Clear in Purpose
Our purpose is simple:
- To bring glory to God through our church and individual lives
- To make known to our country and beyond the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ
Committed to God
We are called to demonstrate the love of God and the relevance of Christ’s message of deliverance to a society that is weary of sin. We enjoy meeting together to worship our Creator and Redeemer. In worship, God’s people adore him, bring Him thanks, ask for His help and receive the blessing of His presence. Through the preaching of the gospel, God announces his saving acts and calls people to believing and obedient responses to His Word.
Grounded in Scripture
The twentieth century has witnessed the progressive rejection of authority. However, we believe God’s Word, the Bible, is the authoritative Word of God, the only infallible rule for our faith and conduct. We believe that the Word 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
Our church is not new. We trace our historic roots to the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation in it’s seventeenth- century doctrinal statement, the Westminster Confession of Faith, together with its Larger and Shorter Catechism. Our denomination understands the importance of defending and maintaining the truth in God’s Word. In fact, in 1936 the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) was established as a testimony to the Bible when it’s authority was denied. Our minister, elders and deacons sincerely receive and adopt these Wesminster Standards as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures and known as Reformed Faith.
Church 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 presbuteros, meaning elder. Harrisville Orthodox Presbyterian Church follows the Biblical pattern for continuing 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, representative from denominations of 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 ortho-dontist comes from the Greek word straight. The dox in ortho-dox 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 into practice.
Take The Next Step
If you are looking for a church that..
- honors God as the sovereign Lord of the universe
- lives by the lifting power of the Holy Spirit
- insists upon the absolute authority of God’s Word
… then we invite you to join us in glorifying God through the worship, work, and witness of Calvary Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Harrisville, PA.