A 1735 Congregation in the Heart of Chester County
Forks of the Brandywine Evangelical Presbyterian Church sits on the south side of Horseshoe Pike, just east of Route 82 in Glenmoore, Pennsylvania, a stone's throw from West Brandywine Township. The congregation was organized on September 26, 1735, by a majority of Scottish and Scotch-Irish settlers, many of whom had once belonged to the older Octorara Church. For almost three centuries, the congregation has gathered at the same bend in the road to worship the Lord Jesus Christ, and the parish's three-word motto still hangs above everything it does: Exalting Christ, Building the Church, Serving the World.
In 2007, after a season of renewed conviction about biblical truth, the congregation moved into the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) and joined the Presbytery of the East. That step sits at the center of who the church is today: a confessional, gospel-centered, Reformed body that reads the Westminster Confession of Faith as a faithful summary of Scripture, preaches verse by verse through the Bible, sings historic hymns accompanied by organ and piano, and treats every member as a minister equipped to serve the community and the nations.
A Sanctuary with a Story
The current building is the third sanctuary to stand on this ground. The original burned in 1785 and was rebuilt in 1787 with gifts from Benjamin Franklin, Benjamin Rush, and David Rittenhouse. The present American Gothic structure was raised in 1875, with the cornerstone laid on August 7 of that year and a service of dedication held in December 1876. The grounds also include the historic Forks Cemetery, which the Trustees help maintain to this day. Notables associated with the early church include the Reverend Samuel Black, the first pastor of the colonial congregation, and the Reverend John Carmichael, a Scottish native installed in 1761 who preached before the Continental Congress, served as a counselor to General George Washington, and was forced to flee his own pulpit with his family when British troops raided the area during the Revolution. The evangelist Dwight L. Moody preached as a guest in 1892.
For most of the year, Sunday worship takes place upstairs in this historic sanctuary. During the summer months, services move into the Fellowship Hall downstairs. Both spaces are wheelchair accessible. The Sexton, Walt Rigg, oversees the church grounds, the facilities, and the cemetery, with assistance from the Board of Trustees.
Sunday Worship: Hymns, Psalms, and Verse-by-Verse Preaching
Worship at the Forks is traditional and intentionally so. The congregation primarily sings historic hymns accompanied by a beautiful organ and piano, while preserving the historic Reformed practice of singing the Psalms. The pastor and musicians describe the primary instrument of worship as the uplifted voices of God's people lifting praise to Him.
The 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. Sunday service follows the Regulative Principle of Worship, which holds that acceptable worship must be biblical worship. The order of service observes the seasons of the liturgical calendar, follows a lectionary for Scripture readings, confesses the historic creeds of the church, and recites the Lord's Prayer in every service. The Lord's Supper is celebrated on the second Sunday of each month. While the Scripture readings follow the lectionary, the sermon text is not tied to it, giving the pastor freedom to preach through the whole counsel of God, book by book, week by week. The church teaches that expositional, verse-by-verse preaching is the best method for unleashing the truth of Scripture.
There is no official dress code. Visitors may wear whatever is comfortable, so long as it is modest and appropriate for public worship. Childcare is available for children ages five and under, and the service is livestreamed each Sunday morning at 10:30 on YouTube and SermonAudio. Previous services and sermon excerpts grouped by series and topic are also archived there. Assistive listening is available through Bluetooth Auracast.
The Westminster Confession and the Five Solas
The Forks is unapologetically a confessional church. The congregation's confessional standards consist of the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Westminster Larger and Shorter Catechisms, which the church holds to be carefully worded summaries of Scripture's teaching. While full subscription to every distinctive is not required for membership, those who join affirm the clear biblical teaching that salvation is accomplished by grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone.
The teaching of the pulpit rests on the Five Solas of the Protestant Reformation:
- Sola Scriptura: Scripture alone is the supreme authority, the only infallible source of divine revelation, the full and final authority of God himself for all that the church believes and does.
- Sola Gratia: Salvation is by God's grace alone, not by grace plus human merit. Because of the depths of human sin, the whole of salvation, from beginning to end, must be God's free and gracious gift.
- Sola Fide: Justification is by faith alone, not by faith plus our own righteous works. It is God's verdict that we are righteous in his sight, the forgiveness of our sins, and the peaceful assurance that we have been delivered from the wrath to come.
- Solus Christus: Christ alone is the head of the church and the only mediator between God and humanity. Through Christ alone the church comes to God, and through Christ alone God comes to his people with grace and blessing.
