Reformed Presbyterians excommunicate white supremacist pastor for violating ordination vows

The Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA) has excommunicated a minister accused of promoting white supremacist views. Samuel Ketcham, a 42-year-old self-described “race realist,” was found guilty of violating his ordination vows during a Jan. 24 meeting of delegates from 17 congregations. The church outside Pittsburgh determined that Ketcham’s online essays misapplied Scripture, perverted truth, and spoke it “to malicious ends.”

Ketcham was convicted of violating his vows to promote the “peace, unity and progress of the church,” to “love and bless” people, and to avoid “provoking words.” The Allegheny Presbytery ruled that his actions were “serious sin, contrary to the Word of God and to the profession of the Reformed Presbyterian Church.” The church representatives voted to censure Ketcham, defrocking him and expelling him from the denomination. Lesser punishments, such as admonition or suspension, were not imposed.

Church prosecutor Drew Poplin, an associate pastor in Durham, North Carolina, has previously emphasized the importance of clear church condemnation of racism. He hopes such actions will help stamp out white supremacy and “kinism” in Reformed circles. Poplin expressed frustration over the need to discuss the moral failings of historical figures like the Nazis, stating that the church’s stance on such issues could silence much of the controversy.

During the hearing, Ketcham accused Poplin of being “a tool of the Jews,” according to a minister present. After his conviction, Ketcham accused the RPCNA leadership of serving Satan. He wrote on X that the church leaders had “refused to address the greatest and most obvious sign of God’s judgment upon His church and the west—mass immigration of foreigners and the amalgamation and replacement of Whites.”

White supremacists and antisemites celebrated Ketcham’s conviction online. Michael Spangler, a former minister expelled from the Orthodox Presbyterian Church for racism, praised Ketcham for his refusal to yield to church authority. Spangler called the trial a “terrible abuse of church power,” reflecting a broader critique of the denomination’s handling of the case.

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