Welcome to our Beliefs Page!

You have done well to click on this page to determine what we as a church believe!  The church of Christ is at its heart a teaching ministry.  Jesus instructed his disciples to go forth and make disciples through preaching and baptism, and to teach them all things which Jesus taught them.  So, of utmost importance is for you to know what a church believes and teaches.

We may summarize what we believe by saying that we are a Reformed church.  Which means that we believe the teachings of the Reformation.  And we may summarize the teachings of the Reformation in five simple points.  

• The first is "sola scripture", which means Scripture Alone.  This teaching says that Scripture alone is our authority for what we believe and how we are to live.  This stands over against teaching that says the traditions of man or man's unaided reason are man's standard of truth.

• The second is "sola fide", or faith alone.  This teaching says that we are declared to be righteous in the sight of God, or justified, not on the basis of our works, but only by faith in Jesus Christ.  

• The third is "sola gratia", or grace alone.  This teaching says man can not earn God's favor, but such favor comes to man by God's grace.  Man can not be saved from his sin by what he does, but only by what God does for him.  

• The fourth is "sola Christus", or Christ alone.  This teaching says that it is Christ and him alone that can save man from his sin.  

• And fifth is "sola Deo gloria", or glory to God alone.  This teaching says that because salvation is all of God, and none of man, that God gets all the glory and we do not.

So much more can be said.  If you want to know more, see the information below.  We will leave you with one last piece of information about our church.  We are a "no nonsense church", a no gimmicks church.  What you see is what you get.  We unashamedly preach and teach the bible, even though many of the teachings of the bible are not popular in today's culture.  And by the Grace of God alone, we will remain faithful to these convictions and the doctrines of grace contained in His Word.  

Soli Deo Gloria!

Church Doctrines and Beliefs

• A BRIEF AND UNTECHNICAL STATEMENT OF THE REFORMED FAITH by Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield

GROUNDED IN SCRIPTURE

We believe that the Bible alone gives us the correct knowledge of who God is and how we may please him. It teaches that God the Father gave up his Son Jesus Christ to death on the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of his people. We want to share with you the joy that comes from a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

PRESBYTERIAN IN CHARACTER

• Belief. Our church is not new. We trace our historic roots to the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation and its seventeenth-century doctrinal statement, the Westminster Confession of Faith, together with its Larger and Shorter Catechisms. Our denomination understands the importance of defending and maintaining the truths of God's Word. In fact, in 1936 The Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) was established as a testimony to the Bible when its authority was denied. Our minister, elders and deacons sincerely receive and adopt these Westminster Standards as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures and known as the Reformed faith.
  
• Government. From the time of Abraham in the Old Testament, God's church has been led by wise elders, men gifted by God and called to govern his church. The word presbyterian comes from the New Testament Greek word presbeuteros, meaning elder. Pilgrim Orthodox Presbyterian Church follows this biblical pattern for church government. Our elders along with our pastor form a session to care for the spiritual welfare of our members. Matters of a common concern for churches in a region, such as establishing new congregations and ordaining ministers, are regulated by a body of ministers and elders called a presbytery. Annually, representatives of our denomination's twelve presbyteries form a general assembly to give the whole Church direction and advice.
  
• Why the Name Orthodox? Everyone knows that an orthodontist is concerned about straight teeth. The ortho in orthodontist comes from the Greek word for straight. The dox in orthodox comes from the Greek word for thinking. So, in an Orthodox Presbyterian Church you will find straight teaching following the long accepted pattern given in the Bible. We are a church that believes what the Bible says and we try to put it into practice.

The Orthodox Presbyterian Church was founded as a denomination in 1936 and has congregations throughout the United States and mission works in eleven other countries.  The term "Orthodox" refers to the historically received teaching of the Church.  We are unreservedly committed to the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the divinely inspired, inerrant Word of God.  We accept them as the only infallible rule of faith and life.

Our beliefs are given officially and more fully in The Westminster Confession of Faith, The Larger Catechism, and The Shorter Catechism.  These are wonderful tools for studying the Bible and learning about the reformed faith.

The term "Presbyterian" in our name, refers to the method of church government.  Presbyters, commonly called "elders," are church officers who have been called by God and chosen by the members of the church to govern it through a series of assemblies which start at the local congregational level and continue through regional and national levels.

