They left because they were tired – tired of merely standing in the pews on Sunday, tired of leaders who denied the truth of Scripture, tired of seeing their numbers dwindling. They were also thirsty -- thirsty for a filling of the Holy Spirit and thirsty to reach out in their communities. The men and women who formed the New Wineskins Association of Churches (NWAC) – a splinter group of the Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA) – saw the new wine of the Holy Spirit being poured out across the world. They saw lives being transformed and longed to be part of the movement. 

Gerrit Dawson, co-moderator of the New Wineskins, says, "We realized we needed new wineskins and it’s not really about denominations at all. It’s about being missional, out-turned congregations. That’s where the real deal is. The rest is peripheral to our calling."

According to Dawson, conservative Presbyterians have for years been troubled by signs of increasing liberalism in the PCUSA such as drifting from the Trinity and the denial of absolute truth. Some tried to take a stand within the denomination. But actions by the PCUSA's 217^th General Assembly, such as a move toward the ordination of homosexuals, rang a final warning bell for the conservative Presbyterians. "For years we have mourned our denomination’s unfaithfulness and we have grieved its actions,” says Dean Weaver, a New Wineskins co-moderator. “We have labored faithfully for renewal.”

So, on Feb. 9, 2007, representatives of the New Wineskins voted unanimously to pursue refuge within the conservative Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) after the EPC proposed to establish a temporary, non-geographic presbytery for dissident PCUSA congregations.

According to EPC Moderator Paul Heidebrecht, “The Holy Spirit drew us toward the New Wineskins. We are truly impressed by the mission-driven polity of the NWAC.”

On June 22, the move became official when the 27th General Assembly of the EPC officially created a New Wineskins Transitional Presbytery. Transitional membership commenced on the adjournment of the 27th General Assembly and will end on June 30, 2012.

Founded in 1981, the EPC is based outside Detroit in Livonia, Mich., and has approximately 180 congregations and 75,000 members. The Louisville, Ky.-based PCUSA has 2.3 million members in more than 11,000 churches.

When asked how the EPC differs from the PCUSA, Heidebrecht starts by emphasizing the name: "It describes us perfectly. We are both evangelical and Presbyterian. We are evangelical in our zeal for the Gospel and evangelism and missions and living obediently as followers of Jesus.