Searching for a Bible-believing Church in the Fort Worth Area

February 8, 2015 | fwdude

[fwdude]

With the appalling apostasy, both overt and subtle, engulfing many evangelical churches in these last days, I have found myself in search of a truly Bible-believing church body that is serious about the Truth taught by God through Jesus Christ.

To be specific, these are the things I am trying to avoid:
- The cultish "mega-church" mentality (though size doesn't not necessarily disqualify an otherwise orthodox church culture)
- Any sympathy, working agreement, or tacit acknowledgement of any Christian legitimacy with Rome.
- The hyper "grace only" heresy of the need just to "believe on Jesus Christ," nothing else matters (i.e. repentance, therefore renouncing sin, optional.)
- An above-all social component to church life, using Christ as the pretext to party and have a good time.
- The "contemporary worship" scene, where the great traditional hymns of devout saints are jettisoned in favor of the shallow, repetitive pap of me-centered guitar and percussion powered emotionalism.
- Teaching that completely avoids, or gives apologetic ground to, the deadly evil in today's society, especially the stridently militant homosexuality that is engulfing even many churches behind the scenes (even the SBC).
- The unlimited "welcoming" banner that is put out by many heretical bodies, i.e., no questions asked and no requirements for participate in the life of the church.

With these in mind, here is what I am seeking:
- A praying church where prayer is not just and afterthought or a mandatory formality.
- A church that holds its fellowshipping members accountable and expects real spiritual growth in them.
- A church that believes in the spiritual gifts as the Scriptures lay them out, without the emotionally caricatured ones. (I wouldn't even object to the gift of tongues if it were genuine and conducted biblically (a real existing language not learned by the practicer), and not like most maniacally charismatic church's wantonly display in disarray.)
- A church that meets regularly, and doesn't dismiss services for Superbowl Sunday.

These are obviously not exhaustive lists, but my point is that I am through wasting time in congregations that ignore the spiritual reality of the world, and focus on the empty wood, hay and stubble of the world, neglecting the members of the Body, and subjecting them to eternal danger.

At the risk of attracting caustic criticism, I'll also throw in that I've valued the teachings of Gordon C. Olson as biblically sound, so any recommendations for church bodies that adhere closely to the theology that he taught would be much appreciated.

[spacejunkie2001]

I personally believe we need MORE of people like fwdude who deigns to tell the truth. We have watered down God’s truth to the point most don’t even know what it is. I see him as a beacon in the darkness.

[spacejunkie2001]

agree fully.

[Dave W]

Actually, I do worry about you, your family and your children. Anyone, like you, that shows zero humility, zero kindness and zero lovingness, shows no fruit at all. You are not at all Christ like. You really are about showing off how pious you are, not unlike the Pharisees. Sanctimonious, self-righteous is all you are. The people that you showed rudeness to on this thread are too kind to respond like you did; however, I’m not bashful in calling you out. I pity the church that ends up with someone like you.

[ravenwolf]

personally believe we need MORE of people like fwdude who deigns to tell the truth.

---

That is true, the scriptures tell us that false teachers will deceive us so we need to be on guard against lies, and the only thing we have to decipher the truth from the lies is scripture.

Personally I have enough problems that could make me hell bound with out going to a Church that tells me just to count beads or be baptized or eat the bread and every thing will be fine.

[CrosscutSaw]

Covenant Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Fort Worth http://www.opcfw.com/

Mid-Cities Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Bedford http://mcopc.org/

[re_nortex]

I personally believe we need MORE of people like fwdude who deigns to tell the truth. We have watered down God’s truth to the point most don’t even know what it is. I see him as a beacon in the darkness.

Indeed. Loyal FReeper and unabashed Patriot fwdude seeks the truth and abhors error. That's vital to both Christianity and Conservatism. I'll add, of course, that any taint of liberalism in a "church" is an instant disqualification and sniffing out traces of leftism narrows down the available choices.

One metric that I have found very useful is to investigate the congregation's stance on guns. If the church building has a "Gun Free Zone" sign, it can be instantly crossed off the list. Find out the preacher's stance on firearms and also the views of the deacons and elders. If they don't fully support the Second Amendment, they're liberals. Flee quickly from such a gathering purporting to be a fellowship of Christians!

[Bill Russell]

Getting back to my original response to your post and the invite I gave you to check out the RCIA program at anyone of the parishes in the FTW area: My challenge to you to bring your best arguments to them was not for the purpose of wasting your time arguing...... it was so that you would see for yourself that most of your arguments against Catholicism are not based on the truths of Catholic doctrine and the teachings of the Church. The fact of the matter is you would find everything you said you were looking for in your original post, with the exception of avoiding all things based in Rome. I believe it is simply pride which causes you to bristle at the thought of learning and coming to believe in teachings you have been calling a heresy for many years of your adult life. You might end up like one of these guys:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxDumU0TSrY
Or
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/3255282/posts

[re_nortex]

...any observant Jew or devout Christian will declare that the Muslim god is not the God of Creation.

The reality is that mooseslimes worship and serve satan. And mohammed was a proven pedophile as well as an illiterate savage.

[xone]

So teaching error on purpose is OK if it might keep people under Muslim control safe? C’mon man!

[CynicalBear]

>>There’s a weasel phrase in there: “...Muslims; these PROFESS to hold the faith of Abraham...”<<

No weasel phrase as to the statement "together with us they adore the one, merciful God". And that "profess" is simply the Catholic Churches acknowledgement that the Muslims serve the same God. To the Catholic Church to profess something means they believe it.

[ViLaLuz]

We searched for a bible-based church in FW for about a year, asking the Lord where he wanted us. He led us to Calvary Chapel.

http://www.calvarychapelftw.org/

It’s been our church home for about a year. I’ve never heard anything out of line with the Bible. Pastor Bill Quinn is from FW. They also KDKR FM 91.3. Praying He leads you to your church home soon.

[spacejunkie2001]

I’m thinkin’ Calvary Chapel it is :)

[ViLaLuz]

This FW Calvary Chapel is firmly based on the Bible.

http://www.calvarychapelftw.org/

[ViLaLuz]

Unfortunately Cow Town is now a sanctuary city in Tolerant County.

[re_nortex]

All cities in Texas are liberal cesspools. The only good places left are the far-flung exurbs and rural areas. Even Plano, a suburb of Dallas, has gone hard left and promotes th sodomite agenda. You have to be at least 50 miles away from a city to be among good Christian (and Jewish) Patriots. Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Ft. Worth, Houston and San Antonio are just Detroit with warmer temperatures.

[ViLaLuz]

Calvary Chapel is a good option indeed. It’s most important, though, that God reveals to fwdude the best church for him, amen? He has a plan that’s always the best for us :)

Our family, we thrive at Calvary. We have the gift of missions so our walk in the congregation is fully alive for us.

[ViLaLuz]

We’re ready to move out of FW to a surrounding rural area. In thinking in the vicinity of Azle because of my job, but I’m not from Texas and not too familiar with anything outside of FW. I’ve been soliciting advice of the locals. Any suggestions?

[re_nortex]

If yiu're going to be in the Ft. Worth area, look into areas around Azle, as you suggest. In adjoining counties, stay away from Decatur in Wise County since it's trending toward the illegal types. Parker County isn't too bad but Weatherford also has a big illegal element. I've found this map to a good guide to avoid leftist regions.

[WriteOn]

Sounds like you you need to start your own. Seems common enough, all you need is a bible and a storefront.