Thank you so much for your long and thoughtful reply! I will prayerfully take to heart all you have written here, examining each suggestion thoroughly. I, like yourself, trust in the sovereignty of our Lord, which certainly applies to my present circumstances. Given my English/Irish heritage and appreciation for what can only describe as more ‘formality’ among those in the UK, I would most definitely be more comfortable in the Scotland than I am in Southern California…not the least among my reasons being my high degree of vulnerability for skin cancer! It must have been a blessing indeed for you to sit under the teaching of Alistair, and I’ll pray that your ministry will continue to flourish for many years to come as you declare Truth in our age of compromise, liberalism, and downright heresy (in the case of the emergents).

Your question is probably best answered by someone much closer to Long Beach than I am. However, I do want to respond with a coule of points.

I had the privilege of having Alistair Begg as my pastor, from 1977 until his departure to the US in 1983. Through those years, the Lord used Alistair’s teaching to deepen my commitment to Christ, his Word and his Church. In the final year of his ministry in Hamilton, Scotland, I began to sense a call of God upon my life to Christian ministry. It took 7 years for this to chrystalise to the point where I knew in my heart that God was calling me to serve his people as a pastor and teacher. In 1990, I resigned from my work in scientific research, to prepare for pastoral ministry, in which I still serve.

Chris, Alistair’s teaching will be a tremendous encouragement to you, particularly at this time. You will be blessed as you listen to him (as indeed members of my own congregation here in Scotland are too), but Alistair cannot be your pastor, and you cannot play a part in the life of Parkside Church from Long Beach, CA.

I urge you to find a local church where the word of God is faithfully taught and you can play a vital part in the body of believers there. This will be no easier in LA than in any other part of the country. More people may mean more choices, but not necessarily the ones that are right for you and your wife.

The first church which came to mind was Grace Community, in Sun Valley. John MacArthur has exercised a long and faithful ministry there. I wouldn’t agree with every position he holds (e.g., our eschatology would not be worked out the same way), but I could still happily sit under his ministry. However, this is still some way from Long Beach.

You’ve explored a number of options, from a variety of denominations. Have you heard of Sovereign Grace Church of Pasadena (also meeting in Irvine). http://sovgracepasadena.org They are under the banner of C.J. Mahaney’s Sovereign Grace churches, and have a strong commitment to biblical preaching, in a contemporary setting. However, if a strong commitment to a cessationist understanding of ’sign’ gifts is important to you, then they are probably not what you would be looking for.

I noticed that you visited an OPC congregation. Have you thought about one of the PCA congregations in LA? I would think you would find them committed to sound teaching, but probably less ‘traditional’ than some OPC churches.

Finally, there may be some good ’sound’ Baptist churches in your vicinity. Within the SBC, there are many pastors who have come in recent years, (particularly through the influence of Southern Seminary, Louisville) to an understanding of God’s saving purposes that we would recognise as Calvinistic. However, not all the congregations in which they minister would necessarily share their views. Alternatively, there may be a ‘Reformed Baptist’ church within your area

Chris, I’ll close here, and say that I trust you will soon find a congregation where you will be fed, and where you can serve. I’d invite you to try our church, but we’re not just on the other side of America, we’re on the other side of the Atlantic!

I’m the new pastor of Messiah’s Church, a small reformed congregation in Omaha, and have found myself a couple times in that horrible predicament of discovering “that somewhere between our thinking and our speaking things have gone badly awry.” But it made so much sense in my mind! How come I can’t articulate it now, especially with all these expectant, attentive faces staring at me??

I just discovered Alistair Begg and am enjoying hearing his radio program. I wasn’t aware he was suffering health problems, but now that I know I will unhesitatingly bring him before the throne of grace.

cameron potts