I am obviously new here and I am just trying to get into the groove of things. I just wanted to conduct a little survey on what theologies people on CF hold to. I know I probably missed a few, if I did, just tell us in the thread. (Note: Groups not holding to the Nicene Trinity are not consider Christians in this section and thus have not been listed).
onetruechurch4, Welcome to CF!!
I firmly believe that the house churches in the Book of Acts were the churches that Jesus Christ wanted His disciples to establish.
Modern-day churches
pale in comparison to the house churches in the Book of Acts.
That being said....although I am not affiliated with Newsong Church (Santa Ana, California) in any way, I think that Newsong Church has the right focus - serving the local community/impacting the local community through
love.
My personal church journey
I was raised in Presbyterian churches (Korean Presbyterian churches).
(The Presbyterian Church is the largest Protestant Christian denomination in South Korea).
I attended a Korean Baptist church for a couple of years when I was a high school student.
After I graduated from university, I taught English in South Korea for 9 years.
While I was living in South Korea, I attended the Presbyterian church where my mother and father had their wedding ceremony.
Then I attended a Reformed church (in South Korea) that is closely tied to the Canadian Reformed Churches.
Although I loved the doctrine and theology of the Canadian Reformed Churches (
especially the Heidelberg Catechism), the Reformed church that I attended would not allow me to participate in Communion because I was not an
"official member" of the Reformed church.
I left the Reformed church that I had been attending (I was very sad when I left the Reformed church).
During the final 4 years that I lived in South Korea, I made the mistake of becoming a member of
a cult-like church that is an ultra-conservative offshoot of the Presbyterian Church in Korea.
After I permanently returned to the United States in 2012, I attended one semester at the Presbyterian Theological Seminary in America (PTSA), a Korean-language seminary that is affiliated with the liberal branch of the Presbyterian Church in Korea.
Then I attended a dispensational theological seminary for 3 semesters.
I wanted to study at Westminster Seminary California (Escondido, California)....but my father adamantly refused to allow me to study there because
he has an intense dislike for conservative theology.
After I left the dispensational seminary, I attended the English Ministry (EM) Sunday worship services at a Korean Assemblies of God church but I did not find Christian community at that church.
For at least 3 or 4 months, I did not attend church at all.
Because I was raised to believe that Sunday church attendance is mandatory, I began attending Sunday worship services at the largest Korean church in Orange County, California (4,000 church members).
To make a long story short, I disliked the fact that the senior pastor droned on and on and on for one hour every Sunday.
In early 2017, I began attending Wednesday night Bible studies at a local Church of the Nazarene.
A few months later....with my mother's blessing, I made
a clean break with the Korean Church and began attending my local Church of the Nazarene on Sundays as well as on Wednesdays.
Although my local Church of the Nazarene has less than 30 church members, I have
finally found a church that I can call my spiritual home.
