Opnions sought concerning church membership

[ClementofRome]

This is a long and sordid story, but as there are so many thoughtful folk on this board, I thought I would ask for opinions concerning our situation.

I am quite reformed in my theology (wife too, to a large extent). We are members of a PCA church, but for the past two years have attended a United Methodist Church. I grew up a Methodist PK, so it brings back memories for me....however, the reason we began going to the UMC is that the PCA was 1/2 hour drive one way and our daughters are now in youth group and the drive simply became unmanagable. The UMC is only about 2 blocks away.

I know the UMC pastor well and in fact he is reformed to a degree, having reveived his MDiv from an ARP seminary. Though we have not joined the UMC church, I have taught the adult SS class there for the past year. We are NOT church shoppers (member at PCA church since '88) and we are into committment and there is some small pressure to join so as to take a more formal leadership role in the church.

I am not a fan of the UMC itenerancy system of sending pastors and I know that the current pastor's days are numbered at that church. As it is a small, rural church, things could change dramatically with a new pastor.

As any rate, I am rambling.....this is a much more complicated situation that I have detailed above. Are there any reformed Methodists in the group?

What are your opinions as to church membership in a non-reformed denomination, even through I can teach what I like and am free to believe what I want to believe?

 

[Elderone]

What are your opinions as to church membership in a non-reformed denomination, even through I can teach what I like and am free to believe what I want to believe?

Possibly the following will be of some help solving your problem.

To whom do you go when you have a theological question?

If the current pastor is replaced with one who is not a bit reformed, where will you get the reformed, or even conservative, teaching of God's word?

Who can come to you and give correction if you go astray?

Since we humans are depraved we tend to gravitate downward, no matter how hard we try, if we don't have someone who can pull us up.

Your family is continually getting mixed messages about the Word of God in your present arrangement. A move is in the best eternal interests of your family.

In His Service

 

[Bradford]

What are your opinions as to church membership in a non-reformed denomination, even through I can teach what I like and am free to believe what I want to believe?

You answered your own question... that situation could change in a matter of months, if (when?) the pastor is moved... Go and lurk on TAW, and you'll see that many over there drive far more than 30 minutes each way to attend church...

(Or, being from NC; maybe there is an ARPC, OPC, RPCUS, etc. church that is closer?)

 

[ClementofRome]

Possibly the following will be of some help solving your problem.

To whom do you go when you have a theological question?

If the current pastor is replaced with one who is not a bit reformed, where will you get the reformed, or even conservative, teaching of God's word?

Who can come to you and give correction if you go astray?

Since we humans are depraved we tend to gravitate downward, no matter how hard we try, if we don't have someone who can pull us up.

Your family is continually getting mixed messages about the Word of God in your present arrangement. A move is in the best eternal interests of your family.

In His Service

Thank you very much for your response.
God Bless.

 

[ClementofRome]

You answered your own question... that situation could change in a matter of months, if (when?) the pastor is moved... Go and lurk on TAW, and you'll see that many over there drive far more than 30 minutes each way to attend church...

(Or, being from NC; maybe there is an ARPC, OPC, RPCUS, etc. church that is closer?)

Thanks for your reply. As for the travel....it was not just a 30 minute one way trip that causes the concern but the following:

Sunday morning...1 hour round trip
Sunday afternoon for youth...1 hour round trip
Sunday evening to pick up from youth...1 hour round trip

3 hours on the road on Sunday was not only tiring, but it simply became un-doable.

Blessings to you.

 

[cajunhillbilly]

Perhaps you could start a reformed church in your area.

 

[rmwilliamsll]

You ask a really important question and show your emotional and theological problems clearly, for that i am grateful.

I think our culture deeply effects big pieces of our faith. We think nothing of commuting 3 hours per day to a good job. Distance is more than physical, it is psychological as well.
i think the ideal for the church is local, like the old parish ideal where you went to the church whose bells you could hear, within walking distance.

i've never come close to that ideal. for many years we didnt own a car, and rode bicycles with kids 12 miles one way to church. we solved the problem of multiple services by having people near the church offer us lunch and a place to lay the kids down for naps for the evening service and the long bike ride home.

we make adjustments and compromises that we know we really oughtn't to be making. but the alternatives just don't readily come to mind sometimes. perhaps that ought to be all of our prayers for you, alternatives.

i wish you the best, and will remember you to our gracious Lord.

 

[Wilfred of Ivanhoe]

Thanks for your reply. As for the travel....it was not just a 30 minute one way trip that causes the concern but the following:

Sunday morning...1 hour round trip
Sunday afternoon for youth...1 hour round trip
Sunday evening to pick up from youth...1 hour round trip

3 hours on the road on Sunday was not only tiring, but it simply became un-doable.

Blessings to you.

I too have this problem. My wife and I have a 30 minute drive to church. I am the sort who would like to be at church as often as possible. Not because church membership & activity look good or because I think it will get me to heaven, but that the more I am around like-minded beleivers, the more God grows me in grace.

 

[Knight]

An elder at our church once told me that, when he was seeking a church upon moving into the area, he wanted a church that would at least tolerate the Reformed view.

This seemed like a good place to start to me. I do understand your attachment to the UMC. I was raised in the Church of the Bretheren (www.bretheren.org) and I have a similar emotional connection there. However, I don't think I could attend one of these churches simply because of the theological differences.

I think that it is important to have a local church but it is also important for a church to rightly handle the word of God.

 

[Wilfred of Ivanhoe]

An elder at our church once told me that, when he was seeking a church upon moving into the area, he wanted a church that would at least tolerate the Reformed view.

This seemed like a good place to start to me. I do understand your attachment to the UMC. I was raised in the Church of the Bretheren (www.bretheren.org) and I have a similar emotional connection there. However, I don't think I could attend one of these churches simply because of the theological differences.

I think that it is important to have a local church but it is also important for a church to rightly handle the word of God.

My mother-in-law gave us this confused look when we told her we were now attending a church in Beaumont. She rather naively (and I say this in love) believes that all churchs are good, and that the only ravening wolves of the flock are the tele-evangelists on TV. Our tiny little town of 8,000 people has 17 churchs. I know that one of them is reformed, 2nd Baptist church. I even have lunch with their interim minister and full-time youth minister. However, although we agree on the doctrines of grace and enjoy many of the same authors, since coming to a Presbyterian church, I could never go back to a Baptist church. The minister at Reformed Presbyterian is positively the finest minister I have ever heard, other than the greats such as Spurgeon and so forth. I have no problem being a part of a church that is so far away.

My wife and I have a Monday evening Bible study with two couples. One of the couples used to live in Arkansas and had a 1 hour drive each Sunday to go to a PCA church. If that is what it took, I'd do it as well!