The Orthodox Presbyterian Church believes, in broad summary:

• in the one sovereign God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
• that God directly created mankind as a unique being, in communion with God
• that mankind broke communion by sinning against God, and earned eternal punishment
• that in grace God responded to that sin by establishing a covenant to send his Son, Jesus Christ, to save His people from their sin
• that Jesus came, died in the place of sinners, and earned eternal life for all who believe in Him
• that He called all men to repent of their sin and to believe in Him
• that Jesus was resurrected to life, ascended into heaven, and will come again in glory to judge the world and receive into God's presence forever all who have believed in Him

The Orthodox Presbyterian Church is steadfastly committed to promoting the glory of God.  She has seen His hand guide, protect, and even reprove her during the short sixty-plus years of her existence.  She was born out of persecution for the sake of the Gospel, nurtured in adversity, and strengthened as she sought to fulfill her Master's call.  She strives to keep her eyes fixed on Christ Jesus, her Savior and Lord.  By the strength of His Spirit, she endeavors to live righteously in full obedience to His Word, her only rule for faith and life.

Calvary OPC is a member of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, a conservative and evangelical Presbyterian denomination of 200 churches. We are a church committed to the Bible and believe its teachings are accurately summarized and explained in the historic statements of faith, the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms. These teachings include the:

Many people today are looking for a church that is true to the Bible and speaks to the needs of our day.  The search is complicated, however, because of the wide variety of churches to be found in most communities.  Some local churches are faithful to God's Word, but many are not.  Some think that they are following the Bible, but have fallen into serious error.

Other people belong to a local church that is faithful to the Bible, yet their denomination is drifting away from it.  Such churches or groups within them may be looking to realign with a denomination that remains faithful to the Scriptures.

If you are looking for a local church or a denomination that confesses the Bible to be the Word of God, and has made it her authority for faith and life, we invite you to find out more about the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC).

Where Should I Worship?

    There may be no more pressing question for you to ask yourself today.  How would you answer?  Many would say: "In the church where I was raised," or "Where there is warmth and friendliness."   Others seek security in a big church or fellowship in a small church.  Choirs, organs, active children, youth and adult programs, beautiful buildings and yes, even the personality of the preacher are primary considerations for many.

    But none of these are basis for a proper decision on where to worship.  Instead look for these qualities:  First -- Faithfulness to God's inspired and infallible Word, the Bible, in doctrine and practice.  Many churches today have strayed from this faithfulness.  Second -- Biblically correct understanding and practice of the sacraments of  Baptism and the Lord's Supper.  Many churches add other rituals which they call sacraments while still others use the sacraments in ways inconsistent with their biblically intended use.  Third -- Seriousness about the people there growing in their understanding and faithful living out the Gospel of Jesus Christ in every area of life.  Many churches uncaringly and unlovingly allow their members to follow the path of destruction rather than trying to lovingly return them to the path of eternal life.

    This is where Calvary Orthodox Presbyterian Church begins!  We cordially invite you to come and worship the Lord with us each Sunday.  Calvary Orthodox Presbyterian Church is a Gospel believing Presbyterian Church.  The Orthodox Presbyterian Church is an evangelical and Calvinistic denomination which believes and teaches that the Bible is the inspired and infallible Word of God to mankind for all ages and the only rule for faith and obedience.

What We Believe

   A more detailed summary of what we believe as a Church is found in the historic Westminster Confession of Faith and the Westminster Larger and Shorter Catechisms.   Very briefly, we believe that the Bible and the Lord Jesus Christ are the final, inspired, inerrant and living Word of God to mankind for all time and the only rule for true faith and practice.  We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal and divine Son of God, who took on the form of a man and lived a sinless life.  We believe in His virgin birth and the miracles which He performed during His earthly ministry.  We believe that He willingly offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice on the cross for the sins of His people.  We believe that He died as a substitute for His people on that cross, taking upon Himself their sins and the judgment of God for those sins once and for all. We believe that He was buried and on the first day of the week He rose bodily from being dead.  We believe that after appearing to many witnesses, Jesus ascended to heaven where He sovereignly rules over all the affair of mankind and will return in all His heavenly glory with His angels and judge mankind.  We also believe that every person is born a sinner, spiritually dead and is in rebellion against God, and  because of this, every person is in need of a Savior. We believe there is nothing that anyone can do or contribute in any way to earn their own salvation, it is a free gift of God's grace.  Therefore to know the salvation of God in Jesus Christ, a person must be born again spiritually by  Holy Spirit that they then might believe and be saved.  These are some of the tenants of the Reformed Faith as summarized in the Westminster Confession and its Catechisms.  For more information on the Reformed Faith click on  "What is the Reformed Faith?"

