Does this PCUSA church look fine to you guys?

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Our denomination has a small Church out there in Belle Center; it's only 22 miles from the university and I'm sure transportation could be arranged for you if you were interested. Here's a link to the Church:

Belle Center, Ohio, Reformed Presbyterian Church

:wow: Thank you! Transportation is the only thing I was worried about! If I could receive help in this regard, I would love to attend that church.

:handshake:

Sounds good brother; I'm working out the transportation part and if all goes well, you should be set. I'll provide more info in the next couple of days or so.
 
Hi Ben,

Its been more than a couple of days hasn't it? :oops: Sorry about that.

I had emailed the pastor and he was away for the week on a Boy Scout trip with one of his sons... Anyway, has he contacted you at all? His wife wrote me and said they have somebody in the congregation who drives right past the university to get to worship each Lord's Day. She didn't want to commit them to anything until they had an opportunity to talk it over with them, but it looks really good.

Just wanted to let you know that I hadn't forgotten about you...
 
Related to this central affirmation of God’s sovereignty are other great themes of the Reformed tradition:

(1) The election of the people of God for service as well as for salvation;
(2) Covenant life marked by a disciplined concern for order in the church according to the Word of God;
(3) A faithful stewardship that shuns ostentation and seeks proper use of the gifts of God’s creation;
(4) The recognition of the human tendency to idolatry and tyranny, which calls the people of God to work for the transformation of society by seeking justice and living in obedience to the Word of God."

Important? Yes. Of primary importance? I worry that a Church that is of the Reformed tradition isn't really talking about the nature of the Gospel itself. they even put election unto service prior to salvation. Those four points would have me concerned that the imperative of the Christian life is emphasized to the point that the real nature of the Gospel is obscured. I don't want to immediately dismiss something on the basis that it mentions service but, especially in a world where you can't hear the News about what Christ has done much, to leave the true nature of the Gospel absent from a belief statement is really troubling to me.

These statements would concern me as well. The most central affirmations they can make about the sovereignty of God and the doctrines of grace as reflected in the confessions of the church are that it calls us to "proper use of God's creation" (environmentalism) and "transformation of society by seeking justice and living in obedience to the Word of God" (social justice)? The centrality of the gospel and the covenant of grace is not even mentioned; that is dangerous.

For a 'confessing' church, they don't seem very confessional.
 
This reminds me of the "Returning Church" group in the CRC. They claim to be confessional, yet sit as emasculated men at Synod alongside women pastors, all in the name of "unity".

THE RETURNING CHURCH

Such churches would be served to heed the words of Charles Spurgeon:

"To remain divided is sinful! Did not our Lord pray, that they maybe one, even as we are one”? (John 17:22). A chorus of ecumenical voices keep harping the unity tune. What they are saying is, “Christians of all doctrinal shades and beliefs must come together in one visible organization, regardless… Unite, unite!” Such teaching is false, reckless and dangerous. Truth alone must determine our alignments. Truth comes before unity. Unity without truth is hazardous. Our Lord’s prayer in John 17 must be read in its full context. Look at verse 17: “Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth.” Only those sanctified through the Word can be one in Christ. To teach otherwise is to betray the Gospel.”
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It is our solemn conviction that where there can be no real spiritual communion there should be no pretence of fellowship. Fellowship with known and vital error is participation in sin.”
 
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