Zion Presbyterian Church

Zion Presbyterian Church is Preaching Station of the Free Church of Scotland (Continuing), a reformed & presbyterian denomination that holds to Biblical inerrancy and the original Westminster Confession of Faith.

Zion Presbyterian Church was organized as a Preaching Station of US Presbytery of the Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) in 2023. This church is faithfully committed to the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament as the infallible Word of God, and adheres to the glorious truths of the Bible, recovered at the Reformation, and confessed by the historic Reformed Church in Scotland in the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to reach out to us via email. We will get back to you as soon as possible!

CONTACT INFORMATION

Zion Presbyterian Church Fredericksburg, Virginia

Email: zionfredericksburg@gmail.com

https://www.zion-presbyterian.com

https://youtube.com/@ZPCFredericksburg

Treasure Valley Reformed Presbyterian Church

The Treasure Valley Reformed Presbyterian Church (RPCNA) is in Meridian, Idaho. Ryan Hemphill is the pastor. The church plant is in the Boise, Idaho area, it was started in June 2021, and is a daughter church planted by the Seattle RPCNA.

Contact information:
Ryan Hemphill (206-715-0988)
pastorrmchemp@gmail.com
Treasure Valley Reformed Presbyterian Church
237 E. State Ave.
Meridian, ID 83642.
http://www.boisereformedpresbyterian.com

New website for RPCNA exploratory work in Houston, TX

The Houston Reformed Presbyterian Fellowship is an exploratory work of the Reformed Presbyterian Church (RPCNA) in Houston, Texas.

The aim of everything we are and do is “to glorify God and enjoy Him fully.” We are fully committed to the authority of the Bible as the inerrant, infallible Word of God. While we are eager for his return, we do not wait until then to joyfully recognize Jesus Christ as King and Lord of all.

Worship

Worship Services are every 4th Lord’s Day of the month, 5:30pm at Home2Suites in Pearland, TX. 13923 South Fwy, Houston, TX 77047.

Bible Study, Prayer, Psalms, and Fellowship

We meet for Bible study, prayer, Psalm singing, and fellowship every Lord’s Day afternoon at 2:30pm. Please contact us for the location details.

Introductory Worship Service in Houston (RPCNA)

If you know of folks in the Houston area (especially those in the southern suburbs) please pass on the info about this service. Seating will be socially distant. The wearing of masks is strongly encouraged, though not required.

October 25, 2020

Time: 6 PM
Location: Home2 Suites by Hilton (Pearland)
13923 South Freeway
Houston, TX 77047

https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/houhpht-home2-suites-houston-pearland/

Grave Sweet Melody

Grave Sweet Melody arrives in the Grange Store just as millions of Americans prepare to celebrate a national day of Thanksgiving. Let us be reminded of David’s words in Psalm 92:

To render thanks unto the Lord
it is a comely thing,
And to thy name, O thou most High,
due praise aloud to sing.

Thy loving-kindness to show forth
when shines the morning light;
And to declare thy faithfulness
with pleasure ev’ry night.

On a ten-stringed instrument,
upon the psaltery,
And on the harp with solemn sound,
and grave sweet melody.

May our hearts be forever full of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord, who is ever kind and faithful to his people.

Greetings from the Belle Center, Ohio, Reformed Presbyterian Church (RPCNA)

Greetings from the Belle Center, Ohio, Reformed Presbyterian Church (RPCNA). We invite you to worship with us this coming Lord’s Day as we gather together to worship our merciful and loving God.

Visit the home page for Service times and location.

