Goodcheer68
Puritan Board Sophomore
**** Move this to a different forum if need be I wasn't exactly sure where to start this thread.***********
I wanted to get some advice on a local church plant and what would be the biblical approach.
Here is the background:
A friend of mine has started a home Bibles study with the plans of planting a Reformed church in Twentynine Palms. The Bible study is Sunday night at their home and currently there are four families, including ours, that regularly attend since its inception 2 months ago. As far as Reformed churches go, there is not a Reformed church within an hour drive from Twentynine Palms. The only church remotely close to anything Reformed in this area is an SBC with a Calvinist pastor (this is where I attend). The problem is that this pastor is also a hardcore dispensationalist. Furthermore, the church is 30 minutes away.
My friend used to be an assistant pastor/elder at a non-denominational church with Calvinistic leanings prior to moving to Twentynine Palms a few years ago. Since that time he has grown in his understanding and now he holds closer to the LBCF - I am still working with him on the Sabbath and 2nd commandment violations.
I personally subscribe to the 3 Forms of Unity. I have been attending the calvinistic/dispensational church mentioned above for over four years. The thing is that he wants my help to really get this going as the other two families are new to the Reformed faith. I told him that I would support it in anyway I can- the families know where my family stands as far as baptism- but that I am not planning on leaving my other church. The reason is that I hope to be moving to the East Coast by this Fall and it wouldn't make sense to stop going to the other church at this time. I would love to see this grow into a solid Reformed church as this area needs it, and if moving falls through for me, I would probably change churches.
I talked to my friend and the other families that I am not keen on a "Lone Ranger" type of church and think it would be best to be under some kind of authority that is also Reformed. They all agreed, but I am not sure how we would go about it. I also know that Baptist churches are generally autonomous, so I am wondering what kind of advice would you have for this situation.
LBCF Ch. 26:8 seems to be relevant, but how does that work in this situation.
I wanted to get some advice on a local church plant and what would be the biblical approach.
Here is the background:
A friend of mine has started a home Bibles study with the plans of planting a Reformed church in Twentynine Palms. The Bible study is Sunday night at their home and currently there are four families, including ours, that regularly attend since its inception 2 months ago. As far as Reformed churches go, there is not a Reformed church within an hour drive from Twentynine Palms. The only church remotely close to anything Reformed in this area is an SBC with a Calvinist pastor (this is where I attend). The problem is that this pastor is also a hardcore dispensationalist. Furthermore, the church is 30 minutes away.
My friend used to be an assistant pastor/elder at a non-denominational church with Calvinistic leanings prior to moving to Twentynine Palms a few years ago. Since that time he has grown in his understanding and now he holds closer to the LBCF - I am still working with him on the Sabbath and 2nd commandment violations.
I personally subscribe to the 3 Forms of Unity. I have been attending the calvinistic/dispensational church mentioned above for over four years. The thing is that he wants my help to really get this going as the other two families are new to the Reformed faith. I told him that I would support it in anyway I can- the families know where my family stands as far as baptism- but that I am not planning on leaving my other church. The reason is that I hope to be moving to the East Coast by this Fall and it wouldn't make sense to stop going to the other church at this time. I would love to see this grow into a solid Reformed church as this area needs it, and if moving falls through for me, I would probably change churches.
I talked to my friend and the other families that I am not keen on a "Lone Ranger" type of church and think it would be best to be under some kind of authority that is also Reformed. They all agreed, but I am not sure how we would go about it. I also know that Baptist churches are generally autonomous, so I am wondering what kind of advice would you have for this situation.
LBCF Ch. 26:8 seems to be relevant, but how does that work in this situation.
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