Denominations that fit that the following criteria?

[staceyobu]

We are currently at a Presbyterian Church in America. I’m just curious what other denominations we could visit that might be similar.

 

I’m looking for:

Infant baptism

Reformed

Liturgical

Not universal in their faith approach (not all paths lead to God, nor all theology is acceptable)

 

Thanks for suggestions!

[MFG]

Any of the churches listed here should fit that criteria.

http://www.naparc.org/member-churches/

[Storygirl]

Lutheran.

 

Methodist. Maybe. I grew up in a Methodist church that would have fit those parameters, but I think some Methodist churches have changed since then.

[marbel]

Orthodox Presbyterian Church is a "sister" denomination of the PCA.   I'm never sure what people mean by "liturgical" as it seems to mean different things to different people. So not sure about that.  But the rest of your list, yes.  ETA: Asked my husband (OPC pastor) and he said yes we are liturgical unless the person defines that as following the liturgical year.  Yeah, I am that dense about my own denomination.  :-) 

 

http://opc.org/

 

 

Pretty sure the Evangelical Prebysterian Church is also similar.

 

https://www.epc.org/

 

Edited January 7, 2018 by marbel

[purpleowl]

I was also going to mention OPC. 

 

ETA: I just looked at the NAPARC link that MFG posted upthread, and I agree. 

Edited January 7, 2018 by purpleowl

[Katy]

Methodist doesn't fit.  They aren't reformed and are frequently very liberal leaning universal.

[Rockhopper]

Anglican (ACNA)

 

Reformed in the reformed Catholic sense (not TULIP), and sacramental.

 

Our journey away from big-box evangelical began with PCA but we found "home" as Anglicans. Love, love, love Anglican liturgy. Anglican theology is prayer book theology -- our prayers shape our beliefs. Anglican fundamentals are firm but it's a focus on the majors, not the minors, mentality i.e. there's never going to be a church statement on the age of the earth!

Edited January 8, 2018 by Rockhopper

[solascriptura]

The OPC would probably fit. 

[ScoutTN]

Methodist churches are by definition Arminian, not Reformed, in their soteriology (theolgy of salvation). Very different from the PCA.

Lutheran is much closer, IF it is a conservative, evangelical sub-set. (Sorry, I'm not up on the various Lutheran denominations.)

Orthodox Presbyterian shares a publishing house with the PCA. OPC is a shade more conservative, theologically and culturally.

Evangelical Presbyterian is close too. It is a bit to the left of the PCA.

One good way to compare is by reading carefully the denomination's confessional statements. For the PCA, that wiuld be the Westminster Confession of Faith. Churches very close to the PCA will usually have historic documents as a statement of faith, not just a page or two on their website.

Edited January 7, 2018 by ScoutTN

[Dmmetler]

Missouri or Wisconsin synod Lutheran might be a good fit.

[Laurie4b]

We are currently at a Presbyterian Church in America. I’m just curious what other denominations we could visit that might be similar.

 

I’m looking for:

Infant baptism

Reformed

Liturgical

Not universal in their faith approach (not all paths lead to God, nor all theology is acceptable)

 

Thanks for suggestions!

 

Wnat is prompting you to think about switching? Something about that particular church or the denomination. Listing what you don't want might also be helpful in narrowing down people's suggestions. 

[Wheres Toto]

Methodist doesn't fit.  They aren't reformed and are frequently very liberal leaning universal.

 

This is what I was thinking.  I've been UMC my whole life and I definitely think they lean universal.

[ktgrok]

Lutheran.

 

Methodist. Maybe. I grew up in a Methodist church that would have fit those parameters, but I think some Methodist churches have changed since then.

 

Are Lutheran's reformed? I wouldn't think so, although those that are reformed are I'm sure welcome. Same with Methodists. I can't really think of a Reformed denomination that has infant baptism and is liturgical other than the Presbyterian ones, and even those I don't think of as highly liturgical. 

 

Take out the Reformed bit and you get a lot more. Lutheran denominations (there are several), Episcopal, Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, some Methodists are somewhat liturgical, some are not. 

