The Elkins Park Church, founded in the Kensington section of Philadelphia in 1851, is a congregation of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA). The RPCNA has its roots in the universal church of the ancient Councils and stems from the Scottish Reformation of the 16th and 17th centuries. It is founded on the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ being the cornerstone, and it is guided by the inspired and inerrant Holy Scriptures.
We believe in one God in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe that God created the world out of nothing. We believe that Adam was created good, but chose to rebel against God, thus plunging the human race into sin and misery. We believe that the just penalty for sin is death, both now and in hell hereafter.
We believe that God, contrary to what people deserve, loves the world, and gave his only begotten Son to save it. Jesus Christ, fully God and fully human, died on a cross outside Jerusalem to pay for the sins of all who believe in Him. We believe that Jesus rose bodily from the dead and lives in Heaven, ruling all nations in order to spread the Gospel until He returns to judge the world.
We believe that the worship of God is our highest privilege and must be done according to His instructions by the power of His Spirit. We offer all worship through the only Mediator Jesus Christ, praying in His name, reading and applying His Word, singing to Him the Psalms which He inspired, and observing the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Finally, we believe that we are brothers and sisters in Christ. We pray for one another and encourage one another, sometimes even with rebukes. When needed, we aid one another with our worldly goods. Love for God and love for our neighbor sums up how we aim to live as a church. Our fellowship is an open one, eager to receive all who want to know God.