PCA in Louisiana

[RamistThomist]

I'd love to plant a church in Lake Providence.

God bless anyone who tries

 

[Edward]

East Carroll Parish has under 7500 people, it is losing about 1% per year, is 2/3 Black and a little over a quarter white. Per capita income is $12,000 per year. It does have a couple of nice looking bank buildings. Not sure if the hot sauce plant is open or not these days. They've had several fires over the years. (1986, 1999, 2001; don't know if they've had any since then.) http://www.panolapepper.com/

I'd love to plant a church in Lake Providence.

 

[Edward]

But Louisiana is not Ohio

No, it's more like Quebec.

 

[RamistThomist]

East Carroll Parish has under 7500 people, it is losing about 1% per year, is 2/3 Black and a little over a quarter white. Per capita income is $12,000 per year. It does have a couple of nice looking bank buildings. Not sure if the hot sauce plant is open or not these days. They've had several fires over the years. (1986, 1999, 2001; don't know if they've had any since then.) http://www.panolapepper.com/

I'd love to plant a church in Lake Providence.

People (mainly white) on the northern side of the lake are quite wealthy. The southern side of the lake (mainly black) is one of the poorest districts in North America.

 

[Backwoods Presbyterian]

East Carroll Parish has under 7500 people, it is losing about 1% per year, is 2/3 Black and a little over a quarter white. Per capita income is $12,000 per year. It does have a couple of nice looking bank buildings. Not sure if the hot sauce plant is open or not these days. They've had several fires over the years. (1986, 1999, 2001; don't know if they've had any since then.) http://www.panolapepper.com/

I'd love to plant a church in Lake Providence.

People (mainly white) on the northern side of the lake are quite wealthy. The southern side of the lake (mainly black) is one of the poorest districts in North America.

That's why I gave the wink. I love that drive down that side of the Mississippi from Arkansas to I-20.

Lake Providence, a place like no other.

 

[Pilgrim]

I do like the drive. But would your thoughts be the same if it were named Lake Fortune?

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[Backwoods Presbyterian]

Not sure why that would change anything?

 

[Edward]

But would your thoughts be the same if it were named Lake Fortune?

I got it.

 

[RamistThomist]

When I played football in high school we had to play a few games in Lake Providence. The police told the driver of the schoolbus to run every stop sign and red light. Do not stop until you get to the school. They police would take over from there.

 

[PuritanCovenanter]

Somewhat off-topic, but with some Louisianians here, is anyone aware of any non-PCA Reformed churches in the New Orleans area? Or, if not, are there any PCA churches that take the 2nd and 4th commandments more seriously than the norm? I'm contemplating a potential move to the area, but the PCA church websites I've seen in the area barely mention the Westminster Standards if at all, which is a not an encouraging sign for me.

In New Orleans and as wellas in noerthern and Middle Louisiana there is no one OPC church.

PCA
St Roch Community Church- multy ethnic: http://www.strochcc.org
Redeemer Presbyterian - http://www.redeemernola.com
St Preter Presbyterian a church plant in the mid city area
Grace PCA in Metairie LA
ALL OF THEM ADHERE TO WESTMINSTER CONFESSION

Your last line gets at why we're having this back and forth here and why you don't appear to be grasping what several of us are saying. It appears that you don't quite understand what some of us veteran members mean by "adhere to the Westminster Confession."

Do you know the regulative principle of worship is? Do you know what we mean by the confessional teaching on the 2nd and 4th commandments? In other words, do you think it is ok to have so-called "pictures of Christ?" Do you think that a pastor who asks visitors out to eat (i.e. at a restaurant) directly after morning services fully adheres to the Westminster Standards? Does a man who takes exception to the Westminster Standards because he believes in paedocommunion "adhere" to the confession? Does a man who disagrees with the Westminster Standards' prohibition of marrying Romanists "adhere" to the confession? (None of these examples are hypothetical.)

Gabor,

Chris brings up a rather serious question for you here. It is something you need to consider when you ask your statistical questions. I would think you would know that. Especially since you have migrated from Europe. There are politically based reasons that are foundational also. Heritage plays heavily in the hearts and minds of people. Look at Michigan and other states that are more Northern. The saying, "If you aren't Dutch, you aren't much," truly has some truth tied up in it. Outsiders are viewed or looked at very skeptically.

As I have noticed, Church planting is harder work if an area hasn't taken on a more pluralistic view of society. Pluralism removes tradition making way for introducing new ideology. There are less traditional ties to creed and family to overcome. When it comes to Church planting and growth I have seen prosperity when the Church depends upon the LORD to build His Church His way.