[J-rap]

I grew up in an ELCA Lutheran church, and I'd say it fits most of those categories, although I admit I don't really understand what reformed means.  :)  (Also, I don't attend that denomination anymore.)

 

ELCA has a wide swath though.  Some are quite liberal leaning while others are very conservative and traditional.  

 

 

[PeachyDoodle]

Are Lutheran's reformed? I wouldn't think so, although those that are reformed are I'm sure welcome. Same with Methodists. I can't really think of a Reformed denomination that has infant baptism and is liturgical other than the Presbyterian ones, and even those I don't think of as highly liturgical. 

 

Take out the Reformed bit and you get a lot more. Lutheran denominations (there are several), Episcopal, Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, some Methodists are somewhat liturgical, some are not. 

 

No, Lutherans are definitely NOT Reformed.

 

However, depending on what the OP means by "Reformed," a confessional Lutheran church (WELS, LCMS, etc.) might still be a good fit. Lutherans will not hold to most of five-point Calvinism. Some Lutherans I know call themselves "1.5-point Calvinists" (meaning they hold to Total Depravity and Unconditional Election, but only of the saved -- Lutherans do not believe God predestines anyone to damnation -- but reject the rest). Otherwise, Lutheranism can have much in common with Reformed traditions, such as the sufficiency of scripture, etc.

 

But as a Reformed Calvinist-turned-Lutheran, I always encourage people who *think* they're Reformed to check into Lutheranism.  ;)

[ScoutTN]

Do Lutheran churches teach baptismal regeneration? That would be a big difference too.

 

Understanding of Christ's presence in Communion/the Lord's Supper/ the Eucharist will be another big divider, like baptism.

 

 

 

 

[ScoutTN]

The infant baptism is the sticky part. If you’re willing to go with a church that does a believer’s baptism and just infant dedications sans sprinkling I can think of a few more options.

 

Yes, we have several excellent reformed baptist churches here. Not the "Reformed Baptist" official denomination, just SBC congregations which have a presbyterian form of government (though they don't call it that!  ;) ) and hold reformed positions on how salvation works, the sovereignty of God etc. Al Mohler type pastors. 

[PeachyDoodle]

Do Lutheran churches teach baptismal regeneration? That would be a big difference too.

 

Understanding of Christ's presence in Communion/the Lord's Supper/ the Eucharist will be another big divider, like baptism.

 

Yes, Lutherans believe in baptismal regeneration and the Real Presence.

 

Again, it depends on what's meant by "Reformed." If it's a strict adherence to TULIP and sacramentarianism, that will be hard to reconcile with Lutheranism. However, it often seems to be sort of a catch-all term that refers more to belief in God's sovereignty, sound exegesis, sufficiency of scripture, etc. In which case, the OP might find enough common ground to warrant at least a cursory look. Especially since infant baptism was a specific request, and credobaptism is the norm in a lot of Reformed churches.

[Bluegoat]

Yes, my immediate thought was, what do you mean by Reformed?  

[milovany]

So, I'm going to throw Eastern Orthodox out there. 

 

We have infant baptism (and infant communion -- once baptized, a person is a full, practicing member of the community), are definitely as liturgical as it gets, and don't teach universal salvation.

 

The itchy point is the reformed part -- by western, modern definition we are definitely not reformed, but what I would say is that reformed/not reformed is a western church construct.  We just are what we've been from the beginning of the church, without something like the West's reformation and/or "reformed" doctrine (agreeing with the above, depending on what you mean by "reformed").  The east and west are separate/different in this and in the east, we are just pressing on with everything we've got in what we've always been and known and done. 

 

If you need to have some destined for heaven and some destined for hell as God choose/wills as part of your active faith, then we'd not be the church for you because we don't believe that (we believe that anyone who wills can come, per their choice and action).  But if you can step outside that arena entirely and live a faith where the debate of whether that's right or wrong doesn't exist, then we may be. 

 

http://www.antiochian.org/discover

Edited January 8, 2018 by milovany

[Laura Corin]

 

http://www.antiochian.com/discover

 

I think your link has an error - it took me to an unclaimed site.

