Ernest Trice Thompson, 90; Force in Reunification of Presbyterians

Dr. Ernest Trice Thompson, a major architect of the reunion of the Southern and Northern denominations of the Presbyterian Church that had split during the Civil War, has died at the age of 90.

Thompson, who died Friday, steered the Presbyterian Church in the United States to reunion with the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America to form the current Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

The native of Texarkana, Tex., also influenced his church’s theology and rose to the Southern denomination’s top elected position, moderator of its general assembly.

For most of his career, which began with his ordination in 1917 and service as an Army chaplain in World War I, Thompson was professor of church history at Union Theological Seminary here. He retired in 1964.

Thompson became a major force in steering his church from its once-theologically narrow, strongly Calvinistic and anti-ecumenical positions to a more moderate outlook.

He wrote eight books on church history and the faith, in addition to writing a major part of the church’s Book of Church Order.

Thompson supported the 1954 Supreme Court decision desegregating the nation’s public schools and was an outspoken advocate of the ordination of women.

A funeral will be held Tuesday at Ginter Park Presbyterian Church in Richmond.