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Why You Need One
Christ did not save you to follow him alone. He gave his Word, the sacraments, and prayer to his church, and he set elders over his flock to watch for their souls (Hebrews 13:17). Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together is a command (Hebrews 10:25). A livestream, a podcast, or this website cannot baptize you, feed you at the Lord’s Table, or shepherd you.
Finding a Reformed Presbyterian Church
This site is written from within the Reformed Presbyterian tradition. The Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, the RPCNA, holds the Westminster Confession and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms as its standards, along with its own Testimony, a further statement of what it believes and practices. Its congregations sing the Psalms only, without instruments.
- Search the directory. Go to reformedpresbyterian.org/congregations (opens in a new tab) and choose your state on the map or from the list. Each congregation belongs to one of seven presbyteries, regional bodies of elders, one of them in Japan.
- Outside North America, look for the sister Reformed Presbyterian churches in Scotland, Ireland, and Australia.
- Call or write the pastor first. Say you are looking for a church and would like to visit. Ask the service times. Many congregations worship in the morning and again in the afternoon or evening.
- Visit on the Lord’s Day. If the congregation worships more than once that day, try to be at each service, so you see the whole of its life together.
- Ask about the Lord’s Supper before you come to it. Reformed Presbyterian elders guard the Table and will want to speak with visitors first. That is care, not coldness.
- Stay for the meal or the fellowship. Many congregations eat together after worship. Meet the elders and their families.
If There Is None Near You
Do not stay home. Look for the nearest church that holds the Westminster Standards in earnest and practices what they teach. Then go through the questions below with it.
- Ask the RPCNA for help. Write to the nearest congregation or presbytery and ask whether there is a mission work or a family nearby, or what they would counsel.
- Consider whether to move. Many Christians have moved to be near a faithful church. Pray about it and seek counsel.
- Do not settle for no church. An imperfect faithful church is far better than none.
Questions to Ask Any Church
- What do you believe? Does it have a written confession, and does it actually hold to it?
- Is the gospel clear? Salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, preached plainly. See How to Tell a True Church From a False One.
- Is the Word preached? Do the sermons open a passage of Scripture, explain it, and apply it?
- Is worship ordered by Scripture? Is it made of what God has commanded, Scripture read and preached, prayer, singing of psalms, and the sacraments (WCF 21.1, 21.5)? See How God Is to Be Worshiped.
- Are there elders who shepherd? Do they know the members, visit them, and exercise loving discipline?
- How do I join? A faithful church will ask about your faith and your life before receiving you as a member. Expect that, and welcome it.
Then Join It
Visiting is not belonging. Once you have found a faithful church, ask to become a member, put yourself under its elders, and stay. Serve, give, pray for it, and be there every Lord’s Day. If you are not sure where to start, write to me and I will help you look.