[milovany]

I think your link has an error - it took me to an unclaimed site.

 

Oops!  It's dot org; I'll correct it. 

 

http://www.antiochian.org/discover

 

 

ETA:  Thank you, Laura.

Edited January 8, 2018 by milovany

[staceyobu]

Wnat is prompting you to think about switching? Something about that particular church or the denomination. Listing what you don't want might also be helpful in narrowing down people's suggestions. 

 

Overall, I'm happy with the denomination. Basically, the church we are at has no children over the age of 8. We now have a teenager and a 10 year old, and it has just been really hard on them to have no community at church. I'm honestly not sure that we will even look elsewhere at this point, but I just want to sort of feel out our options.  There isn't another church of our denomination close by, so we'd kinda have to step out to something else. I'm not really sure where to start.

 

 

 

No, Lutherans are definitely NOT Reformed.

 

However, depending on what the OP means by "Reformed," a confessional Lutheran church (WELS, LCMS, etc.) might still be a good fit. Lutherans will not hold to most of five-point Calvinism. Some Lutherans I know call themselves "1.5-point Calvinists" (meaning they hold to Total Depravity and Unconditional Election, but only of the saved -- Lutherans do not believe God predestines anyone to damnation -- but reject the rest). Otherwise' , Lutheranism can have much in common with Reformed traditions, such as the sufficiency of scripture, etc.

 

But as a Reformed Calvinist-turned-Lutheran, I always encourage people who *think* they're Reformed to check into Lutheranism.  ;)

 

I'm using Reformed to mean "Calvinist". In hindsight, I should have written "Calvinistic" because I know those terms aren't exactly interchangeable. However, throw some different things at me and I will definitely check them out! I have heard Missouri Synod Lutheran mentioned as close to the PCA before.

 

 

 

Do Lutheran churches teach baptismal regeneration? That would be a big difference too.

 

Understanding of Christ's presence in Communion/the Lord's Supper/ the Eucharist will be another big divider, like baptism.

 

Yeah. I'm not sure how I feel about communion beliefs. I kinda like the PCA take where it splits down the middle - not actually becoming the body/blood, but not strictly representational either.  I guess I feel like I could be open to this going either way.

 

So, I'm going to throw Eastern Orthodox out there. 

 

I've looked into this before. The differences seemed huge, but I was a bit intrigued. How does Eastern Orthodox and Anglican differ?  

[staceyobu]

The infant baptism is the sticky part. If you’re willing to go with a church that does a believer’s baptism and just infant dedications sans sprinkling I can think of a few more options.

 

 

My main issue with this is I just don't want to have to baptize my children again. 

[PeachyDoodle]

<snipped>

 

I'm using Reformed to mean "Calvinist". In hindsight, I should have written "Calvinistic" because I know those terms aren't exactly interchangeable. However, throw some different things at me and I will definitely check them out! I have heard Missouri Synod Lutheran mentioned as close to the PCA before.

 

Yeah. I'm not sure how I feel about communion beliefs. I kinda like the PCA take where it splits down the middle - not actually becoming the body/blood, but not strictly representational either.  I guess I feel like I could be open to this going either way.

 

Yes, based on what you've said here, I think LCMS (while not Calvinist) could possibly be a fit for you. Most LCMS pastors will be happy to sit down with you and discuss their beliefs and answer questions. The ones I know get really excited about doing this and truly see it as their vocation. PM me if you'd like some resources on finding an LCMS church near you, or more generally information on what Lutherans believe and why.

 

Good luck! I hope you find a place of worship that meets your family's needs. I have been where you are, and it's not easy. 

[sassenach]

We are currently at a Presbyterian Church in America. I’m just curious what other denominations we could visit that might be similar.

 

I’m looking for:

Infant baptism

Reformed

Liturgical

Not universal in their faith approach (not all paths lead to God, nor all theology is acceptable)

 

Thanks for suggestions!

Maybe Lutheran (Missouri Synod)?