- Soli Deo Gloria: Glory belongs to God alone. He alone is worthy to receive acts of worship because he alone is the Creator and Redeemer.
The church also teaches the Five Points of Calvinism as a summary of what the Bible says about the application of redemption: total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and the perseverance of the saints. Pastor Wesley has written that the Westminster Confession is a much-needed accountability partner for pastors, churches, and the whole denomination, and he encourages every member to read through the Confession at least in part. The full Westminster Confession of Faith is available to read, and Pastor Wesley regularly publishes a monthly column called the Pastor's Pen, walking through the historic Christian faith for everyday believers.
Sunday School and the New Member Class
Before the worship hour, two adult Sunday school classes meet from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m., focusing on God's Word and a range of theological and practical issues for the Christian life. Half an hour of refreshments and fellowship follows, leading straight into the 10:30 service. A children's Sunday school class is currently being revised, with the church planning to provide new resources to assist parents in the spiritual formation of their children; in the meantime, families are encouraged to bring their children into the worship service each week.
For those considering membership, Pastor Wesley leads a New Member Class for adults and youth thirteen and up, meeting Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m. in the Chapel.
Midweek: Bible Studies, Prayer, Music, and Fellowship
The rhythm of the week at the Forks is full and intergenerational. On Mondays, a Women's Bible Study meets at the home of Reeta Stern at 7:00 p.m., currently working through the Gospel of Matthew with materials from Community Bible Study. On the first and third Monday of each month, American Heritage Girls and Trail Life USA both meet at 7:00 p.m. American Heritage Girls is a faith-based character development program for girls that emphasizes service to God, family, community, and country through badge programs, service projects, leadership opportunities, and outdoor experiences. Trail Life USA is a church-based, Christ-centered, boy-focused mentoring and discipleship journey set in the context of outdoor adventure, with troops of boys from kindergarten through twelfth grade mentored by men of the church.
On Tuesday mornings, a Community Bible Study on the book of Ephesians, called Created for Good, meets from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. in the Multipurpose Room downstairs. The study opens up the eternal purpose of God to unite people who had been estranged from him and from one another into a beautiful community that reflects his glory.
On Wednesday nights, Pastor Wesley leads a Bible study every other week at 7:00 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room, an in-depth, verse-by-verse walk through a book of the Bible. The study is open to all men and women, and to youth thirteen and up, and currently covers the Gospel of Matthew. Each session combines direct teaching and interactive discussion of the original background, structure, and intention of the text, as well as its doctrinal and practical content for Christian life today.
On Thursday evenings, the Music Team hosts Music Night at the Forks at 6:45 p.m., an evening of singing hymns and songs of praise. On Friday mornings, the men of the church gather at 6:30 a.m. for the Men's Prayer Breakfast at Happy Days Diner in Thorndale, rotating between Bible reading and devotionals, and currently working through prayers from The Valley of Vision.
On the second and fourth Friday evenings of the month, the youth group meets from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall for an evening of games, prayer, music, teaching, and discussion. The group welcomes all youth aged 10 through 18, and its goal is for young people to grow up to be like Christ and to want to help others be like Christ: to make disciples who make disciples, anchored in Colossians 1:28.
On the fourth Saturday of each month, a team of Forks volunteers heads out for Good Works, a partner-church relationship with Good Works, Inc. that provides home repairs and ongoing emotional support for a homeowner through the Good Neighbor Program. The average day runs from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., but volunteers can give whatever time they have. No skills are necessary; tools and lunch are provided.
Children and Youth at the Forks
The Forks takes seriously the call to disciple the next generation. Children ages five through second grade can take part in Kingdom Kids Junior Church, a recent restart of the children's ministry that uses BibleZone Live curriculum. Children begin the regular Sunday service with their parents, then move down to the Education Wing for age-appropriate teaching before rejoining their families for the end of the service. The Forks also hosts a monthly Daytimers' Game Day for seniors and others in the congregation, and Sunday School for children is being revised with a goal of giving parents excellent resources for the spiritual formation of their kids.
The youth ministry is led with the conviction that fun, friendship, and getting into God's Word are not three separate things but one and the same. The Forks maintains a parent email list and a WhatsApp group so that families stay connected between meetings.
Government by Elders, Deacons, and Trustees
Like every Reformed and Presbyterian church, the Forks is governed by elders. The word Presbyterian comes from the Greek presbyteros, meaning elder. Paul emphasized a plurality of elders in the early church, and the Bible gives explicit qualifications for them in 1 Timothy 3. At the Forks, elders are elected to three-year terms on the Session Board, the body responsible for the ecclesiastical focus of the church. The Session oversees educational studies, explores ministry opportunities, and encourages membership in the church.
