Frequently Asked Questions

Will Church Plant Point Loma be the church’s name?

-No. If the Lord allows this church plant initiative to develop into a particular and independent church, we will have a different name.

Why are you subscribing to the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith?

-The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith helps define who we are as Particular or Reformed Baptists. The Confession also defines what we believe much like a statement of faith but in greater detail.

If this develops into a church, is it necessary that all members of the church subscribe to the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith?

-As with most confessional churches, it is not necessary for every member to subscribe to the Confession in its entirety. There are essentials, however, that each member must confess, for instance: the Trinity, the substitutionary atonement of Christ, that the Word of God is infallible and inerrant, the perseverance of the Saints, etc.

What does it mean to have a Reformed view of salvation?

-Those who hold a Reformed view of salvation subscribe to The Canons of Dordt. Typically, the Canons are associated with five main doctrines, namely: unconditional election, limited atonement, total depravity, irresistible grace, and the perseverance of the saints.

Why have you chosen this particular liturgical structure?

-In many churches today, a distinct and direction-driven liturgy has fallen to the side. It isn’t often that people can firmly grasp why their particular church does what they do and knows why they do it (by way of liturgy). We have chosen this particular liturgical structure because we believe it has its roots in the Word of God and Church history. For instance, the often-titled “call and response” nature of the liturgy has its origins in the Book of Psalms and can be seen in the life of the Church as early as Justin Martyr and Hippolytus (mid-2nd – 3rd century AD). A public declaration of our faith also goes back to the early Church. (These are just some examples). But one must be reminded that this form of liturgy is not distinctly Roman Catholic. Often when we think of a direction-driven liturgy, the Roman Catholic Church comes to mind. These particulars developed before and aside from Rome and thus credit as to the origins should not be given to the Roman Church. Rather, we should observe many of these features as first developing in the Word of God and then throughout Church history.

Why have you chosen Point Loma as the area to start the church?

-Point Loma is center to many things in San Diego. It is close to downtown and near virtually every college campus. Also, the Point Loma area is nearly foreign to Reformed doctrine. To the best of our research, within the Point Loma, Ocean Beach, and Pacific Beach areas, there are very few churches, which subscribe to Reformed doctrine. With the beautiful surrounding communities and military bases, we believe this opportunity would be a privilege to share the Word of God with people as it is defined in the Scriptures and secondarily, the Reformed tradition.

Why are you a family integrated church?

-Worship on the Lord’s Day is an important time whereby the body of Christ is edified by the primary means of grace (the preaching of God’s Word) and secondly, the sacraments. This is not a time to separate families, rather a time to build them up together in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.


Will you have Sunday school?

-We will have Sunday school for adults and children. Adult Sunday school will cover various topics and doctrines, as well as present an opportunity for any of the adults/those attending Sunday school to ask questions about the sermon. Children’s Sunday school will also cover various topics and doctrines within the catechisms.


What type of ministry opportunities will you offer?

-It really depends how you define ministry. The primary ministry of the church is to preach the Word of God (the gospel) and administer the sacraments (baptism and the Lord's Supper). There will be other opportunities to be taught, such as men's and women's Bible studies, and there will be opportunities for outreach and prayer. These opportunities, however, will not replace the ministry of the church, rather they will exist along side the church.


Who is leading the Bible study?

-Leon Brown. He is a graduate of the University of San Diego with a degree in Communication Studies. He currently attends Westminster Seminary California with a projected graduation date of Spring 2011. He is a requested conference speaker, experienced evangelist, and itinerant preacher. He is the founder of the Evangelism Team ministry and has published in various magazines and Christian journals.

If the Lord develops the church plant initiative into an independent church, who will lead us during our time of worship on the Lord’s Day?

-If this church plant initiative develops into an independent church, the hope is that the congregation will call Leon Brown to be her pastor.


Will you have church membership?

-Yes. We believe church membership is a biblical priority.


Will you have a plurality of deacons and elders?

-Yes.


Which type of church government will you uphold?

-Congregational church government. In short, this means that the elders and deacons will (1) initially be selected by the congregation, (2) brought before the current elders for training, and (3) once the candidates have been sufficiently trained, finally presented to the church to be voted into office. The elders will provide the primary spiritual oversight and lead the congregation, while the deacons will serve in various other areas, e.g. financial matters, organizing family gatherings, etc.


Do you have a sending church?

-Yes.


How often do you desire to have the Lord’s Supper?

-Weekly.