[Ann.without.an.e]

We are currently at a Presbyterian Church in America. I’m just curious what other denominations we could visit that might be similar.

 

I’m looking for:

Infant baptism

Reformed

Liturgical

Not universal in their faith approach (not all paths lead to God, nor all theology is acceptable)

 

Thanks for suggestions!

 

 

Associate Reformed Presbyterian.  I can't tell a difference in beliefs in PCA and ARP.  My DD is part of a reformed Bible study on campus.  It is mainly a mix of ARP and PCA.

Edited January 8, 2018 by Attolia

[Bluegoat]

 

 

I've looked into this before. The differences seemed huge, but I was a bit intrigued. How does Eastern Orthodox and Anglican differ?  

 

Weirdly, I'm not the one who actually said that, though you quoted me!

 

But, I think I can probably give an answer, if not quite the one the actual poster would have given, about EO and Calvinism.

 

In terms of being Reformed or Calvinist, most people think in terms of double predestination as far as the defining feature.  It's true as Milovany said that this distinction never really came up in the Eastern Church, at least when it did in the west.  It just didn't seem to be something anyone ever introduced as an idea, probably because of the emphasis of the theology.  Their position isn't really Arminian either, any more than the Catholics, as Arminianism is really a response to Calvinism, and takes for granted certain aspects or Reformed ideas that the CC and OC don't accept.  So I guess in that sense, it kind of sidesteps the Calvinism/Arminian debate.

 

I'm actually not sure I agree that this would solve the issue for anyone who did believe in double-predestination, because I think it's clear that it isn't compatible with the Orthodox position.  And indeed, more recently there has been a case where it's been explicitly rejected, and there was a believe even an excommunication, when a particular bishop (or a patriarch I am not quite remembering) started to teach the equivalent of double predestination.  So - actually  the OC has dealt with the question of double-predestination and done so decisively, it's just quite a recent thing.

 

There are other elements of Calvinism of course so milage might vary depending on how important those things were to you.  Calvinism is traditionally iconoclastic, and Orthodoxy would have no truck with that.  But it seems less important to many Calvinists now, in part I suspect because Calvin's historical arguments for it seem less compelling today.

 

I would think that Anglicanism was potentially more comfortable with Calvinism that Orthodoxy TBH.  While it's explicitly rejected in the liturgy and other documents, there has been a fairly Calvinist group within Anglicanism.  I believe that in the US, one or more of the groups that has broken off from The Episcopal Church tend very much in that direction, so if you are looking for a local parish, that kind of group might fit your needs.

Edited January 8, 2018 by Bluegoat

[cintinative]

Reformed Presbyterian Church (RPC)

Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC)

Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC)

 

Those would be my first that I examined if leaving the PCA

 

Agreeing with the others--not Lutheran or Methodist.  If your theology is important, those will not line up with your beliefs.

 

Agreeing also to look and see which churches base their beliefs on the Westminster Confession of Faith.

 

You might be okay even with a Reformed Baptist denomination if they would accept that you were not baptizing again.  In our PCA church, baptism is not considered a deal breaker. You can be a member and not fully embrace infant baptism provided you stay in harmony with those who do (I am vastly simplifying this so I hope it comes off correctly).

 

 

ETA: It's odd that people with children are leaving your church. Is there a children's director?  

Edited January 8, 2018 by cintinative

[Katy]

Where do the families with children over 8 move to?  There must be a huge youth program at a church nearby to draw all of those people away.

 

 

Wisconsin Synod Lutheran is the most conservative Lutheran church (no female pastors or elders, etc) and they will discuss what's wrong with 5 point Calvinism from their point of biblical interpretation and then not welcome you to join if you firmly disagree - they are pretty firm on the necessity to be in a denomination in which you agree. It was a whole chapter in the revised WELS small catechism when I was going through confirmation.  I think their theology nicely walks the line on how you can have free will but God can still know everything you will choose.

