When I accepted the (third) call to become the pastor of Community Christian Church in 2013—which would later become Reformation Bible Church and then Reformation OPC—I arrived in town with a one-year, two-year, five-year, and ten-year plan outlined on a legal pad. The goals for year one were: (1) Build trust and relationships, and (2) Introduce the church to expository preaching. Six months after my arrival, the Lord began teaching us that a man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps (Prov. 16:9). The plans we had made would not be fulfilled in the way we had envisioned — we wondered at times in 2014-2016 if the church would even survive — but the Lord had something better for us, grander than anything we had imagined.
Strategic vision has been part of the ministry here for more than a decade. When those original drafts on a legal pad changed, new versions were created, and they have continued to be updated, discussed, prayed about, and perfected over time. The Lord has gathered, and continues to gather, men, women, and households at ROPC that have a kingdom mindset, that long to see gospel transformation in the community through godly families, Christ-honoring businesses, and biblically ordered ministries established and bearing fruit for the glory of God.
Three years ago I sent the elders an outline of this evolving strategic vision. These are simply my ideas, desires, and plans. This is not a document or vision that was adopted by the Session, but it has been the template for how some of us have thought about what the future may hold, if the Lord wills, for ROPC and the larger community in which we find ourselves.
I should say three other things about this vision. First, this is a plan for seeing the kingdom of God grow by biblical application and sanctification. It is not a political plan, per se, and it is not even a plan for what the church as the church would do. It is a model for how members of the church might extend and apply our theology of work and kingdom in tangible ways. Second, this is an hundred year plan, not one we expect to be fulfilled in 12 months. I pray regularly for the ministry of this church in the days of my great-great grandchildren. I expect Reformation Church to still be here proclaiming Christ and edifying the saints long after I am dead, and I pray they will be more faithful and more fruitful than we have been during my tenure. Third, this vision is limited and incomplete. However it turns out, it will not be exactly as we have envisioned. We must proceed humbly even though confidently and courageously. Wiser men will have better ideas for how to be fruitful, fill the city, and subdue it to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. This is only a starting point, and once the vision is caught, this version of it can be discarded like ideas sketched on a napkin. Let the Lord’s will be done.
(June 2021)
Brothers,
I want to outline part of the vision, hopes, and dreams I have for our congregation. We have referred to this plan from time to time, but I have never provided [the current Session] a comprehensive summary. This will only be a brief outline, but I hope it will be useful in evaluating the wisdom (or lack thereof) of what I would like to see us pursue. This may not be God’s will for our congregation, and that may be discovered, in part, by criticism and resistance from you. I am prepared to receive and accept such feedback. Our fundamental goal is to be faithful. Anything beyond that is God’s extraordinary goodness.
I desire to see ROPC grow in its vision, pursuit, and application of the supremacy, sufficiency, and sovereignty of Christ in every aspect of life. This starts with a faithful ministry of worship and preaching on the Lord’s Day, but it goes far beyond just that. I hope to see ROPC become the center of a new and ever-expanding Christian community, the hub from which households, ministries, businesses, neighborhoods, and new congregations arise and extend. I hope to see families choosing to move [here] so that they can attend ROPC and be part of a redeemed and vibrant community. I want to see families who move away from ROPC take the vision and energy of this congregation with them in order to build and grow like-minded churches and villages elsewhere.
What is necessary in terms of theological vision?
- A strong commitment to the Reformed faith: the sovereignty of God, the authority and sufficiency of Scripture, the sufficiency of Christ, and the efficacy of grace.
- A strong commitment to Reformed Catholicity, not to the OPC or any particular sectarian tradition.
- A strong commitment to traditional Christian households and gender roles and a willingness to irenically but unapologetically stand against evangelical feminism that has made significant inroads to the OPC and against the sexual perversion that has significant support in the PCA.
- A strong commitment to the primacy of the means of grace coupled with a confidence in and pursuit of the transformational implications of the Lordship of Christ for civil society. We don’t need a progressive, worldly, Sunday-only R2K Christianity. We need to think Christianly, build Christianly, trade Christianly, and be Christian in our worldly occupations.
- A strong commitment to liturgical, reverent, and enthusiastic worship, to an optimistic eschatology, and to a cheerful attitude in life and suffering grounded in a keen sense of God’s providence and promises.
What kinds of ministries and associated community structures might grow out of such a vision?
- A Classical Christian school that is unapologetically Christian, explicitly (though humbly) Reformed, and robustly Classical (i.e. students will learn Latin, Logic, Greek, Recitation, History and ignore the nonsense that wastes much of their time in most other schools).
- A Community Bible Academy where church members and those from the community can register to take classes during the week on Bible Literature, History, and Geography; Systematic Theology; Church History; Introductions to Greek, Hebrew, and Latin; and great works of Christian literature.
- A Ministerial Training Institute, whether in partnership with an existing seminary or not, where students with gifts may train for ordained ministry in the context of the local church, without incurring debt, while serving alongside and being shepherded by pastors and elders there.
- Satellite Bible classes for outreach and edification at locations throughout the east Valley.
- A Publishing House dedicated to producing books, literature, and curriculum from the ministry here.
- A Crisis Pregnancy Center with a gospel-focused ministry to expectant moms and young families.
- A Soup Kitchen/Homeless Ministry focused on sharing the gospel and connecting those seeking help with day-work, job-training, and housing so that they climb out of poverty through gleaning the fields.
- A Directory of Businesses and Services owned by church members which are eager to serve church members and with opportunities for employing covenant teenagers, new converts, and those the church or associated ministries are seeking to help.
Ideally, I would have an associate pastor and only preach once a week. I would focus roughly half my time each week on writing, the other half on sermon prep, visitation, and pastoral care. We would have a church office with administrative help. We might have a counseling center. We might do away with midweek classes such as we have currently and use the Community Bible Academy, satellite Bible classes, and morning prayer services at the church instead for midweek edification ministry.
Regarding… Sunday School, we would have eight types of classes, some of which could meet at other times as small groups or midweek classes. The eight types of classes would be regular Q&As with the pastor(s) and elders, discussion of assigned Bible reading using the method I implemented successfully in Mississippi and Georgia, deeper dive discussions of the sermons, the Bible Foundations curriculum, membership classes, leadership development classes, catechism classes, and special topics (e.g. marriage, parenting, etc.). These eight would not all run continuously and concurrently, but some of them (Q&A, Bible reading discussion, Bible Foundations, Catechism) would be scheduled every year.
This is only my vision. It is subject to your questioning, critique, and disapproval. It may be the Lord will not allow these things to happen. It is certainly not a typical OPC vision for the local church. The Lord may have something very different in store for us all. But this is the vision that began as sketches on a legal pad in 2013. It has grown and evolved in many ways since then. We pursued portions of it before without success. If it is the Lord’s will, it will happen when the time is right. But if we don’t know where we are going, we won’t know which road we are supposed to follow. I submit this brief outline for your review. May God give us clarity and confidence in pursuing and doing his will, whatever it may be.
As always, I welcome and solicit your questions, concerns, criticism, and input on my ministry here.
In His service,
Joel Ellis