• We believe that the Bible is God's true and holy Word.
• We believe that God, the Creator, is in perfect control of all things.
• We believe that man's sin has led to separation and alienation from God.
• We believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, by virtue of His life, death, and resurrection, is the only true means of reconciliation and salvation for His people, the Church.
• We believe that the Holy Spirit alone is able to give new life in Christ.
• We believe that it is man's proper response to the gospel message to repent from sins and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for salvation.
• We believe that the fruit of salvation is a life of grateful obedience to the Words of God under the Lordship of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.
• We anticipate the personal, glorious return of Christ to confer upon His people that fullness of their salvation and grant to them eternal life in heaven.

Our official "Statement of Faith" is actually a centuries-old group of documents known as The Westminster Standards. They were formulated during the days of the Protestant Reformation and are an attempt to set forth orthodox Christian teaching. (The word "orthodox" in our name means "correct belief.") To learn more about the Orthodox Presbyterian Church check these links: Why the Orthodox Presbyterian Church? and What Is the Orthodox Presbyterian Church?

• The whole counsel of God is either expressly set down in the inspired, inerrant Bible or may be deduced from it.
• There is but one God, who exists in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• God is sovereign and has from eternity ordained whatever comes to pass.
• The eternal God created all other things from nothing, including this world and its creatures, in six ordinary days.
• Mankind was created mature, male and female, and in the image of God, with dominion over the earthly creation.
• God is always governing and controlling what he has created.
• The first man and woman disobeyed God and brought the whole human race under the curse of sin. All people are sinners and deserve the punishment of hell.
• God, according to his own mercy, entered into a covenant of grace with mankind by which he offers forgiveness of sins and life eternal by Jesus Christ.
• As many as are ordained to eternal life will repent of sin and believe in Christ as Lord.
• Whosoever will, may come to Christ, but whoever repents and believes does so only by the grace of God and in accordance with his sovereign decree.
• Christ alone can save from sin and death. This he did by dying on the cross and rising from the dead for his chosen people.
• Christ (the Messiah) is Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus is God the Son, second person of the Holy Trinity, who entered this world through virgin birth and became fully human without giving up any of his divinity.
• Jesus, having been crucified, was really dead. On the third day he arose from the dead and remains alive forever.
• He is now at the right hand of God the Father, and when he has gathered his people and humbled all his enemies, he will return to judge the living and the dead.
• God's chosen people are made to hear the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. By means of the new birth the Holy Spirit inwardly calls and enables them to believe.
• Believers are adopted into God's family and declared righteous in his sight, having been credited with the perfect obedience of Jesus. At conversion the Holy Spirit begins to work in them to root out indwelling sin and to increase their conformity to the Law of God.
• Since salvation depends on God and not on our efforts, a person whom God has saved will continue in faith and can never be lost.
• All those whom Christ has saved are the Church. He has commanded the Church to go to all nations with the message of salvation, and to the Church he has given the responsibility for the ingathering and perfecting of his people.
• Baptism and the Lord's Supper are the ordinances of the Covenant of Grace. Only true believers should partake of Lord's Supper, since it is required that they understand the meaning of Christ's sacrifice upon the Cross. But both believers and their children are to be baptized, since baptism, like its predecessor, circumcision, is a sign of belonging to God's covenant people, not merely of faith.
• The spirits of those who die in the Lord go immediately to be with him in conscious fellowship in heaven. Their bodies remain in the dust of the earth until the general resurrection at the return of Christ, at which time soul and body will be reunited in glorious fashion. The wicked shall also be raised for the purpose of judgment and everlasting punishment.

The Westminster Standards

The historical doctrinal standards of presbyterian churches in America were born in England and carried to the "New World" by those who settled here. The development of these standards has an interesting history. England, like other European countries, was under the rule of the Roman Catholic Church. The 16th century Protestant Reformation in England had many peculiarities. One of these is that the Reformation in England was more political than it was religious. England did not have an outstanding Reformation leader like Luther, Zwingli, Calvin or Knox. Instead, as the Roman Catholic Church became more and more secular the people of England began to view the power of the Pope as just another foreign prince and they began to resent his rule.

