Welcome to the Reformed Church of Port Ewen, where you are accepted for who you are, a child of God. Loved and accepted by our Lord Jesus Christ. You are our brother or sister and we hope that you are able to join us in person or by Zoom and pray that you will be blessed.
Established in 1851, the Reformed Church of Port Ewen has been loving God and our neighbors for over 150 years. We believe that the best way to love and serve God and neighbor is through gathering together in faithful, vibrant worship where the triune God of grace promises to meet us in Word and Sacrament. As we are confronted and consoled by this God of grace in worship, we commit ourselves once again to following after the way of Christ, living into deep community, renewing our hearts and minds in faith formation, and in engaging local and global mission.
It is here in the Hudson Valley that the The Reformed Church in America (RCA), the denomination to which we belong, traces its historical roots. Originally introduced by the first Dutch settlers, the RCA is one of the oldest Protestant denominations in the United States. Deeply grateful for the faith of those who have come before us, we also know that it is not the length of years, or the work of human hands, but the faithfulness of God in which the Church is made able to endure through all generations. The RCA is characterized by both its deep roots in the historic Christian faith and an ongoing commitment to the mission of Christ in the world.
Anchored in the broad Reformed tradition, gospel-centered in our preaching and teaching, we are committed to reaching out beyond our own walls to give witness to the love of God that overflows into every nook and cranny of the world He so loves.
Gospel Centered—We believe in that in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus the depth of God’s love and reconciling grace has been revealed to the world. In Jesus, the Word made flesh, we are confronted in our sin and called to a life of repentance. We believe it is Jesus alone who heals what is ill and sick in us and the world. It is Jesus alone who mends what is broken. It is Jesus alone who knits back together was has been torn apart. Through the work of the Holy Spirit in us we begin to experience this new life and healing power of God in Jesus, even while we continue to long for the new heavens and new earth.
Reformed—We belong to the broad reformed tradition which traces its heritage to the Protestant Reformation of the 15th and 16th centuries, specifically as it has been articulated in the writings of John Calvin. We believe that one comes to know the reconciling grace of God by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ. We believe that it is the mysterious work of the Holy Spirit that leads us to the radical confession that: “Christ is Lord.” Through the gentle work of the Holy Spirit God is renewing our minds and hearts to be more like Christ. We believe that the written word of God—the Old and New Testaments—are the only rule of life and faith as they give witness to Word made flesh, Jesus Christ. We believe that Scripture is inspired and the true word of God in all that it intends to teach.
Reaching Outward—One of the central images of God that is gathered from Scripture is a God who is in relentless pursuit of creation that has become wayward and lost in sin. The triune God of grace will stop at nothing to redeem, to rescue, to reconcile. The letter to the Ephesians says of Jesus: “For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us.” Jesus is at work breaking down the dividing walls of hostility—walls that divide us from God, walls that divide us from one another. We are committed to following this wall-destroying Savior, whether it is reaching out to those beyond our denominational walls, or beyond others wall that exist in our world such as walls of race and socio-economic status. We reach beyond not by setting aside our commitment to Christ and his church, but only in and through Christ, who alone has the power to break down any barrier, who alone has the power to reconcile us to one another and to God.