If you don't mind Gabor I would like to know why you ask so many questions along the same vein concerning Church denominations and their existence? Would you also look at Chris' question and tell me if you understand what he is stating? More pointedly, can you give us a better understanding about what you would like to see in a Church?

Psalm 127
1 Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.ab2It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. 3 Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. 4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.cd

 

[TheOldCourse]

I'm not expecting to be able to find a Covenanter church in the area, but if I can find one that at least doesn't crassly flout those commandments I will be reasonably content--especially since my time there would likely only be for a couple of years.

Why just OPC?

Not just OPC, but "Confessional" denominations in the USA are not all alike in their confessionalism. All claim the Westminster Standards, but they hold to them in differing strictness according to the historical and literal intent of the standards. Those less strict are generally most lax in their positions on the 2nd commandment (images of Christ, dramatic worship practices, hymnody, etc.) and with the 4th (conducting business on the Lord's Day, recreation on the Lord's Day). While they are both very important in and of themselves, I also see them in some sense as indicative of an overall commitment to Reformed piety and practice--this is why I brought both up.

If we are looking at NAPARC denominations, the PCA is, in general, the least strict of all the denominations and most prone to letting congregations jettison the confessional interpretations of those commandments (in practice at least). I've known PCA pastors who would go out and attend NFL games after preaching the morning sermon, for instance. I don't think you could get away with that in the other NAPARC denominations. The OPC, my current denomination, is probably somewhere in the middle as far as confessionalism goes and I would prefer to be there or somewhere further towards the Covenanter denominations which generally hold most rigidly to the historical intent of the standards. If PCA churches are my only choice, I would hope to find one on the more conservative end of the denomination--a denomination which does embrace a spectrum of views. I hope I've explained where I was coming from with some of my questions.

 

[Calvinbeza]

If you don't mind Gabor I would like to know why you ask so many questions along the same vein concerning Church denominations and their existence? Would you also look at Chris' question and tell me if you understand what he is stating? More pointedly, can you give us a better understanding about what you would like to see in a Church?

In Europe there is no church planting, just the cults trying to planting.There is nominal Christianity. People go to church in Christmas or Eastern. Only elder go to church regularly. In my home country 2% of the population attend a church regularly.

Church planting is something new for me. Denominational planting is new for me.Historical Christianity is in decline in Europe Churches were sold to offices.

 

[PuritanCovenanter]

If you don't mind Gabor I would like to know why you ask so many questions along the same vein concerning Church denominations and their existence? Would you also look at Chris' question and tell me if you understand what he is stating? More pointedly, can you give us a better understanding about what you would like to see in a Church?

In Europe there is no church planting, just the cults trying to planting.There is nominal Christianity. People go to church in Christmas or Eastern. Only elder go to church regularly. In my home country 2% of the population attend a church regularly.

Church planting is something new for me. Denominational planting is new for me.Historical Christianity is in decline in Europe Churches were sold to offices.

I have been to Italy and France and know others where the State has a Church. It appears to me that the Libertines were allowed to invade the Clerical Offices were the Reformation took hold and the Confessions as well as the Catechisms have been set aside. Men started to cater to social needs as the greater good. The crown of Christ became insignificant. Now the books that could help are just dust collectors. The spirit of the age is Pluralism against Christ.

So can you answer another question for me? You have a lot of good questions but are you just seeking knowledge for knowledge sake or are you planning to apply this knowledge to something?

I am going to ask again, would you also look at Chris' questions and tell me if you understand what he is stating about confessional adherence? More pointedly, can you give us a better understanding about what you would like to see in a Reformed Church if one was to seek uncharted geographical territory?

This is why I ask, I belong to one of the oldest denominations around. We are not big but we are growing and it appears to be solid growth. Our distinctives are important. It begins with Christ the King and ends with Him. We haven't sought to be relevant in the world outside of the Christology the Bible and our confession presents. What do you see and think is important after you have asked so many questions and been given so many answers here on the PB? How are you going to apply the things you have learned?

This is what I have been taught that has helped me.
[video=youtube_share;aiZMwGNLA4g]https://youtu.be/aiZMwGNLA4g[/video]

 

[Edward]

In Europe there is no church planting

There is church planting in Europe, it's just a difficult and long term prospect, not the 2-4 years anticipated in the states. (I've seen 15-20 years given as the time required in France, for example.)