Question about the Presbyterian churches

[OnederWoman]

In our search for a new church home we have considered visiting a Presbyterian church. My SIL is Presbyterian and told us a little about them, but she really hasn't gone in a while so she admittingly couldn't tell us too much. She could say the church she grew up in was very Calvinist (which is a plus for us). She said some are very conservative and others liberal. We'd be interested in the conservative variety (we believe the Bible is true and our faith in God and living our walk daily is very important to us). The only thing we didn't like too much (other than the cessationist aspect... since we aren't) is that the Presbyterians baptise infants... we don't believe in infant baptism, but in baptism of the believer. Would there be a Presbyterian chuch out there that would be good for us to visit and possibly fit in at?

 

[Hands&Feet]

ThePresbyterian churches in my region are known to be liberal. I wrongly prejudged them, however. Although, the leadership of these churches is questionable, I have been pleasantly surprised to find some wonderful spirit filled believers at both churches.

Sometimes God wants to stretch us a bit to bring us out of our often myopic, sterile revelations of Him. We can miss the blessing if we place absolute theological comapatibility above His will and desire for us. Yet, we must be discerning and prayerful in our considerations.
God will show us where He wants us much better than our preconceived theological notions will.

 

[Gabriel]

In our search for a new church home we have considered visiting a Presbyterian church. My SIL is Presbyterian and told us a little about them, but she really hasn't gone in a while so she admittingly couldn't tell us too much. She could say the church she grew up in was very Calvinist (which is a plus for us). She said some are very conservative and others liberal. We'd be interested in the conservative variety (we believe the Bible is true and our faith in God and living our walk daily is very important to us). The only thing we didn't like too much (other than the cessationist aspect... since we aren't) is that the Presbyterians baptise infants... we don't believe in infant baptism, but in baptism of the believer. Would there be a Presbyterian chuch out there that would be good for us to visit and possibly fit in at?

The PCA, OPC and RPC are very conservative. The PCUSA, I don't even consider a church.

Here is a link that explains a little about why we baptise infants: http://www.christpresbyterian.com/membership/baptism.pdf

Although I am not a member of the church the link is to, I do hold to the same doctrine.

While many people hold to believers only baptism, there are instances in the bible where a person became a believer and their whole household was baptized. Lydia being one of them. Check the link out.

i do notice that you label yourself as a Charismatic Calvinist. There is a denom called the PDI that is both reformed in doctrine and charismatic. I have a good friend who attends a PDI church and he loves it. I don't know much about it, though.

 

[OnederWoman]

i do notice that you label yourself as a Charismatic Calvinist. There is a denom called the PDI that is both reformed in doctrine and charismatic. I have a good friend who attends a PDI church and he loves it. I don't know much about it, though.

PDI is 'Sovereign Grace'... we've checked them out online and like what we see from that, but there is not a PDI here We are in contact with them though. I am hoping we can get a home Bible study group started under their leadership... but, dh is not sure yet, he's still seaking God. He doesn't feel he's ready to start a group like that and to have the kind of spiritual responcibility. He is very aware of the warning to those who teach the Word and those who teach it falsely... not that he would teach false things on purpose, but he's not sure he's ready to be that accountable. I keep coming back to this in my own heart and I am praying about it... but as a woman I can only wait until my husband is ready... and not push him to be ready on my timing, but wait on God to speak to him.

I wasn't able to open the article on baptism. Is the Presbyterian church open to parents choosing to wait until their child is old enough to make a decision to follow the Lord on their own accord before the child being baptised? (I know the UMC is, that is the only reason I was able to get my Mom to accept that we were not going to baptise our son as a baby. She couldn't argue with the position of her own church).

How do PCA, OPC and RPC tend to stand on things like Halloween? We have totally moved away from it and are not comfortable going to a church supports and participates in a holiday that we see as being so pagan (no judgement here, just a personal preference... to go to a church that participated in Halloween would make it even harder on us to teach or child that we don't celebrate the holiday because it doesn't glorify the Lord).