 

Anglican is just the British word for Episcopalian, who broke off from the Catholic church to allow divorce but is today extremely liberal (to the point I've seen some articles that stated one of their bishops doesn't believe in God at all but still thinks a community of faith is important).  They are the church Methodists were formed from - a small group of people were too religious and got kicked out.  I think it's safe to say this is nothing like what you want.  Back in the late 90's or early 2000's they formed some sort of alliance with the liberal version of lutherans (ELCA). I don't think you would like them either.

 

I'm not orthodox but I think it's very interesting too.  They are arguably the original church  (rather than Roman Catholic), and have different views on almost every controversial theological stance in the west.  They are also more inward focused than evangelical, probably because of cultural constraints in those areas of the world.

[KrissiK]

We went to an EPC Church for quite a while and loved the denomination. It’s a relatively new denomination and growing quickly.

[Terabith]

Lutheran.

 

Methodist. Maybe. I grew up in a Methodist church that would have fit those parameters, but I think some Methodist churches have changed since then.

 

Neither of those would be Reformed. 

[JoJosMom]

Where do the families with children over 8 move to?  There must be a huge youth program at a church nearby to draw all of those people away.

 

 

Wisconsin Synod Lutheran is the most conservative Lutheran church (no female pastors or elders, etc) and they will discuss what's wrong with 5 point Calvinism from their point of biblical interpretation and then not welcome you to join if you firmly disagree - they are pretty firm on the necessity to be in a denomination in which you agree. It was a whole chapter in the revised WELS small catechism when I was going through confirmation.  I think their theology nicely walks the line on how you can have free will but God can still know everything you will choose.

 

Anglican is just the British word for Episcopalian, who broke off from the Catholic church to allow divorce but is today extremely liberal (to the point I've seen some articles that stated one of their bishops doesn't believe in God at all but still thinks a community of faith is important).  They are the church Methodists were formed from - a small group of people were too religious and got kicked out.  I think it's safe to say this is nothing like what you want.  Back in the late 90's or early 2000's they formed some sort of alliance with the liberal version of lutherans (ELCA). I don't think you would like them either.

 

I'm not orthodox but I think it's very interesting too.  They are arguably the original church  (rather than Roman Catholic), and have different views on almost every controversial theological stance in the west.  They are also more inward focused than evangelical, probably because of cultural constraints in those areas of the world.

 

I think the bolded is a gross over-simplification. I would agree with a prior poster that the OP might want to check to see if there are any Anglican churches with active youth in her area. http://www.acna.org/map/

 

[milovany]

I've looked into this before. The differences seemed huge, but I was a bit intrigued. How does Eastern Orthodox and Anglican differ?  

 

For me, it was a matter of church history -- studying a timeline to see what happened when.  I wanted to stick with the church that had the least adulterated line back through church history and for us, from what we saw in history as well as in theology and practice, that was Eastern Orthodox. 

 

But I have a feeling you mean how do the two differ in theology?  That's why I posted the "discover" link -- to give a picture of EO beliefs.  I was actually at the "what we believe" page of a local Anglican church the other day and I'm not a theologian, in fact feel inept in most theological discussions, but I do remember thinking that there were some differences.  For example, that website spoke of the Bible being the foundation of the faith, whereas in Eastern Orthodoxy, the church and its holy tradition (of which the Bible is a big part) is the foundation of the faith. 

 

Another EO person is welcome to jump in and give a better answer than I am able to!  What I do know is that we're eight years in now, this month, and we are still as thrilled as we were the day we were baptized to be EO. It's not the easiest of paths, because our journey takes us inward (so that the externals are not the main point), but it's a solid path, one leading us toward our salvation. 

Edited January 8, 2018 by milovany

[ktgrok]

Is the PC-USA out of the question? It's certainly a large and thriving denomination that usually has excellent children's and youth activities. Yes is is more liberal but I wouldn't think they'd force others to be liberal. And still Presbyterian.

[marbel]

Is the PC-USA out of the question? It's certainly a large and thriving denomination that usually has excellent children's and youth activities. Yes is is more liberal but I wouldn't think they'd force others to be liberal. And still Presbyterian.

