Old School Presbyterian Church

The "Old School" refers to the more conservative party within the Presbyterian Church in the U.S. that existed from approximately 1838 to 1869. This division arose from theological disputes and differing views on church polity and the Plan of Union with Congregationalists. The Old School party emphasized doctrine and the unqualified acceptance of the Westminster Confession, contrasting with the more liberal "New School" party.12

During the American Civil War, the Old School Presbyterians in the South seceded, forming their own church. After the war, the Old School and New School factions in the North and South did not reunite directly. Instead, unions occurred to form the Presbyterian Church in the United States (in the South) and the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (in the North).2