. Wylie
56
Duanesburg, NY — 21 May 1879
Nevin Woodside
57
Pittsburgh, PA — 19 May 1880
Robert Hunter
58
Cedarville, OH — 18 May 1881
James Y. Boice, DD
59
Darlington, PA — 17 May 1882
W.J. Macdowell
60
Philadelphia, PA — 16 May 1883
James F. Morton, DD
61
Pittsburgh, PA — 21 May 1884
William J. Smiley
62
Cincinnati, OH — 20 May 1885
Matthew Gailey
63
New York, NY — 19 May 1886
David Steele, DD, LLD
64
Philadelphia, PA — 18 May 1887
John H. Kendall, DD
65
Marissa, IL — 16 May 1888
Alexander Savage, DD
66
Tarentum, PA — 15 May 1889
H.H. Brownell
67
Pittsburgh, PA — 21 May 1890
Robert Blair
68
Philadelphia, PA — 20 May 1891
William H. Gailey
69
Cedarville, OH — 18 May 1892
David McKinney, DD, LLD
70
New York, NY — 17 May 1893
John Alford, DD
71
Coulterville, IL — 16 May 1894
Thomas Watters, DD
72
Darlington, PA — 15 May 1895
James D. Steele, PhD
73
Cedarville, OH — 20 May 1896
William Wylie
74
Pittsburgh, PA — 19 May 1897
Thomas Peebles
75
Philadelphia, PA — 18 May 1898
George W. Scott
76
New York, NY — 17 May 1899
Alexander Savage, DD
77
Sparta, IL — 13 June 1900
James L. Chesnut, DD
78
Cincinnati, Ohio — 12 June 1901
George W. Brownell
79
Philadelphia, PA — 21 May 1902
James B. Crawford
80
S. Ryegate, VT — 20 May 1903
Robert W. Chesnut, Ph.D
81
Marissa, IL — 18 May 1904
William J. Smiley
82
New York, NY — 17 May 1905
Samuel M. Ramsey, DD
83
Cedarville, OH — 23 May 1906
James Y. Boice, DD
84
Cedarville, OH — 22 May 1907
James L. Richie
85
Cincinnati, OH — 27 May 1908
Wm. Renwick McChesney, PhD, DD
86
Philadelphia, PA — 19 May 1909
L.A. Benson, DD
87
Cincinnati, OH — 18 May 1910
Mills J. Taylor
88
Cedarville, OH — 17 May 1911
John H. Kendall, DD
89
Cincinnati, OH — 15 May 1912
William H. Gailey
90
Cincinnati, OH — 21 May 1913
James Dougherty
91
Cincinnati, OH — 20 May 1914
John Parks, DD
92
Cedarville, OH — 19 May 1915
William Patterson
93
Cedarville, OH — 17 May 1916
William P. Harriman
94
Philadelphia, PA — 16 May 1917
Thomas Whyte, DD
95
Cedarville, OH15 May 1918
Andrew S. Creswell
96
Philadelphia, PA21 May 1919
John B. Wilson, DD, PhD
97
Pittsburgh, PA — 19 May 1920
Ralph Stewart, Ruling Elder
98
Cedarville, OH — 18 May 1921
James L. Chesnut, DD
99
Philadelphia, PA — 17 May 1922
Paul W. Duncan, DD
100
Pittsburgh, PA — 16 May 1923
Robert C. Montgomery, DD
101
Coulterville, IL21 May 1924
Thomas Whyte, DD
102
Darlington, PA — 20 May 1925
David H. Hammond
103
Cedarville, OH — 19 May 1926
Thomas Whyte, DD
104
Pittsburgh, PA — 18 May 1927
Robert C. Montgomery, DD
105
Coulterville, IL — 16 May 1928
Robert W. Stewart, DD
106
Pittsburgh, PA — 15 May 1929
Frank A. Jurkat, LLD, DD
107
Duanesburg, NY — 21 May 1930
Albert E. Gregg, DD
108
Sparta, IL — 20 May 1931
John C. Taylor, Sr., MD, DD
109
Pittsburgh, PA — 18 May 1932
Paul W. Duncan, DD
110
Darlington, PA — 17 May 1933
John Parks, DD
111
Duanesburg, NY — 16 May 1934
Lufay A. Sweet
112
Philadelphia, PA — 21 May 1935
Archie G. Montgomery
113
Industry, PA — 19 May 1936
Frank A. Jurkat, LLD, DD
114
Coulterville, IL — 18 May 1937
Theodore S. Wray
115
Pittsburgh, PA — 17 May 1938
Thomas Whyte, DD
116
Philadelphia, PA — 16 May 1939
Robert W. Stewart, DD
117
Houston, KY — 21 May 1940
Frank A. Jurkat, LLD, DD
118
Darlington, PA — 20 May 1941
H. Carlyle Carson
119
Sparta, IL — 19 May 1942
John C. Taylor, Sr., MD
120
Industry, PA — 20 May 1943
Robert W. Chestnut, PhD
121
Philadelphia, PA — 18 May 1944
William P. Green
122
Duanesburg, NY — 17 May 1945
Frank A. Jurkat, LLD, DD
123
Pittsburgh, PA — 16 May 1946
John C. Taylor, Jr., DDS
124
Coulterville, IL — 15 May 1947
Charles F. Pfeiffer, PhD
125
Clay Center, KS — 20 May 1948
Samuel S. Ward
126
Philadelphia, PA — 19 May 1949
A. Culver Gordon
127
Houston, KY — 17 May 1950
Charles B. Holliday
128
Darlington, PA — 16 May 1951
Harry H. Meiners, Jr.
129
Industry, PA — 21 May 1952
Gordon R. Taylor
130
Sparta, IL — 20 May 1953
Charles B. Pfeiffer, PhD
131
Philadelphia, PA — 19 May 1954
Robert W. Stewart, DD
132
Duanesburg, NY — 18 May 1955
Carl A. Stewart
133
Pittsburgh, PA — 16 May 1956
Herman H. Cook
134
Houston, KY — 15 May 1957
Charles B. Holliday
135
Coulterville, IL — 14 May 1958
Charles F. Pfeiffer, PhD
136
Philadelphia, PA — 13 May 1959
Harry H. Meiners, Jr.
137
Darlington, PA — 10 May 1960
Richard W. Gray, DD
138
Willow Grove, PA — 9 May 1961
Gordon H. Clark, PhD
139
Industry, PA — 8 May 1962
John C. Taylor, Sr., MD, DO
and Charles B. Holliday
140
Sparta, IL — 14 May 1963
Franklin S. Dyrness, DD
141
St. Louis, MO — 1 April 1964
Samuel S. Ward
142
Lookout Mountain, TN — 2 April 1965
Harold S. Laird, DD

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