Deacons are nominated, trained, examined, and ordained to minister to the physical needs of the church. The word deacon literally means one who waits on tables, and the board of deacons is currently sponsoring a new ongoing ministry to support veterans at the Coatesville VA Medical Center with donations of chocolate bars and ground coffee. The Board of Trustees serves as the corporation of the church, managing the financials and working closely with the Sexton to maintain the buildings, grounds, and cemetery.
The Fellowship Committee coordinates food and drink for special events at the church, including the annual Worship in the Park service, Congregational Meetings, and other meal preparations. The Online Outreach team oversees the church's online communications, the audio production during church activities, and the video production of the livestream and sermons. Through these efforts the church's online message has reached over 30 countries with thousands of views and downloads in a single year.
Local Outreach: Chester County and Beyond
The Forks is committed to advancing the Gospel of Christ in Word and Deed, both locally and around the world. Members and participants are equipped and mobilized to serve through a wide network of local partnerships. The church is a Partner Church with Good Works, Inc., and a group of Forks volunteers meets at an adopted home on the fourth Saturday of each month for the Good Neighbor Program, completing home repairs and walking alongside families in prayer and practical care.
The Forks also supports Bridge of Hope, a Christian ministry that engages faith communities in ending and preventing family homelessness through neighboring relationships that demonstrate Christ's love. The church partners with Chester County Connect Care, a pregnancy medical center that exists to educate and empower individuals and their families to make life-affirming choices. Members work with the Chester County Pro-Life Coalition, which publishes a pro-life newsletter and organizes public witness events, and with Chosen People Ministries, a Messianic Jewish organization engaged in Christian outreach to Jewish people.
OneRunTogether is another partner the Forks supports. Founded in 2011, OneRunTogether provides financial assistance to local cancer patients while they are undergoing treatment, helping them pay medical bills, living expenses, childcare during treatments, automobile repairs, and mortgage or rent bills. To date, the organization has given more than 385 grants totaling over $180,000 to patients in crisis. Other local partners the Forks supports include Steeple to People, the Honey Brook Food Bank, the Glenmoore Food Bank, the Camp at Old Mill, and the County Corrections Gospel Mission.
The Bolivia Mission: A Twenty-Year Friendship
For more than twenty years, the Forks has sent teams to Bolivia for the sake of the Gospel. The relationship began in a small jungle village called Zapoco', where the church helped build a church building and adobe homes within the community. From that beginning the relationship grew into one-on-one evangelism, the establishment of new churches, and leadership training across an area known as Lomerio and the surrounding communities of Concepcion.
The Forks now partners with LATCOM, a Latin American mission sending agency founded in 1984 by the late Dr. Charles Chuck Ramsey, and supports the REDES Project, which stands for Relationship, Evangelize, Disciple, Equip, and Serve. The Rojas and Chuvé families began REDES in 2009 by training, mentoring, and uniting local church leaders into a church association, with a long-term goal of reaching all 28 communities in the Lomerio region and then 48 more communities around Concepcion. The Forks also supports the work of the Vasquez family, who serve as administrators of LATCOM's mission house in Santa Cruz and coordinators of the REDES program in Lomerio.
Israel and Victoria Sanchez, a Bolivian couple with a long relationship with the Forks through many mission trips, have moved into the Manor House on the church grounds while Israel studies at Westminster Seminary. The Forks has a long tradition of sponsoring a seminary student for pastoral calling, and the church's ongoing prayer is that God would be glorified and that the team would be sanctified through this mission endeavor.
Reaching the World: From Bolivia to the Caucasus
In addition to Bolivia, the Forks supports a wide range of missionaries and ministries around the world. The congregation stands with Daryl and Carol VanDyken of Trans World Radio, which proclaims the gospel through mass media in more than 275 languages across 190 countries. The church partners with Christar, which cultivates Christ-honoring transformation in communities where he is yet to be worshiped, and with Mission Aviation Fellowship, where Dave and Linda Ringenberg serve in Papua, Indonesia. Dave is a pilot and serves as Director of Operations for MAF Indonesia, and Linda writes a publication highlighting stories of how the MAF Papua team is connecting, caring for, and cultivating relationships in isolated places.