In spite of this discontent, it was King of England and his desire for a divorce that propelled the Church of England into the Reformation. King Henry VIII desired to divorce his wife, Catherine, and marry Anne Boleyn instead. When the Pope failed to grant the divorce King Henry had Parliament pass a law which made him head of the Church of England. While King Henry replaced the Pope as head of the Church of England, he still maintained that any doctrine contrary to the Catholic Church, and failure to acknowledge him as head of the Church of England were heresy. So, when Henry died in 1547 the Church of England was still, for the most part, solidly Catholic.

Nevertheless, sentiment for the Reformation grew during the reign of Henry VIII, and with the succession of his son Edward IV, many changes were implemented. These changes moved the Church of England steadily toward reform. At the point where it appeared a complete reformation was possible, Edward IV died and was succeeded by his sister Mary in 1553.

Mary was strongly Catholic and proceeded to undo all the changes that had been made. Laws passed during the reign of Edward IV regarding the church were repealed, the Catholic form of worship was restored, and church leaders favoring reform were removed from office. Bloody Mary, as she came to be known, had almost 300 church leaders executed for heresy. Many other church leaders fled to Geneva where they were warmly welcomed by John Calvin. The previous work of the reform in England was completely undone.

Mary was succeeded to the throne by her sister Elizabeth in 1558. Elizabeth had been educated under the supervision of Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Cranmer, a prominent Protestant, was martyerd by Queen Mary. Elizabeth, a Protestant, now took the opportunity to reestablish the Protestant movement in the Church of England. The persecutions of Bloody Mary had done much to arouse sentiment against the Catholic Church and this worked in the favor of reform. Many of the Protestants who fled to Calvin's Geneva under Queen Mary now returned, greatly influenced by Calvin's ideas. Because these reformers wished to see the Church of England purified, they were called Puritans.

The changes made during the 40+ year reign of Queen Elizabeth would not be undone. Even though the Puritans saw oppression under Elizabeth's successors James I and Charles I, they continued to gain prominence in Parliament. When Charles I tried to overthrow the Puritan controlled Parliament he was defeated in the Thirty Years War by Oliver Cromwell and executed in 1649. During this civil war Parliament abolished the form of government in the Church of England and convened an assembly of 121 clergymen and 30 laymen to create a new creed and form of church government. This Westminster Assembly (so-called because it met in Westminster) was overwhelmingly made up of Puritan Presbyterians.

The Westminster Assembly, which did its work thoroughly and well, turned out to be one of the most influential gatherings in the history of the church. This Assembly, which met from 1643 to 1647, drew up the Westminster Confession of Faith and prepared the Westminster Larger Catechism for use from the pulpit and the Westminster Shorter Catechism for the teaching of children. The Confession of Faith is the last great creed to come out of the Protestant Reformation. The Confession of Faith and the two catechisms, all excellent expositions of Reformed doctrine, were adopted by Parliament in 1648. The Confession of Faith was also adopted by the General Assembly of Scotland. This work of reforming the Church of England to Calvinism was completed in 1648, the same year the Thirty Years War ended with the Peace of Westphalia.

This is not the end of the story, however. Upon the death of Oliver Cromwell, Charles II (Son of Charles I) was restored to the throne. Charles II, and his brother James II who succeeded him, implemented many changes that moved the Church of England back towards Catholicism. The Puritans, who desired to reform the church from within, were now forced to separate from the church instead.

Conspiring with Louis the XIV of France, James II planned to completely restore the Church of England to Catholicism. Mary, daughter of James II, was married to William III, king of the Netherlands. A champion of Protestantism, William drove James II from power and William and Mary were crowned King and Queen of England in 1688. James II, with the support of the French army, returned to occupy the Catholic area of Southern Ireland. The people of Northern Ireland, which were strongly Protestant, supported William. William defeated James in 1690 at the Battle of Boyne, saving Protestantism for Holland, England and America. The result was that religious toleration was granted to Protestant dissenters and they could now freely worship alongside the established Episcopal Church of England.

The Westminster Standards ( the Confession and Catechisms) continue to be the doctrinal standards of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.

The Nature of Worship

Corporate worship is the formal gathering of God's people in the court of the King of kings and Lord of lords. We come, as one body and many parts, to hear the voice of our God and to present ourselves to Him. Worship is to be God-centered. Our focus is not to be on what we get out of it or what we give to it, for God does not desire our sacrifices and offerings, but the heart that brings them (Psalm 51:16-17; Hebrews 10:4-10). Rather, our focus is to be on Christ. Therefore, the worship of our God is, and historically has been, centered in the proclamation of the whole counsel of God; the rehearsing of His law and of the blessings and cursings of the covenant, the good news of our salvation, our hope in Jesus Christ, and the call to repentance, faith, and service.

