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Hello. I’ve been reading more about Calvary Chapel. There is one nearby that I’m considering joining. One thing I still don’t understand the degree to which a pastor must conform to Chuck Smith’s book “Calvary Chapel Distinctives.” On virtually every site related to Calvary Chapel and the...

Hello. I moved to a new area about a year ago. It's a town of about 50,000, with another 70,000 town neighboring us. The area is very liberal, both politically and theologically, and I am not. Although there are many churches here, in terms of number, nearly all of the churches with relatively...

Hello. I'm trying to find out what's required for someone to join a Nazarene or Wesleyan church? I'm sure members need to be confessing believers, but other than that, what is required for membership? Thank you for your time! -Justin

Hello. What is required for adults to join the Presbyterian Church, specifically PCA, OPC, and EPC? I understand that there might be differences between the three. I know that a person would need to be a confessing Christian who has been baptized validly, but what else is required? I was once...

Hello. What is required to join an LCMS or WELS church as an adult member? I know a person would need to be baptized at some point in his or her life, and I'm sure he or she would have to be a confessing Christian who believes in the essentials of the faith, like the Creeds. But what else is...

Hello. I'm curious about Orthodoxy. What are non-Orthodox required to believe/do to become Orthodox? Are there any beliefs outside of the Creeds that are required for someone to become a member and receive the Lord's Supper? In the Roman Catholic tradition, my understanding is that a person...

Hi. I'm quite familiar with Anglican theology, but I have never been a member of an Anglican church. What, exactly, are members (not presbyters or bishops) required to believe to be in good standing? Is it just the Creeds? What about the 39 Articles? I know Anglicanism is a big tent, and I know...

I grew up in the Catholic Church, but I haven't attended for many years. I was wondering, and have yet to receive a clear answer, what exactly are Catholics required to believe to be members of the church in good standing, meaning they are eligible to receive the Eucharist? Must Catholics...

Hello. Just wondering what the tolerance is for Presbyterian denominations allowing their members to say things publicly that disagree with certain denominational teachings. For example, would a PCA church be okay with a member (not an officer) questioning paedo-baptism publicly online or with...

Hi. I have been searching and searching and couldn't find an answer to this somewhat basic theological question. Do Wesleyan and Nazarene churches allow images of Jesus? I know Methodists do, so I'm guessing Nazarenes and other Holiness churches do as well, but I figured I'd ask directly since I...

Good Evening, I'm in a really tough and, in many respects, weird situation theologically. I grew up in the Roman Catholic Church, and I greatly admire it in many ways. I think Catholic critiques of Protestantism that suggest the movement has become a theological mess are fair, although I do...

Hello. I’ve been interested in Lutheranism for a long time. There is a good LCMS church near the town where I just moved, as well as a good WELS church. One area I have always struggled with regarding these two denominations is their relationship with other Christians. I know that LCMS and...

Hello All. I've been interested in Lutheranism for a long time, but I have not joined a Lutheran church. One of the things that has kept me from joining the Lutheran Church is a passage in the Book of Hebrews and how it relates to baptismal regeneration. How do Lutherans understand Hebrews...

Hi, Relatively speaking, I'm a traditional Christian (I identify most closely with Anglican), but I'm moving soon far away, to a town with no traditional Anglican churches but many mainline churches (Episcopal Church, PC USA, Evangelical Lutheran, United Methodist, etc.) Of the mainline...

Good Evening, After many years of searching for a church denomination, I settled on traditional (non-mainline) Anglicanism a few years back, and I don't regret it. I think the middle way of the Anglican tradition is closest among all existing churches to the way of the early church. However, I...

Hello! Perhaps this is a strange question to ask, but I couldn't think of a better place to ask it. I'm considering going back to graduate school to get a degree in theology (not an MDiv but something else, perhaps). However, I'm not sure if it makes sense for me to do so, and I'm hoping you...

Hello, I've been a Christian for nearly a decade, but I haven't been able to settle on a denomination. I think the two denominations that come the closest to the teachings of the Apostles are Lutheranism and Calvinism, but there are a few issues that I have yet to be able to settle. One is...

Hello, I know what the Westminster Shorter and Larger Catechisms teach about images of Jesus, but what do modern Presbyterian churches teach on this issue? I'm especially interested in the Presbyterian Church in America, but I'd like to hear about any and all denominations in the Presbyterian...

Hello All, I've long been interested in Anglicanism, but until relatively recently, I haven't lived in a place in which a regularly operating ACNA parish exists, and I never felt comfortable with the Episcopal Church, for a variety of reasons most of you could probably guess. As I've spent...

Hi, I'm having a hard time understanding what the Roman Catholic Church teaches about the sacrifice of the Mass. I've read numerous Catholic apologetics, listened to debates, and read the Catechism's section on the Mass, but I still don't think I fully understand it. The area of confusion is...