THE PSALMES OF DAVID IN English Meeter, set forth by FRANCIS Rous, 1643

THE PSALMES OF DAVID IN English Meeter, set forth by FRANCIS Rous

He excellent uses of the Psalmes are manifold, yea universall; for they are good for all spirituall uses and advantages. They have in them Instruction, to increase our knowledge; Spirituall Fervour, to inflame our zeale; Consolation, to refresh and revive our fainting soules; Praiers, to fetch blessings from God; and Praises, to returne to God for his blessings. Yea, the very afflictions of the Saints therein expressed (even their outward sufferings, and inward dejections and desertions) are no small consolations to us. For, by them wee see that fiery Tryalls are no strange matters to Saints, and Saints wee may bee amid all these fiery Tryalls. But [Page] withall, if wee marke the issue of th […]se Tryalls (often set forth in these Psalmes) then wee cannot but see strong and vehement incouragements of Faith, and of that praier of Faith, which saveth the sick, even those that are sick at h […]art: yea, sick at the very soule. For how often doe wee see a sick soule to begin a Psalme, even in the belly of Hell, and yet end it in Heaven? So that a Saints soul being as it were in Hell, yet is neare unto Heaven, if it can be earnest with God in these melo­dious Praiers of Faith. For God, being thus called on, turnes in to the soule; and when God comes into a soule, hee makes a Heaven there, though a Hell were there before. And then naturally (I speak of a godly nature) do arise in the soule high Jubilations and Extasies, and not these onely, but glorious Thanksgivings to God; to whom alone must be ascribed the bringing of light out of darknesse: [Page] and that voice of joy and gladnesse, which the Saints doe heare even at the same time, when their bones are broken with humiliation.

Briefly, the Psalmes are characters and representations of the thoughts, meditations, and affections of a sanctified soule, throughout all the changes of her pilgrimage; so that a good man can be in no kind of estate, but he shall find his owne estate in a Psalme: and in a Psalme, he may find thoughts and expressions which doe well agree with that estate, and make it good unto him.

“One of the major issues between Rankin and the Transylvania Presbytery was his conviction that the Psalms of David alone were to be sung in public worship, to the exclusion of Isaac Watts’ imitations.”

A new article on Adam Rankin by R. Andrew Myers is at the Log College Press. Rankin’s book A Process of the Transilvania Presbytery has recently been added to the Log College Press website.

[On Col. 3:16 and Eph. 5:19] “in these verses the direction given is not to prepare or provide songs of praise, but only to sing them.”

“To begin with, it should be realized that present usage as regards the debated terms plays no part in fixing their sense. One can be misled by the seemingly familiar phraseology, and think forthwith of the hard and fast distinction now made between Psalms and hymns. But we are deciphering what was penned in AD 61 or 62, long centuries before any of the uninspired productions in the hymnals of today were extant. In order, therefore, to make these lines intelligible, we must transport ourselves back into that past to which Paul and his readers belong, and there undertake our exposition with open-mindedness and cautious discrimination.

As an approach toward identifying the poems intended by these designations, there is clear evidence at hand that all of them were divinely inspired, indited under the extraordinary influence of the Holy Spirit. Preliminary to what is deemed decisive proof, certain considerations which go to make this important claim a strong probability may be adduced.

1. First, in these verses the direction given is not to prepare or provide songs of praise, but only to sing them. On this we must be permitted to insist. But in the absence of an express warrant for so doing, would not these Asia Minor Christians have been chary about writing original hymns for rendition in worship, when the Psalter, written on the mountain-tops of inspiration, and full of the things of God, was everywhere, as is allowed, a congregational handbook? Is it likely that any, selfadvised and unaided, would have had the temerity or the desire to attempt such an innovation?”

From The Psalms in Worship, p129-130. by John Mcnaugher.

A SPECIAL EXEGESIS OF COL. III. 16 AND EPH. V.19, by John Mcnaugher, D. D., LL. D., Allegheny, PA

Is it a pleasure to thee to sing Psalms?

“Reader, dost thou find it so? Is it a pleasure to thee to sing Psalms? Dost thou sing them as an ordinance? Dost thou in faith expect a blessing upon thy singing? And is it indeed to thee the means of grace? If it be, use them more, and thou wilt find an increasing blessing; if it be not, consider well what has been said— repent of thine abuse of this precious ordinance—and pray for grace to observe it to the honour of God, to the edification of others, and to the profit of thine own soul; the Lord give thee a right understanding in this matter.

The neglect of it as an ordinance has led many people entirely to neglect it. I have scarce ever seen a congregation, in which every one joined in singing. This is a very great abuse, because it is defeating the end of God’s institution. He commanded Psalms to be sung for mutual edification. It was to be the service of the whole church. All were to join; whereas among us it is performed by some few, and they are sometimes set by themselves in a singing gallery, or in a corner of the church, where they sing to be admired for their fine voices, and others hear them for their entertainment. This is a vile prostitution of church music, and contrary to the letter and spirit both of the Old Testament and also of the New.”

William Romaine, An Essay on Psalmody (1775)

Solomon Stoddard on the singing of Psalms…

Ran across some interesting thoughts by Stoddard on Psalm singing in doing some research on Jonathan Edwards. He approves of uninspired hymns in worship.

