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It holds steadfastly to the [[Westminster Standards]]. It was founded in 1936 by conservative members (especially [[John Gresham Machen]]) of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (PCUSA) who were strongly opposed to the pervasive Modernist theology of the 1930s. Machen, a Presbyterian scholar at Princeton Theological Seminary at the end of his career, began advocating conservative theology in 1920. A year before his 1937 death he helped form the Orthodox Presbyterian Church after his suspension from the Presbyterian Church in the USA's general assembly. He was the first moderator.

It holds steadfastly to the [[Westminster Standards]]. It was founded in 1936 by conservative members (especially [[John Gresham Machen]]) of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (PCUSA) who were strongly opposed to the pervasive Modernist theology of the 1930s. Machen, a Presbyterian scholar at Princeton Theological Seminary at the end of his career, began advocating conservative theology in 1920. A year before his 1937 death he helped form the Orthodox Presbyterian Church after his suspension from the Presbyterian Church in the USA's general assembly. He was the first moderator.

The Church attempts to preserve historic [[Calvinism]] within a [[Presbyterian]] structure. OPC was originally called the '''Presbyterian Church of America,''' but a legal issue with Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A caused them to change their name. Ironically, another conservative denomination has since assumed the name [[Presbyterian Church in America]], which was founded in 1983 and is the second largest Presbyterian church in the United States after [[Presbyterian Church (USA)]].

The Church attempts to preserve historic [[Calvinism]] within a [[Presbyterian]] structure. OPC was originally called the '''Presbyterian Church of America,''' but a legal issue with Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A caused them to change their name.<ref> Ironically, another conservative denomination has since assumed the name [[Presbyterian Church in America]], which was founded in 1973 and is the second largest Presbyterian church in the United States after [[Presbyterian Church (USA)]].</ref>

It has been charged with being too [[Fundamentalist]] in nature as well as not being Fundamentalist enough. Its willingness to defend Bible-based Christian liberties such as the moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages (see Ecclesiastes 9:7, Matthew 26:29, John 2:3-11) and a robust toleration of various eschatological viewpoints set it apart from those who seek more prohibitionist-based forms of piety and a strict dispensationalist interpretation of scripture.  After the confrontations with modernism of 1920's and early 1930's died down, differences among the conservatives, especially in regards to the tolerance of Christian liberties and dispensation theology, became much more apparent.  Such differences ultimately led to a split in the OPC: strict dispensationalists and anti-drinking members left to form the [[Bible Presbyterian Church]] in 1937. "With the division of 1937, the OPC signaled that is was not a fundamentalist church.<ref>"Hart, D. G. and John Muether. ''Fighting the Good Fight: A Brief History of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.'' Philadelphia: Orthodox Presbyterian Church, 1995. p. 105</ref>"

It has been charged with being too [[Fundamentalist]] in nature as well as not being Fundamentalist enough. Its willingness to defend Bible-based Christian liberties such as the moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages (see Ecclesiastes 9:7, Matthew 26:29, John 2:3-11) and a robust toleration of various eschatological viewpoints set it apart from those who seek more prohibitionist-based forms of piety and a strict dispensationalist interpretation of scripture.  After the confrontations with modernism of 1920's and early 1930's died down, differences among the conservatives, especially in regards to the tolerance of Christian liberties and dispensation theology, became much more apparent.  Such differences ultimately led to a split in the OPC: strict dispensationalists and anti-drinking members left to form the [[Bible Presbyterian Church]] in 1937. "With the division of 1937, the OPC signaled that is was not a fundamentalist church.<ref>"Hart, D. G. and John Muether. ''Fighting the Good Fight: A Brief History of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.'' Philadelphia: Orthodox Presbyterian Church, 1995. p. 105</ref>"