Independent Presbyterian Church (Memphis, Tennessee)

History

In the 1950s the black freedom struggle more generally, are the kneel-ins that students and activists staged across the South in an effort to desegregate Christian places of worship, included the Presbyterian Church in the United States (PCUS) and the Presbyterian-affiliated Southwestern College (later Rhodes College), from which a large number of kneel-in students came. During 1964 and 1965, kneel-in activism elsewhere in the South in cities such as Atlanta, Birmingham, Albany, Houston and Tallahassee inspired some college students from various local schools to attempt to integrate Memphis’s congregations. The legendary civil rights activist James Lawson, Jr. trained the students, and local leaders Vasco and Maxine Smith offered support; but the desegregation efforts were not entirely successful. Battle lines were quickly drawn with race, religion, politics, and faith firmly at the center. Students faced some of the staunchest resistance at Second Presbyterian Church. Church deacons standing guard rebuffed them at the door, but the students considered their activism an act of worship and a visible testimony to true Christian unity. - Adopted from the article The Memphis Kneel-ins and the Desegregation of the Southern Church – By Phillip Luke Sinitiere

Independent Presbyterian Church(IPC) was founded in March 14, 1965 by a dissenter group from the Second Presbyterian Church to protest against racial integration, racial segregation and in resistance to unbiblical involvement of the Presbyterian Church in the United States in social issues in ways that weakened the church’s core calling to evangelism and discipleship. The Southern Presbyterian Church was struggling in that time with racial integration during the mid-1960s in general. What is additionally helpful in the narrative is the observation that for these white churches, the only thing feared more than racial integration was interracial marriage. Miscegenation was to be avoided at all cost and would serve as the catalyst for racial tension decades later. In March 1965, right after SPC voted to embrace racial integration, over 340 people, including ruling elders left SPC to form IPC. Because of this history, IPC has had challenges building unity with the black community in Memphis. The group met in a theatre building.

IPC has publicly confessed the sins of their fathers, sought forgiveness, and is actively working toward racial reconciliation and racial solidarity. IPC has successfully pursued several racial reconciliation initiatives with the black community in Memphis. In 2000 the church joined the Presbyterian Church in America, since then it is a flagship PCA church in the Memphis area. IPC is the only church in the PCA that has ever taken the courageous step to confess and repent of the sins of their own local church forefathers. IPC serves as a model of racial reconciliation. - Adopted from the article of Undoing the Damage of Sunday Morning Segregation by Anthony B. Bradley, Nov. 20 2012.

Sean Michael Lucas will become senior pastor on January 1, 2017.

Theology

As a PCA church it confess 1) Total depravity of man. Man is completely incapable within himself to reach out towards God. Man is totally at enmity with God, cf. Romans 3:10-23. (2) Unconditional election by the grace of God. There is absolutely no condition in any person for which God would save him. As a matter of fact, long before man was created, God chose or predestined some to everlasting life. He did this out of His mere good pleasure, cf. Ephesians 1:4 and 5. (3) Particular atonement. God in His infinite mercy, in order to accomplish the planned redemption, sent His own Son, Jesus Christ, to die as a substitute for the sins of a large but specific number of people, cf. Romans 8:29 and 30. (4) The irresistible grace of God. This is the effectual work of the Holy Spirit moving upon a particular person whom He has called, applying the work of redemption, cf. John 3:5 and 6. (5) The perseverance of the saints. This is that gracious work of God’s sanctification whereby He enables a saved person to persevere to the end. Even though the process of sanctification is not complete in this life, from God’s perspective it is as good as accomplished,

IPC affirms the Westminster Confession of Faith.

IPC is a conservative church which adheres to the five points of reformation

Missions

The church is involved with several outreach mission works home and abroad. Primary target areas are Memphis, the Mid-South, Miami, Western United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Colombia, Greece, Rwanda, and various regions in the 1040 Window.