Greetings from south Texas!
So here's my story. I was raised in a "pentecostal church" my whole life (off and on). My grandfather was a "pastor/evangelist" and my father a perpetual "back slider". I was sinner in cheif (virtually homeless meth addict) when God plucked me from the fire almost 11 years ago by His Grace and Mercy.
My wife and I were married shortly after that. In that time we have grown in God's grace first attending a Calvary Chapel and then a couple of baptist churches, one of which we are currently and technically still members (however we no longer attend this church.)
As I watched the church use program after program as a means to attract new members and I studied scripture on my own I realized something was profoundly wrong. So I started reading around on line and found Mark Dever's book '9 Marks of a Healthy Church'. Well when I got to the part about 'Biblical Conversion' I was at first repulsed at the mention of God's Sovereignty in election. So I prayed /read prayed/read, agonized for about a year and a half and finally came to surrender to the truth of God's Sovereignty found in Scripture and I have repented of my resistance. Here come's the now what:
-Though now thoroughly reformed in my soteriology I am still baptist leaning.
-There is not a Biblicaly sound church in my town. Or the next town over. Or the town beyond that.
-In rural south Texas reformed churches are far and few.
-The nearest reformed leaning church is 25 miles from my town.
-The nearest reformed church is 40 miles from my town.
How far is too far? Is it biblical to leave your own community to worship with a biblical body? Am I abandoning my community if I do so?
If anyone could help please feel free.....
So here's my story. I was raised in a "pentecostal church" my whole life (off and on). My grandfather was a "pastor/evangelist" and my father a perpetual "back slider". I was sinner in cheif (virtually homeless meth addict) when God plucked me from the fire almost 11 years ago by His Grace and Mercy.
My wife and I were married shortly after that. In that time we have grown in God's grace first attending a Calvary Chapel and then a couple of baptist churches, one of which we are currently and technically still members (however we no longer attend this church.)
As I watched the church use program after program as a means to attract new members and I studied scripture on my own I realized something was profoundly wrong. So I started reading around on line and found Mark Dever's book '9 Marks of a Healthy Church'. Well when I got to the part about 'Biblical Conversion' I was at first repulsed at the mention of God's Sovereignty in election. So I prayed /read prayed/read, agonized for about a year and a half and finally came to surrender to the truth of God's Sovereignty found in Scripture and I have repented of my resistance. Here come's the now what:
-Though now thoroughly reformed in my soteriology I am still baptist leaning.
-There is not a Biblicaly sound church in my town. Or the next town over. Or the town beyond that.
-In rural south Texas reformed churches are far and few.
-The nearest reformed leaning church is 25 miles from my town.
-The nearest reformed church is 40 miles from my town.
How far is too far? Is it biblical to leave your own community to worship with a biblical body? Am I abandoning my community if I do so?
If anyone could help please feel free.....
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