 

[Gabriel]

PDI is 'Sovereign Grace'... we've checked them out online and like what we see from that, but there is not a PDI here We are in contact with them though. I am hoping we can get a home Bible study group started under their leadership... but, dh is not sure yet, he's still seaking God. He doesn't feel he's ready to start a group like that and to have the kind of spiritual responcibility. He is very aware of the warning to those who teach the Word and those who teach it falsely... not that he would teach false things on purpose, but he's not sure he's ready to be that accountable. I keep coming back to this in my own heart and I am praying about it... but as a woman I can only wait until my husband is ready... and not push him to be ready on my timing, but wait on God to speak to him.

I wasn't able to open the article on baptism. Is the Presbyterian church open to parents choosing to wait until their child is old enough to make a decision to follow the Lord on their own accord before the child being baptised? (I know the UMC is, that is the only reason I was able to get my Mom to accept that we were not going to baptise our son as a baby. She couldn't argue with the position of her own church).

Try typing the address into your browsser bar, that may work. Although the link opens in Adobe Reader, you may not have it.

Infant baptism is not a requirement, although if you learned a bit more about it, you may be OK with it. However, we do not require belief in it for membership, nor does any other Presbyterian church that I know of.

How do PCA, OPC and RPC tend to stand on things like Halloween? We have totally moved away from it and are not comfortable going to a church supports and participates in a holiday that we see as being so pagan (no judgement here, just a personal preference... to go to a church that participated in Halloween would make it even harder on us to teach or child that we don't celebrate the holiday because it doesn't glorify the Lord).

Against it. We have a Fall Festival on Holloween night to give the kids an alternative. They are encouraged to dress up as biblical charaCTERS AND LEARN A BIT ABOUT THE CHARACTER SO THEY CAN GIVE A SHORT TALK. THEN WE TRY TO GUESS WHO THEY ARE. Whoops sorry about the caps.

 

[OnederWoman]

Thanks Gabriel...

I found a PCA here... it's new I guess, it's a church plant. I checked out the wedsite... they have a 4 week Sunday school class for those new to PCA who want to know just what they believe and stand for. I may talk to my husband about going there for the 4 weeks to check it out.

 

[Gamecock]

How do PCA, OPC and RPC tend to stand on things like Halloween? We have totally moved away from it and are not comfortable going to a church supports and participates in a holiday that we see as being so pagan (no judgement here, just a personal preference... to go to a church that participated in Halloween would make it even harder on us to teach or child that we don't celebrate the holiday because it doesn't glorify the Lord).

I'm not sure what you mean by "participate."

In the PCA, we tend to look at what is in a persons heart, not what they choose, or choose not, to participate in.

 

[Icystwolf]

ThePresbyterian churches in my region are known to be liberal. I wrongly prejudged them, however. Although, the leadership of these churches is questionable, I have been pleasantly surprised to find some wonderful spirit filled believers at both churches.

Sometimes God wants to stretch us a bit to bring us out of our often myopic, sterile revelations of Him. We can miss the blessing if we place absolute theological comapatibility above His will and desire for us. Yet, we must be discerning and prayerful in our considerations.
God will show us where He wants us much better than our preconceived theological notions will.

I had to leave my presbyterian church based on faulty teaching, and questionable leadership.

However they do house good Christians, but what I've noticed since I've been there when I was 16 onwards till the beginning of this year, was that the people from Sunday school, whom have been in that church since they were 3, are no longer Christians.
There are some that have turned back after a couple of years of filthy worldy habits, until their parents pulled them out of trouble, overall out of the 12 I knew from my year, only 3 remained or have returned to church.
The majority of the Christians that enter there come from other church backgrounds or are newly converted.

I find it disturbing that 9 people I knew are now no longer Christians and involved in corrupt societies(Triads or Uni Union groups that use their funding to fund for their own tuition fees). It's horrible to walk down the street one day and look across the street, an ex-christian holding hands with a full on non-Christian, and the clothes so revealing and worldly..... and when you walk past them, you ignore them because I can't know them anymore...

The Presbyterian church in surry hills has a problem with their sunday school... I'm not sure about other Presbyterian churches though...

 

[OnederWoman]

Icystwolf,

Which type of presbyterian church did you go to? PCA, OPC, RPC or PCUSA?