 

Not speaking for the OP, of course, but when thinking how liberal or conservative a denomination is... the philosophy of the denomination (or the particular church, in some cases) is going to be evident in the teaching.  So, a person has to think about what kind of teaching they and their children are going to receive.  As an adult, I may be able to filter out teachings that I don't think are right, but I don't want to have to "unteach" my kids what they learn at church.  

 

And there's the financial side.  What is a person's gift/donation/tithe supporting?  Is it something they want to support?  

 

Of course there is no perfect church and people often find they have to compromise somewhat.  But in my experience, most people have some firm lines.

 

I believe the EPC started out because people were finding the PCUSA too liberal.  I know of a couple USA churches that voted (this is some years back) to leave and join the EPC.  (Someone will correct me on the details if I am wrong.)

[Alessandra]

For me, it was a matter of church history -- studying a timeline to see what happened when. I wanted to stick with the church that had the least adulterated line back through church history and for us, from what we saw in history as well as in theology and practice, that was Eastern Orthodox.

 

But I have a feeling you mean how do the two differ in theology? That's why I posted the "discover" link -- to give a picture of EO beliefs. I was actually at the "what we believe" page of a local Anglican church the other day and I'm not a theologian, in fact feel inept in most theological discussions, but I do remember thinking that there were some differences. For example, that website spoke of the Bible being the foundation of the faith, whereas in Eastern Orthodoxy, the church and its holy tradition (of which the Bible is a big part) is the foundation of the faith.

 

Another EO person is welcome to jump in and give a better answer than I am able to! What I do know is that we're eight years in now, this month, and we are still as thrilled as we were the day we were baptized to be EO. It's not the easiest of paths, because our journey takes us inward (so that the externals are not the main point), but it's a solid path, one leading us toward our salvation.

Well, I'm not very ept in theology either, lol. But I can share what I was always taught in episcopal church. They talk of a 'three-legged stool' -- scripture, tradition and reason. IMO, the reason part was a weak point, because many parishioners I encountered interpreted reason as equal to their own personal opinions, often with no foundation in scripture or tradition. Evangelicals can quote scripture and many Orthodox I know can make a reference to the Fathers of the church.

 

https://www.episcopalchurch.org/library/glossary/authority-sources-anglicanism

[Calm37]

Overall, I'm happy with the denomination. Basically, the church we are at has no children over the age of 8. We now have a teenager and a 10 year old, and it has just been really hard on them to have no community at church. I'm honestly not sure that we will even look elsewhere at this point, but I just want to sort of feel out our options.  There isn't another church of our denomination close by, so we'd kinda have to step out to something else. I'm not really sure where to start.

 

 

 

 

 

We were in this situation for many years, and my kids got involved in the children's ministry as helpers. There was much long-term fruit from this, and they are all in ministry to children and youth now as adults.

[Alessandra]

Not speaking for the OP, of course, but when thinking how liberal or conservative a denomination is... the philosophy of the denomination (or the particular church, in some cases) is going to be evident in the teaching. So, a person has to think about what kind of teaching they and their children are going to receive. As an adult, I may be able to filter out teachings that I don't think are right, but I don't want to have to "unteach" my kids what they learn at church.

 

And there's the financial side. What is a person's gift/donation/tithe supporting? Is it something they want to support?

 

Of course there is no perfect church and people often find they have to compromise somewhat. But in my experience, most people have some firm lines.

 

I believe the EPC started out because people were finding the PCUSA too liberal. I know of a couple USA churches that voted (this is some years back) to leave and join the EPC. (Someone will correct me on the details if I am wrong.)

Oh, I was going to make a similar point. I think a church's viewpoints on social issues matter. Not that you have to agree 100%, but still....

[ktgrok]

Oh, I was going to make a similar point. I think a church's viewpoints on social issues matter. Not that you have to agree 100%, but still....

 

That makes sense. I admit I'm not up on the current theology or social positions of any of the Presbyterian branches....I attended a PC-USA church in middle school and part of highs cool, and it was pretty generic Protestant. Nothing controversial was taught, but they did briefly have a female assistant pastor which I could see being controversial.

