Guide to the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. General Assembly Special Committee of Fifteen to Examine the Proposal to Revise the Confessional Position of the Church Records
Open for research.
The 170th General Assembly (1958) appointed a special committee to reconcile the differences in the theological positions of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (PCUSA) and the United Presbyterian Church of North America (UPCNA). This committee selected seven historical statements of belief ranging from the Apostle's Creed to the Theological Declaration of Barmen, added a brief contemporary statement of faith now known as the Confession of 1967 (named for the first year in which it became official), and changed the subscription for ordination of offices to comply with the new Book of Confessions. The 177th General Assembly (1965) approved the Book of Confessions and appointed a Special Committee of Fifteen to analyze it and report its findings to the next General Assembly, in 1966. At that Assembly the final decision on the new Presbyterian confession would be made.
The Rev. W. Sherman Skinner chaired the Committee of Fifteen, and Lewis Seymour Mudge was its secretary. The 178th General Assembly adopted the Confession of 1967.
Record Group 75 contains correspondence, minutes, reports and articles relating to the work of the Special Committee of Fifteen.
The researcher will notice that Box 1 does not contain a Folder 2; this folder, which contained acquisition correspondence, was withdrawn from the collection and placed with donor and acquisition files.
| Box | Folder | Description | |
| 1 | 1 | Finding Aid to Record Group 75 | |
| 2 | This folder, which contained acquisition correspondence, was withdrawn from the collection and placed with donor and acquisition files. | ||
| 3 | W. Sherman Skinner--Correspondence concerning arrangements, June 1965 - June 1966 | ||
| 4 | Minutes of Committee; Sept - Oct, Dec 1965, Feb - March 1966 | ||
| 5 | Announcements, aims | ||
| 6 | Report to Presbytery December 14, 1965 | ||
| LEWIS SEYMOUR MUDGE, SECRETARY--PAPERS | |||
| 1 | 7 | June - September 1965 | |
| 8 | September - October 1965 | ||
| 9 | October - December 1965 | ||
| 10 | January - March 1966 | ||
| 11 | Closing correspondence, May 1966 - February 1967 | ||
| 12 | The Confession of 1967--William Keesecker | ||
| 13 | The Contemporary Statement of Faith | ||
| 14 | Criticism of Proposed Confession--Carl C. Batz, December 1965 | ||
| 15 | The Dangers in a "Book of Confessions"--Edward L. Junkin | ||
| 16 | Historical Background to Confession Writing in the Reformed Churches--W.F. Graham | ||
| 17 | Correspondence concerning hearing October 1965- January 1966 | ||
| 18 | Report from the Presbytery of Philadelphia, 1965 | ||
| 19 | Report of Committee of 15 to General Assembly, 1966 | ||
| 20 | Working papers on revisions | ||
| 21 | Notes - motions at General Assembly | ||
| 22 | Printed articles about the Confession | ||
| 23 | Presbyterian Lay Committee | ||
| 24 | Seattle, WA--First Presbyterian Church, Correspondence | ||
| 25 | W. Sherman Skinner--papers, correspondence, July 1965 - May 1966 | ||
| 26 | W. Sherman Skinner--Committee correspondence, July 1968-April 1969 | ||
| CORRESPONDENCE TO COMMITTEE | |||
| 1 | 27 | 1965 June - September | |
| 28 | 1965 October | ||
| 29 | 1965 November | ||
| 30 | 1965 November | ||
| 31 | 1965 November | ||
| 32 | 1965 December | ||
| 33 | 1965 December | ||
| 34 | 1965 December | ||
| 2 | 1 | 1965 December | |
| 2 | 1966 January | ||
| 3 | 1966 January | ||
| 4 | 1966 January | ||
| 5 | 1966 January | ||
| 6 | 1966 January | ||
| 7 | 1966 February | ||
| 8 | 1966 March | ||
| 9 | 1966 April - May | ||
| 10 | 1967 January, March, April | ||
| 11 | Miscellaneous |