You may be wondering where our name comes from. Our name has four parts and each tells you something about us:
Reformation — Reformation refers to the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. Under the leadership of Rome, the church had been greatly compromised. Salvation was believed to be a joint effort between man and God. Indulgences (forgiveness of sin) were being sold for contributions to church building projects. The church had become man-centered and not focused upon God. Certain men were used by God to bring Reformation to this situation. Men such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli and others were used by God to remind us that salvation is by Grace Alone, through Faith Alone, in Christ Alone. They also reminded us that the Scriptures Alone are God's inerrant rule for faith and practice (not Scripture and Tradition). Most importantly they reminded that all things are to be done for God's Glory Alone. At Reformation OPC we seek to stand by these convictions.
Orthodox — Orthodox simply means "right thinking." What we think and what we believe is very important. To think wrongly about God leads to wrong practice and to the glorification of man instead of God. At Reformation OPC we seek to bring all of our thoughts captive to the Word of God (2 Corinthians 10:5).
Presbyterian — The word "Presbyterian" refers to our system of government. Churches were never meant to be independent or run by a single leader. We see in Acts 15 the model set for us by the first apostles. They gathered together at Jerusalem to work through weighty matters. No individual handed down an edict, for Christ alone is head of the Church. Rather the elders (to whom Christ had entrusted his Church) looked at the Scriptures and came to a biblical conclusion. This is Presbyterianism — a church governed by elders who sit as equals (in mutual submission to one another).
Church — Christ promised to build his church and that the gates of hell would not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). It is for this reason that we believe that the Church is God's gift to the world. This does not mean that any church is perfect. But we do believe that the Church is God's ordained means for working in the world: it is through the Church that the Scriptures are properly proclaimed (1 Timothy 3:15); it is the Church that properly administers the sacraments (Acts 2:42); it is the Church that we are commanded to attend regularly (Hebrews 10:24-25); it is the Church that administers God's discipline (Matthew 18). At Reformation OPC we have no delusions that we are perfect. But it is our earnest desire to be used of God to proclaim the Bible accurately, to administer the sacraments faithfully, to edify the saints regularly and to protect the honor of Christ and care for his flock through godly discipline.
This is why we are a part of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (denomination) and why our church chose the name Reformation. We hope that this humble manifestation of God's church will be a blessing to you and your family.
Read the article, Born Amid Hardship from New Horizons (July 2005) about Reformation OPC; and the follow up article in the December 2005 New Horizons.
Read the July 2007 article from New Horizon's magazine on Reformation OPC!
We now publish sermons and Sunday school as podcasts. Click the here for more information.