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About Us

Las Vegas Reformed Presbyterian Church is a growing community of believers dedicated to worshiping God and living faithfully according to His Word. Established as part of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA) in 2012, we enjoy the fellowship and support of the Pacific Coast Presbytery. We confess the Bible as the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God, embracing the doctrines of grace and the historic Reformed faith as summarized in the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms. We worship Jehovah, the One true God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity. One God in Three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Our worship is simple and Word-centered, featuring the exclusive singing of Psalms without instrumental accompaniment, prayer, and experiential preaching. We affirm salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, and acknowledge our total dependence on God for every spiritual blessing. As Covenanters, we recognize Christ as King over the Church and over all Nations. We believe that nations are to enter into a public social covenant with King Jesus. We seek to advance His Kingdom on earth through faithful living and proclamation of the gospel. Our desire is to glorify God and serve as witnesses to His truth and grace.

Reformed

Being “Reformed” means that we follow the biblical principles of the Protestant Reformation: the ultimate authority is Scripture alone. This also means we worship according to the commands of God from the Scripture; what He does not command in worship, He prohibits. This is known as the Regulative Principle of Worship (RPW). We confess that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone, and all unto God’s glory alone. We hold to the historic Protestant faith as expressed in its maturity through what are known as the Westminster Standards.

Presbyterian

"Presbyterian" refers to our form of church government. The word comes from the Greek as found in the NT: presbyteros which means “elder”. Each congregation is under the oversight of those elected as elders. The Scripture teaches the office of Ruling Elder, those elected to this office from among the local membership and that of Pastor who is the shepherd of the congregation who preaches the Word and administers the sacraments. Ruling Elders and the pastor comprise the “Session” which governs and has oversight of the local congregation. The elders also comprise the higher courts of the Church. Presbyteries are the governing bodies over a group of congregations and the Synod is the governing body over the denomination. We see this gradation and authority of Church Courts in Scripture, such as in Acts 15.

Covenanter

Reformed Presbyterians have also been referred to historically as Covenanters because of their identification with social public covenanting in Scotland, beginning in the 16th century. This act was a protest for Christ's crown rights and royal prerogatives over the state and the recognition of Christ as King over the Church without interference from the government. Our motto of “For Christ’s Crown and Covenant,” found on the Blue Banners during times of persecution in Scotland, summarizes our commitment to Christ's Dominion over the state and the recognition of Christ as King of the Church without interference from the civil government.

Experiential & Expository Preaching

The Preaching of the Word is central to the public worship of God. As the Puritan William Perkins described it, “Preaching the Word is prophesying in the name and on behalf of Christ. Through preaching those who hear are called into the state of grace, and preserved in it.” The Scriptures are exposited to the building up of the hearers in the knowledge and understanding of God’s Word. The preaching is experiential in that the great truths of God are pressed upon the hearers to apply the Word of God in their daily life. The Word is applied to the congregants to illuminate who they are, their position before God, the way of peace with God, and the need of salvation in Jesus Christ and daily sanctification by walking in the Spirit.

Regulative Principle of Worship

We firmly believe that God must be worshiped on His terms. Therefore, our worship is simple and in accordance to His command. The Scriptures are clear: what He does not command in worship is prohibited. This is known as the Regulative Principle of Worship (RPW). You will not find fog machines, spotlights, and entertainment in our worship service. Instead, worship is reverent, solemn, and respectful to the One True God whom we gather to worship. It is altogether Christ-centered and worship is based on the Word of God. “What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it” Deuteronomy 12:32.

Exclusive Psalmody

As a consequence of holding to the RPW, we sing only from the Book of Psalms. In the Old and the New Testament, we are convinced that God has given the Church His hymnbook for His worship. That hymnbook is the Book of Psalms. The original Hebrew title of the book of Psalms is Tehillim and the literal translation means Book of Praises or Hymnbook. The title “Psalms” is Greek and means songs played with musical instruments. In Ephesians and Colossians, we are told by the Apostle Paul that we are to sing the Book of Psalms in worship. “Psalms, hymns, songs” are modified by the word “spiritual” or from the Holy Spirit and the three parts to describe the whole is what is called a synecdoche. Paul is directly referring to the Book of Psalms for worship because they are the only songs given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

A Capella Singing

Stemming from the RPW, we believe that the use of musical instruments in the worship of God has been abrogated. The instruments were given by God to be used during the sacrifices in the Temple. They were part of the Temple worship and ceremonial law. Musical instruments were never used in the synagogue while the Psalms were sung without instruments. The instruments were to be played during the burning of the sacrifices only. The example is plainly given in 2 Chronicles 29:11-30. For more than 1,000 yrs the Christian Church did not use musical instruments in worship because they saw it as “Judiazing” or imitating the Temple worship of the Jews. They sung the Psalms “A Capella” which in Latin means “in the chapel style” which itself testifies to this fact of the Christian Church. Musical instruments may be played for other reasons, but never are to be employed in the worship of God.

Sacraments

The Bible only reveals that there are two sacraments given to the people of God. In the Old Testament it was circumcision and Passover. In the New Testament, circumcision has been replaced by water baptism and the Passover has been replaced by the Lord’s Supper. The Westminster Shorter Catechism defines a Sacrament this way: “A Sacrament is a holy ordinance instituted by Christ; wherein, by sensible signs, Christ and the benefits of the new covenant are represented, sealed, and applied to believers.”

Baptism

The Westminster Shorter Catechism defines baptism from the Bible as follows, “Baptism is a Sacrament, wherein the washing with water, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, doth signify and seal our ingrafting into Christ, and partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace, and our engagement to be the Lord’s… Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible Church, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him; but the infants of such as are members of the visible Church are to be baptized.” Baptism is a sign and token that the one being baptized now belongs to Jesus Christ and His Church. From that point forward their children are to be baptized. Baptism does not regenerate but it signifies membership in the visible Church.

The Lord’s Supper

The Westminster Shorter Catechism defines the Lord’s Supper from the Bible as follows, “The Lord’s Supper is a Sacrament, wherein, by giving and receiving bread and wine, according to Christ’s appointment, his death is showed forth; and the worthy receivers are, not after a corporal and carnal manner, but by faith, made partakers of his body and blood, with all his benefits, to their spiritual nourishment and growth in grace. It is required of them that would worthily partake of the Lord’s Supper, that they examine themselves, of their knowledge to discern the Lord’s body, of their faith to feed upon him, of their repentance, love, and new obedience; lest, coming unworthily, they eat and drink judgment to themselves.”

The Lord’s Supper is not a converting ordinance it is meant only for professing Christians to build up their faith and to commune with Christ and one another. Baptized children are not allowed to partake of the Lord’s Supper until they make profession of faith and are able to discern the Lord’s body, 1 Corinthians 11:27-32. We serve the Lord’s Supper seated around an actual table, partake from a single bread which is broken by the communicants, drink real fermented wine from a common/shared cup, see 1 Corinthians 10:21; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Revelation 19:9.

We reject transubstantiation and consubstantiation. We believe in the spiritual presence of Christ in the Supper, but not His physical presence