Planting Reformed Churches in the Lutherans back yard

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yeutter

Puritan Board Senior
Recently their was a thread which discussed the lack of Reformed Churches in the upper Midwest, especially the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. If you travel around Michigan's UP you will many different types of Lutheran Churches. Their are at least five different types of Finnish Lutheran Churches in addition to historically Swedish, Norwegian, and German Lutheran Churches. The diversity of the Lutheran Churches there historically relates to the ethnic divisions among those that founded those churches. Today the denominational divisions tend to relate to what extent they are confessional or pietist and over worship/liturgical practice.

Their are to be sure liberal Lutherans, but many of these Lutheran Churches are conservative. If you talk to the brethren in these Lutheran Churches you will find they understand and believe the five solas. They believe in original sin and are not troubled by the kind of language we use to describe the depravity of man. They also believe in predestination; but they are troubled by the language we use to describe God's irresistible grace. These Lutherans tend to be well catechized in their Lutheran distinctives and deny limited atonement and perseverance of the saints.

I recall many years ago [probably 30 years ago] their was a reformed work attempted in Escanaba [it might have been OPC] and later an OPC plant was attempted in Marquette, and their was a Bible Presbyterian Church in Sault Ste Marie which has since folded. Their are only a handful of Evangelical Free Churches in the Upper Peninsula, one of which is in Escanaba. Their is a small Christian Reformed Church in Rudyard, Michigan and recent CRC church plants in Marquette, and Kincheloe, Michigan. To my knowledge, that is all their is, in terms of anything approaching a reformed witness in the UP.

I once heard someone say that the Lutheran had inoculated the Upper Peninsula from embracing the Reformed faith.

Attempts have been made to plants reformed/evangelical works in the Upper Peninsula. Most have either not taken root or have drifted off in the direction of general evangelicalism.

I suspect fertile ground could be found near the Hessel/Cedarville, MI area where Intervarsity Christian Fellowship's Cedar Campus is located. Their is no really solid evangelical Church in that area of the Upper Peninsula. Sault Ste Marie is a University town. I am not aware of a solid Evangelical congregation in Sault Ste Marie. It is a city that needs a Church that faithfully preaches the Gospel.
 
I once heard someone say that the Lutheran had inoculated the Upper Peninsula from embracing the Reformed faith.

In that case, it's a good thing the success of God's word is not dependent on men's natural disposition!
 
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