The second part of worship to be performed in the church, is singing of Psalms; this is a moral duty not belonging peculiarly to the time of the Old Testament, as Christ with his disciples did practice it. So afterwards Paul and Silas, Acts 17. And we have positive commands for it, Eph. 5:16, Col. 3:16, James 5:13. In the primitive times when God gave to all extraordinary gifts of his Spirit. It was the manner sometimes for one man to sing a Psalm, and the congregation to say Amen, 1 Cor. 14:15-16. But now it is most proper for us to join together in singing of Psalms, as Christ and his disciples did, and as Moses and the children of Israel did, Exod. 15:1. As the church of Israel were wont to sing the Psalms of David, so (though we are not forbidden to sing Psalms of a private composure) it is lawful for us to sing the Psalms of David and other Scripture Psalms, the Apostle when he directs us to sing Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, Eph. Col. 3. hath a manifest respect to the division of David’s Psalms, some things in those Psalms are not so suitable to our present case, so it is in what we read, yet those Psalms are very suitable for us to meditate upon; and contained in them much introduction and encouragement, and because they were indicted by the Spirit of God, are more proper to affect our hearts and excited the workings of Grace, then such as are of private composure.

Solomon Stoddard, The Doctrine of Instituted Churches (London, 1700), 16.

Titles on Exclusive Psalmody from Puritan Publications:

Here are some recent publications offered by Puritan Publications:

1) The Puritans on Exclusive Psalmody – Edited by C. Matthew McMahon

2) Singing of Psalms a Gospel Ordinance – by John Cotton (1585-1662)

3) Singing of Psalms the Duty of Christians – by Thomas Ford (1598–1674)

4) Gospel Music: or the Singing of David’s Psalms by Nathaniel Holmes (or Homes) D.D. (1599–1678)

5) A Gospel-Ordinance Concerning the Singing of Scripture Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs – by Cuthbert Sydenham (1622–1654)

6) Gospel Worship, or, The Right Manner of Sanctifying the name of God in General, in Hearing the Word, Receiving the Lord’s Supper, and Prayer by Jeremiah Burroughs (1599-1646)

7) A Christian’s True Spiritual Worship to Jesus Christ – by Stephen Charnock (1628-1680), including Charnock’s view of Christ in the Psalms by Matthew McMahon. Annexed to Charnock’s work is Jonathan Clapham’s treatise on psalmody.

They can all be found here: http://www.puritanpublications.com/store/products/category/worship/

Later this month, 3 more books on worship will be released.

1) John Owen’s The Glory of Evangelical Worship, with a paper on Owen’s view of Psalm Singing by Matthew McMahon. Annexed is Edward Hutchins’ “masterpiece” on exclusive psalmody called, Scripture Proof for Singing Hymns and Spiritual Songs. Clapham and Hutchins have never previously been published by anyone and not available anywhere on the net.

2) John Wilson’s The Simplicity of New Testament Worship, which he references psalmody.

3) A compilation of works by Samuel Willard, Jonathan Dickinson, Joshua Moodey, Nathan Stone and Jonathan Edwards called Vain Imaginations in the Worship of God.

New Articles at APM: www.apuritansmind.com

Our New Reformed and Puritan Books are available at Puritan Publications!

A series on WORSHIP – New Releases:

        

New Books on Worship COMING SOON:

      

Pamphlets Online

Here are some online pamphlets related to EP posted at the RP Archive. Many helpful articles!

Christ in the Psalms

Christian Worship by Gene Spear

A Condensed Argument for the exclusive use of the Inspired Psalms by R. J. Dodd

The Excellence of the Psalms by D. B. Willson

Instrumental Music a Corruption of New Testament Worship by R. J. George

Instrumental Music in the Worship of God

Is Christ in the Psalms? By William J. Coleman

Musical Instruments in Divine Worship by W. J. McKnight

On Psalmody

Psalm Singing Revisited by Bruce C. Stewart

Psalmody by Roy C. Fullerton

Psalmody by R. J. George

The Psalms, a means to a Spirit filled life

The Psalms, God’s Authorized Manual of Praise by A. J. McFarland

Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs

The Psalms, the Heart of the Bible

The Rule of God’s Worship

The Singing of Psalms in the Worship of God

What Hymn?

Why no Instruments? By Robert B. McCracken

Why no Organ?

