Who are we?
First of all, thank you for taking the time to learn more about our congregation. If we can assist you in any way, please get in touch.
So, why does this Church exist, besides the obvious priority of seeking to glorify God? Aren’t there enough churches in Calgary?
Certainly, there are plenty of churches in Calgary. Some of them do a faithful work for which we are thankful. However, a Church is God’s House, and must be centred around God’s Word, and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That is, unfortunately, not always the case!
We believe we serve a niche within the city that makes our presence vital.
Here below are the answers to a few questions you may have…
Presbyterian means we are a Confessional Church (our ministers and elders subscribe to the Westminster Confession of Faith). This is an historic document that has been used by Presbyterian Churches to give a basic summary of Christian doctrine and teaching since 1646. “Free” means that we are separate from the mainline Presbyterian Church. We are not ecumenical, not liberal and still believe that the whole Bible is the inerrant word of God.
Yes, but you would be surprised how many have been compromised by unbelief (liberal theology). It is very sad to see the downturn of Biblical truth in our present day.
That’s actually the reason for the word ‘Free’ in our name. It has nothing to do with ‘free will’ or to convey the idea that we believe we are free to do whatever we want. Far from it. The original founders of the denomination broke free from a Presbyterian church which had left its Gospel roots, accepting within its leadership unbelievers who denied the basics of the Christian faith.
To this day, we remain free from associations that obscure and hinder the plain message of the Gospel. We are free from supporting other groups that have departed from the authority of Scripture.
As noted above, the oversight of our congregation and of the whole denomination, subscribes wholeheartedly to the Westminster Standards. That is the Confession, the Larger Catechism, and the Shorter Catechism.
We maintain that Scripture holds the supreme authority, and these documents are helpful in teaching the core of biblical truth on the major points of doctrine.
Our denomination’s Book of Church Order contains the version of the Confession to which our ministers and elders subscribe.
Aside from actually visiting in person, the next best thing to do to get a flavour of what to expect is to listen to a few of our sermons. That will help you to see the high place Scripture holds in the hearts of our congregation.
Our congregation is a member of the Free Presbyterian Church of North America (FPCNA). From its inception, our small denomination has emphasized the authority of Scripture for every aspect of Christian belief and obedience. Belief and obedience are to spring forth from gratitude and love for Christ:
John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
In keeping with our high regard for Scripture, the FPCNA has sought to call believers to a life of full obedience to Christ, and to confidently preach the gospel of Jesus Christ as the only source of hope for sinners facing the righteous judgement of God.
The FPCNA teaches the necessity of the Spirit’s ministry for empowering all aspects of the Christian life:
We seek to emphasize prayer, both private and public, as a constant expression of our dependence on God’s help.
We also seek to worship “in Spirit and in truth,” in well ordered services that are scriptural and reverent.
And, we further seek to proclaim the truths and claims of the Word of God through preaching that is both thoughtful and zealous, faithful to the text and pointed in its application to the lives of people today.
To Learn More About Our Distinctives
Read the following booklet below (available as .pdf) called Separated Unto the Gospel. This booklet serves as a comprehensive review of the biblically founded distinctives of the Free Presbyterian Church in North America.