Music and Worship

Music is a gift from God. It is a powerful form of human expression that communicates more than words alone. It is a way of communicating the heart, or whole, of the person: the mind, the emotions, and the spirit. It was created to be enjoyed, understood, appreciated and used for His glory by promoting His worship, upholding His laws and bringing the joy of salvation to those experiencing it.

As an integral part of worship, music is the congregation's primary opportunity to express, both as a body and as individuals, it's heart. Music must not draw attention to itself, the singer or musician, but must aid in the delivery of the message. The music, words and instruments should work together as a single expression that is consistent, both in style and lyric, with the truth of Scripture, with our Reformed heritage and with the faithful worship of a Holy God. Music, when used in worship, must be a source of joy, peace, inspiration, pardon and adoration. Hebrews 13:15 states: "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that confess his name." 

Covenant of Grace Church incorporates several creeds, catechisms and a confession as part of its system of beliefs. A creed is a concise, written summary of Biblical doctrine. Philip Schaff, in his book The Creeds of Christendom, defines a creed as "a confession of faith for public use...setting forth with authority certain articles of belief which are regarded by the framers as necessary for salvation, or at least for the well-being of the Christian Church."

A creed usually results from a doctrinal controversy and is intended to be a concise statement to refute errors. Creeds in the Protestant church are always based on the revelation of Scripture which we believe is the only infallible rule of Christian faith and practice. The value of creeds depends upon the measure of their agreement with the Scriptures. Creeds and Confessions, when submitted to Scriptural authority, are the summaries of the doctrines of the Bible. They are standards and guards against false doctrine and practice. We use two creeds - the Apostle's Creed and the Nicene Creed.

Apostle's Creed

The Apostle's Creed is believed to be the earliest creed of the Christian church. This summary of Christian doctrine has been called the Apostle's Creed because some believed it was the product of the Apostles who prepared it as a summary of their teaching before leaving Jerusalem. Others believed the Apostles wrote this creed on the tenth day after Christ's ascension into heaven. In reality, the Apostle's creed was developed between the second and ninth centuries but nonetheless the name stuck. However, each of the doctrines found in the creed can be traced to statements current in the apostolic period. It is the most popular creed used in worship by Western Christians. Its central doctrines are those of the Trinity and God the Creator, refuting the heresy of Gnosticism.

The Gnostics believed:

• The physical universe is evil and God did not make it.
• God could not have taken a human body, but distinguished between the divine Christ and the man Jesus.
• The teachings or knowledge of Christianity could only be understood by a select number of people and that men did not need forgiveness but enlightenment.
• The ultimate goal of the Gnostics was to be free from the taint of matter and the shackles of the body and to return to the realm as Pure Spirit.

We continue to use the Apostle's Creed to be reminded of the core truths of Christianity.

(*or "universal church")

Nicene Creed

The Nicene Creed was produced by the Council of Nicea in the year 325 AD. This council lasted two months and twelve days and was attended by the Emperor Contantine along with three hundred eighteen bishops. Emperor Constantine summoned the council of Bishops in Nicea to repudiate Arius.

Arius was a presbyter in Alexandria in Egypt in the early 300's (4th c.). He taught that the Father, in the beginning created (or begot) the Son, and that the Son, in conjunction with the Father, then proceeded to create the world. The result of this was to make the Son a created being, and hence not God in any meaningful sense (but the closest thing to it). Alexander, Bishop of Alexandria, sent for Arius and questioned him. Arius did not recant from his position and was excommunicated by a council of Egyptian bishops. The Arian position has been revived in our own day by the Jehovah's Witnesses, who hail Arius as a great witness to the truth.

The Nicene Creed was further modified at the Council of Constantinople in 381 AD where Pope Damscus, Emperor Theodosius I and one hundred fifty bishops added the clauses referring to the Holy Ghost and defined His deity.  The creed was confirmed at the Council of Chalcedon in 451 where the two natures of Jesus Christ were further clarified and explicated.  

The Nicene Creed is the most widely accepted and used brief statements of the Christian Faith. Many groups that do not have a tradition of using it in their services nevertheless are committed to the doctrines that it teaches (such groups as: Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Calvinists).

Copyright 2000 - Calvary OPCA, Ringoes, NJ