Why Psalms? By G. I. Williamson

Why we Sing Psalms

New meeting location for Dallas Reformed Presbyterian Church (RPCNA)

The Dallas Reformed Presbyterian Church (RPCNA) has moved to a new location in McKinney. As of March 4, the new address will be:

1008 West Erwin Avenue, McKinney, TX, 75069

Worship services are held in the back building (fellowship hall) of Victory Christian Church.

 

Who we are

We are a congregation of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America. In 1743 the first Reformed Presbyterian congregation was organized in North America. We have sister churches in Ireland, Scotland and Australia.

Our congregation’s story begins in 2012 when a group of families with a deep love of Christ and convinced of the distinctives of the Reformed Presbyterian Church reached out to the Midwest Presbytery of the RPCNA. The Lord was pleased to bless these families with wise, godly, and nurturing elders, who then oversaw the formation of this little church. Our congregation was organized as a mission church in 2014. With the election, ordination and installation of our own elders and deacon, we became a particular congregation of the RPCNA on March 6th, 2015.

Lord’s Day Schedule

10:30am Morning Worship
12:00pm Lunch (always plenty for guests)
1:00pm Sabbath School
2:00pm Afternoon Worship

Reformed Presbyterian Church in San Antonio (RPCNA) is now meeting for worship

A new EP congregation is now meeting in San Antonio, TX.  The Reformed Presbyterian Church in San Antonio is now meeting for worship. From their website:

“Welcome to the Reformed Presbyterian Church in San Antonio (RPCSA)!  We’re a new outreach of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, an old branch of Reformed and Presbyterian Christianity.  We aspire to be a vital, growing community of Christian households who love our Lord Jesus Christ and covenant together to live in Biblical fellowship, so that in every relationship and endeavor, we honor him who loved us and gave himself for us.  Risen from the dead and ascended on high, he now reigns as mediatorial king over all things.  By the proclamation of the gospel he calls men and nations to repent of our lawlessness and trustingly obey him.  We live in joyful anticipation of His return in glory.

San Antonio Banner

“Behold, how good a thing it is, and how becoming well
When those that brethren are delight in unity to dwell.”

Psalm 133:1, The Book of Psalms for Singing

Meeting Information 

We meet at the Quality Inn, NW Loop 1604 and La Cantera Parkway, San Antonio, Texas 78209.

quality-inn-768x500

Link to Google Maps

Meeting Times

We meet each Lord’s Day (“Sunday”) according to the following schedule:

Time Description
9:30-10:30 a.m. Christian Education
10:45am-12:00pm Worship

Leadership

We’re under the regular pastoral care of organizing Pastor Jonathan B. Leach.  Jonathan received his BA in Biblical Studies from Geneva College in 1981 and his MDiv from the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in 1984.  He served as pastor of an RP Church in the Philadelphia area (1984-’88) before accepting a commission as chaplain in the US Army Reserve.  After 27 years in uniform he retired from the Army chaplaincy as a colonel in 2015.  He’s euphorically married to Mary Lou, his wife of over ten years.

As Presbyterians, our pastoral leadership isn’t singular but plural.  Until the congregation formally organizes and elects its own elders, two additional members of Midwest Presbytery join Jonathan on the presbytery’s San Antonio Committee.  Together the San Antonio Committee provides Presbyterian oversight to the new congregation:

Mark Koller, Pastor, Dallas RP Church
Andrew Silva, Ruling elder, Dallas RP Church
Jonathan B. Leach, Organizing pastor and chairman, San Antonio Committee

Contact us!

Email:  sanantoniorpc@gmail.com

Phone:  (210) 347-5116

….we mourn over their indifference to and disregard of many important and precious truths of God’s word, and the substituting of human inventions for divine institutions in the worship of God. Especially is the praise of God corrupted by human hymns, which in the matter of many of them, as well as in the want of divine appointment for all, are unfit for the worship of God…

RPCNA Committee on the Signs of the Times (1869): And while we cheerfully admit there are very many of the Lord’s people in all the evangelical churches, and rejoice in all they have done and are doing for the salvation of sinners, and the extension of the kingdom of Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours, we mourn over their indifference to and disregard of many important and precious truths of God’s word, and the substituting of human inventions for divine institutions in the worship of God. Especially is the praise of God corrupted by human hymns, which in the matter of many of them, as well as in the want of divine appointment for all, are unfit for the worship of God—and also choirs and instrumental music in the place of congregational singing. The whole service of praise seems to be arranged as a mere theatrical performance, and intended to please man, not God. By ignoring scriptural and important doctrines, and by not exercising discipline for popular sins, and arranging the worship of God to gratify the carnal mind, the church has been brought down almost to the level with the world, or changed into a worldly sanctuary. And the popular way for the union of all the churches in one organic body, proceeding, as it does, upon the false assumption that the great principles which have heretofore divided, and still divide, the several churches, are of no value, and unworthy of any regard, is a lamentable evidence of the general decline of the life and power of true religion in these times.