The Forks also supports the work of the late Jean Ramsey, who served in Yucatan, Mexico, with the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico from 1967 onward, and who founded the San Pablo Seminary in Merida in 1982. Son Raise Missionary Services, SEND International (with Tim and Karen working with Afghan diaspora in Detroit), Eugene and Irina Sologubenco at the Kishinev Bible Church in Moldova, Laurel Kehl with SERGE, Tom and Margie Rafetto with Wycliffe Bible Translators, and David and Lee in Morocco, now affiliated with the Al Mowafaga Institute and WEC, are all part of the global mission work the Forks supports financially and in prayer.
The Forks also participates in Engage 2025, a multi-year initiative of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church challenging every Presbytery to adopt an unengaged Muslim people group and launch a disciple-making movement among that group. The Presbytery of the East has focused its work on the North Caucasus region of Southern Russia, in partnership with Dr. Andrey K. and a board of senior Russian believers. Closer to home, the church also supports Beulah Land Services, founded in 1982 by Dr. Kanchana, which provides medical care to leprosy patients in Thailand and supports church planting and pastoral training in those communities.
Kids Around the World: Packing Meals for the Hungry
One in seven children in the world suffers from the effects of food insecurity, living in a chronic state of malnutrition. Through the Kids Around the World Food Program, the Forks ensures that tens of thousands of impoverished children receive a warm, nutritious meal each day. Volunteers gather in the church to pack tens of thousands of meals in under 90 minutes, raising tens of thousands of dollars each year for the effort. The program is supported by in-person gifts placed in the offering envelopes (marked Kids Around the World) and through online giving via Tithe.ly.
The Staff and Pastoral Leadership
Pastor Wesley Grubb and his wife Sara came to the Forks from North Carolina. Wesley earned a B.A. in philosophy and religion from Liberty University, completed advanced study in theology and church history at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and graduated with an M.Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary. He has served as pastor of the Forks since 2020. He also teaches the Wednesday Night Bible Study, leads the New Member Class, and writes the monthly Pastor's Pen articles on subjects ranging from the existence of God to the Westminster Confession, the meaning of Sabbath rest, the nature of faith, and the love of Christ.
Dan Stewart, the Pastoral Affiliate, is a native of western Pennsylvania, a graduate of Bucknell University, a former US Navy flight officer, and an ordained minister in the Presbytery of the East of the EPC. Dan served for 17 years as Senior Pastor of Great Valley EPC in Malvern, PA, and for 7 1/2 years as Senior Chaplain of Presbyterian Senior Living. He and his wife Kathy live in the Honey Brook area and have three married children and fourteen grandchildren. He currently serves as a workplace chaplain through Marketplace Chaplains, a nationwide ministry headquartered in Plano, Texas.
Glady Toth, the Office Manager, has family ties to the Forks that go back five generations. A former Director of Credit for a semiconductor company, she co-leads the youth program, serves on the Missions Team, and has gone on nine adult mission trips to Bolivia, two to South Africa, and has led youth mission trips locally and to Pikeville, Kentucky, and Connecticut. Paul Pelusi, the Organist, recently retired from King of Prussia Nursing and Rehabilitation Center as a recreational and music therapist, holds a B.S. in Music Education from West Chester University and an M.A. in Music Therapy from Immaculata University, and brings 40 years of church music experience and 50 years of freelance and jazz experience. Tom and Julie Darnall lead the Music Team, coordinating with the organist and other volunteers to support music during worship and special events. Walt Rigg, a native of Honey Brook, serves as Sexton, overseeing the church grounds, the facilities, and the cemetery.
Giving, the Church Office, and How to Connect
The Forks offers online giving through Tithe.ly, with options for one-time, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly gifts, and the ability for the donor to cover any processing fees. Members may also give by check or through automated ACH giving, and tax statements are emailed or downloaded on request. The church office is generally staffed Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and visitors during the week are encouraged to call ahead at (610) 942-2626. The office is located on the south side of Horseshoe Pike, just east of Route 82 in Glenmoore.
For those who want to follow along between Sundays, the church's livestream is available on YouTube and SermonAudio, and the sermon archive goes back many years, grouped by series, topic, or speaker. The ChurchOne app, available on iOS and Android, makes it easy to listen on the go. The Forks also publishes a monthly newsletter that goes back many years, with news, prayer updates, and information about upcoming events. Those interested in supporting a specific ministry such as Kids Around the World can mark their giving accordingly or select the appropriate fund through Tithe.ly.
At the heart of the Forks, however, is a simple conviction: that Jesus Christ is building his church, that the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, and that the congregation at 1648 Horseshoe Pike is still pressing into the future, faithful to the same gospel its Scottish and Scotch-Irish founders carried into the Chester County countryside almost three hundred years ago.