[poppy]

 

I'm using Reformed to mean "Calvinist". In hindsight, I should have written "Calvinistic" because I know those terms aren't exactly interchangeable. However, throw some different things at me and I will definitely check them out! I have heard Missouri Synod Lutheran mentioned as close to the PCA before.

What does this mean? I think of Calvinism as believing in predestination, but, I don't see that lining up with reformed. But I was not raised protestant so I might be missing some big puzzle piece here.

[KrissiK]

 

I believe the EPC started out because people were finding the PCUSA too liberal. I know of a couple USA churches that voted (this is some years back) to leave and join the EPC. (Someone will correct me on the details if I am wrong.)

This is correct. The church we had been attending was formerly a PC-USA church and left because of the extreme liberal ideas of the PC-USA. Many of the other Presbyterian churches in our area joined the EPC for the same reasons.

[KrissiK]

What does this mean? I think of Calvinism as believing in predestination, but, I don't see that lining up with reformed. But I was not raised protestant so I might be missing some big puzzle piece here.

Calvinist and Reformed, whIle not completely interchangeable, are close enough to be regarded as synonyms. I consider myself both and am not an expert on the fine points of why they are not completely interchangeable.

[KrissiK]

That makes sense. I admit I'm not up on the current theology or social positions of any of the Presbyterian branches....I attended a PC-USA church in middle school and part of highs cool, and it was pretty generic Protestant. Nothing controversial was taught, but they did briefly have a female assistant pastor which I could see being controversial.

Many issues.... inerrancy of Scripture, homosexuality, etc. have caused the PC-USA to lose member churches to other Presbyterian denominations, mostly to the EPC because the EPC isn’t quite as conservative as the PCA and the OPC.

[PeachyDoodle]

Calvinist and Reformed, whIle not completely interchangeable, are close enough to be regarded as synonyms. I consider myself both and am not an expert on the fine points of why they are not completely interchangeable.

 

IME, Calvinist tends to be a more technical term referring specifically to the five points (TULIP), whereas Reformed is a more colloquial way of expressing something like "general monergistic Protestant." 

 

But I don't know of any Reformed traditions that DON'T teach predestination in some shape or form. 

[poppy]

Calvinist and Reformed, whIle not completely interchangeable, are close enough to be regarded as synonyms. I consider myself both and am not an expert on the fine points of why they are not completely interchangeable.

 

No no, sorry, I mean, what does it mean to  be reformed / Calvinist, because I legitimately don't know.    Don't mean to hijack- I just get curious!

I don't really understand Protestantism.  I know there is evangelical vs mainline, and I'm guessing reformed is a variant on mainline.

 

[KrissiK]

IME, Calvinist tends to be a more technical term referring specifically to the five points (TULIP), whereas Reformed is a more colloquial way of expressing something like "general monergistic Protestant."

 

But I don't know of any Reformed traditions that DON'T teach predestination in some shape or form.

Well, the term “Reformed†with a capital “R†is different than “reformed†with a lower case “râ€. The former is mostly equivalent to Calvinism. It is a “thingâ€. The latter is a generic term that can mean Protestant and coming out of the Protestant Reformation, which would include Christian churches that are not Catholic and has nothing to do with whether the church holds to Calvinist or Arminienist doctrine.

[KrissiK]

No no, sorry, I mean, what does it mean to be reformed / Calvinist, because I legitimately don't know. Don't mean to hijack- I just get curious!

I don't really understand Protestantism. I know there is evangelical vs mainline, and I'm guessing reformed is a variant on mainline.

Well, that would definitely be hijacking the thread. Lol.

[mschickie]

Free Methodist would cover everything but the Calvinist/reformed part.  We left United Methodist Church because parts of it are becoming very liberal and we can see a split forming in that Church.  The Free Methodists are a better fit for us.  I definitely lean more towards Wesley than Calvin.

[chicagoshannon]

Christian Reformed is very close to Presbyterian. 

 

Reformed Church is also reformed but a little more relaxed. 

 

CRCNA.org is the Christian Reformed website.  You can see if there are any churches in your area.