Portion from the Reformed Presbyterian and Covenanter Magazine of 1870, page 22.

New EP congregation in West Bend, Wisconsin

Who We Are

We are a Reformed and Presbyterian Church in West Bend, Wisconsin, adhering to the original Westminster Confession of Faith and Standards with its uniformity in doctrine, worship and government. Although not yet an official congregation of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, we are members of other Free Presbyterian congregations, and gather on the Lord’s Day for Public worship in the same way that other Free Presbyterian Congregations do.

The Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland is a mainline descendant of the historic Church of Scotland of the Reformation formed in 1893. Our church has congregations on 5 continents.

We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and that we have a faithful translation in the Authorized (King James) Version. We believe that the Westminster Confession of Faith is an accurate statement of the main doctrines of the Bible.

Services and Location

Service Times: Lord’s Day 10:30 a.m. & 6:30 p.m.
Location:
1204 State Highway 33
West Bend, WI

Please Note: Some online map services​ are inaccurate. Our congregation is located directly across the street from the West Bend Golf Club on the NE side of West Bend, Wisconsin

Here is what you can expect when you come to one of our services:

We aim for reverence in our worship.
The preaching of God’s Word and prayer are central components of our worship.
We use the Scottish Metrical Psalter for our singing (without instrumental accompaniment).

Our standard order of service is as follows:

Opening Psalm
Prayer
Scripture Reading
Psalm
Sermon
Prayer
Closing Psalm

Contact us

To contact by phone: Joseph Smith, (281) 757-6160
To send a message, please use the form here to contact Wisconsin Free Presbyterian Meeting. You may alternatively contact us at info@fpchurchwisconsin.org

New Psalm singing church in Bangalore: Anugraha Reformed Presbyterian Church

WELCOME TO ANUGRAHA REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH!

Screen Shot 2017-10-13 at 9.26.19 PM‘Anugraha’ is the Sanskrit word for grace. Anugraha Reformed Presbyterian Church is, first of all, a community of people who have experienced God’s lavish grace of salvation in Jesus Christ. We are sinners turned saints through our faith in Christ. Even though we are now saints, we still struggle with our indwelling sin nature. We constantly plead with God for more grace so that we may overcome remaining sin and lead a victorious and a joyful Christian life. As a community of grace in Bangalore, we are eager to share this message of grace — the Gospel — with you. So, if you are broken, hurting, rejected, lonely, oppressed, and in need of God’s forgiveness, you are especially welcome to our church. Feel free to reach out to us to know more about us. We pray that God would use us to speak to you in a profound way.

Anugraha Reformed Presbyterian Church is a Reformed Church located in the north side of Bangalore in India. Our worship location and timings are listed below. You can learn more about what our church service looks here. Contact us if you have any further information. We look forward to seeing you!

LOCATION

St. Thomas Centre, #9, Mar Thoma Compound,
Balachandra Layout,
4th Cross, Babusapalaya,
Bangalore 560 043.
View in Google Maps

Call: 9880599177
E-Mail: pastor@anugraharpc.org

LEADERSHIP: VENKATESH GOPALAKRISHNAN

Optimized-Venky_mugshot-300x277Venkatesh Gopalakrishnan currently serves as the interim-pastor of Anugraha Reformed Presbyterian Church. In 2002, Venkatesh came to saving faith in Jesus Christ through a student ministry at his college.

Sensing God’s call to pastoral ministry, he pursued his M.Div at Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh PA. In 2016, he completed his studies and was ordained as a minister of the Gospel. Venkatesh is married to Sarmishta, who is currently pursuing certification with the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors. Together they own the digital design studio to help small businesses and institutions have an attractive web presence.

Pastor Venkatesh Gopalakrishnan is supported by three more elders in a temporary governing body.