Edgington EPC
THE EVANGELICAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
The Evangelical Presbyterian Church
Edgington EPC is a member of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. Beginning in 1981, the EPC was formed with a desire to take seriously the words of Scripture, the theology of the historic confessions of the faith, and the evangelical fervor of Presbyterian founders. EPC churches are:
Evangelical
To be "Evangelical" means to believe in the importance of sharing the good news that through Jesus Christ the kingdom of God has been inaugurated, freeing people from the guilt and power of sin through personal faith and repentance. We express this priority on evangelism by stating it in our governing documents as the first work of the church. This priority is evidenced in our emphasis on church planting and world missions.
Presbyterian
To be "Presbyterian" is to be governed according to the pattern of elders seen in the Old and New Testaments. We are ruled neither by bishops in a hierarchical model nor by members in a congregational model. Biblically qualified elders are recognized through congregational election and, along with ministers, rule the church corporately. It also means being connected in mutual accountability and responsibility. Just as individual Christians are connected to one another as members of the body of Christ, so also individual congregations are connected under Christ as the great Head of the Church.
Reformed
To be "Reformed" means several things. Historically, we trace our roots to the Reformation, when John Calvin and others led the movement to reform the Church according to Scripture. Theologically, it means belief in the absolute sovereignty of God and that the highest good is God's glory. This historical and theological heritage is often expressed in the Solas of the Reformation: God's grace alone as the only way to be reconciled to God, faith alone as the only means of receiving God's grace, Christ alone as the ground of God's saving grace, Scripture alone as the only infallible authority for belief, and God's glory alone as the ultimate purpose for the lives of men and women.
Today the EPC consists of more than 600 churches and over 145,000 members. The motto of the EPC is: In Essentials Unity, In Non-Essentials Liberty, In All Things Charity: Truth In Love. Please visit our denomination's website where you can learn about the history of the EPC as well as the distinctives.
Edgington EPC is a part of the Rivers and Lakes Presbytery, which is our regional level of church government. We meet three times a year with brothers and sisters from each of our over 30 member churches across a four state region (Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin) to conduct the business of the church, worship and fellowship together, and encourage each other in the work of the Lord.