A Congregation Built Around the Word and the Means of Grace
On 180th Street North in East Moline, Illinois, Sycamore Reformed Baptist Church gathers each Lord's Day around the public reading and preaching of Scripture, the ordinances Christ appointed, and the prayers of his people. The congregation calls itself "a community of redeemed sinners who love Jesus Christ and one another." Its name combines the modest sycamore tree of the Illinois countryside with a confession of faith that, while not quite three hundred fifty years old, has become the most widely received doctrinal standard in the Reformed Baptist world: the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689.
From a 1956 Regular Baptist Work to a Reformed Baptist Church
Sycamore Baptist Church held its first meeting on December 2, 1956, as a Regular Baptist congregation. Between 1980 and 1987, the church underwent what its members describe as a reformation. During those years the congregation adopted the 1689 Confession of Faith and came to the conviction that God saves sinners by grace alone, in Christ alone, through faith alone, to the glory of God alone. "In some ways," the church writes, "the church has been continuing to reform ever since." Today Sycamore is an independent Reformed Baptist congregation and a member of the Confessional Baptist Association, with whom it cooperates in home and foreign missions.
The Confessional Baptist Association is described as "a national association of churches who subscribe the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith." The connection gives Sycamore a wider fellowship for counsel, commendation, and cooperative work without surrendering the congregational independence that the church regards as essential to a faithful New Testament order.
The 1689 Confession as Subordinate Standard
The Second London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 is the fullest subordinate summary of Scripture that Sycamore receives. Originally penned in 1677 and adopted by the London Association of Reformed Baptist churches in 1688, it was claimed by some one hundred baptized congregations as a clear statement of belief and practice. The church teaches that "the Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience," and that the Confession, while subordinate to the Bible, is an excellent summary of its teaching.
The church practices what it calls "full" or "strict" subscription to the Confession. Drawn from the writings of Dr. James M. Renihan and Dr. Morton H. Smith, the approach adopts every doctrine taught in the Confession as true and founded on the Word of God, while still leaving room for thoughtful attention to the wording in which any particular doctrine is expressed. Every officer and every "gifted brother" recognized by the church affirms the Confession in this manner.
The Confession's thirty-two chapters move from the Holy Scriptures through God and His decree, creation and providence, the fall, the covenant of grace, Christ the mediator, free will, effectual calling, justification, adoption, sanctification, saving faith, repentance, good works, the perseverance of the saints, and the assurance of grace, before turning to the law of God, the gospel, Christian liberty, religious worship and the Sabbath day, lawful oaths and vows, the civil magistrate, marriage, the church, the communion of saints, baptism and the Lord's Supper, the state of man after death, and the last judgment. Each chapter is laid out in numbered propositions with proof texts, and the whole is bound together by an unyielding commitment to the grace of God in Christ.
Six Summary Convictions
Sycamore condenses its identity into six summary convictions. Each is a window into how the confession shapes daily practice.
- Confessional. The 1689 London Baptist Confession is received as a faithful expression of biblical doctrine for faith and life, with the Bible itself remaining the only infallible rule.
- Covenantal. In the fullness of time God sent forth His Son to establish and ratify the New Covenant in His blood, also called the Covenant of Grace, first revealed in the garden (Genesis 3:15) and unfolded through further steps until the full discovery of the New Testament.
- Calvinistic. The church holds to the five points of Calvinism, affirming that God sovereignly saves sinners by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone to the glory of God alone.
- Baptistic. Members are visible saints who have been baptized upon a credible profession of faith in the presence of many witnesses as an answer or pledge to the Triune God. Only believers are baptized, and only by immersion.
- Congregational. The church is a body of visible saints called and covenanted together for mutual edification and for the due performance of worship and obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Head of the church.
- Worship. God has positively prescribed the acceptable means of worshiping Him. The congregation gathers most especially on the Lord's Day Sabbath for the means of grace: the Word, prayer, and the ordinances.
The Lord's Day at Sycamore
Public worship is the rhythm around which life at Sycamore turns. Sunday School opens the day at 9:30 AM, with classes for all ages. Morning Worship follows at 10:30 AM and is the central gathering of the week. The service includes congregational singing from a printed hymnal and a psalter, prayer, the public reading and preaching of God's Word, and the observance of the ordinances. A reverent joyfulness marks these gatherings; the church loves to sing Psalms and hymns and to keep the Word of Christ central.
The music at Sycamore is drawn from a printed hymnal associated with the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and from the Trinity Psalter, and the congregation sings metrical psalms alongside hymns without instrumental accompaniment, in keeping with the church's commitment to the regulative principle of worship. The Word is preached verse by verse through books of the Bible. Recent messages have ranged across the Sanctus Did it be Philippians (li on "Stand Fast in the Lord - Philippians 3:17"), the confessions on the Popish Mass and the presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper, expositions of the Psalms and Proverbs, and the early chapters of Joshua.
Evening Worship follows at 5:00 PM. The Lord's Supper is observed at this evening service, with the bread and wine distributed to members in good standing. The church teaches that the Supper is a memorial of Christ's one sacrifice on the cross, a spiritual nourishment of the soul, and a pledge of communion with Christ and with one another; it rejects transubstantiation and the notion that Christ is bodily present in the elements. The Supper is meant to be observed frequently, even weekly if possible, when the church gathers on the first day of the week.
Visitors arriving for the first time can expect to be greeted with warm smiles and an open door. Services begin promptly, and ushers are ready to help newcomers with what they need and to answer questions. Dress is a matter of honoring the Lord; the church encourages each person to come in a way that reflects reverence for God in worship, without prescribing a particular style.
Wednesday Prayer Meeting and the Midweek Gathering
Midweek fellowship gathers on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 PM for the Prayer Meeting. Members come together to pray, to hear the Word, and to bear one another's burdens. The service complements the Lord's Day gatherings by keeping the church united in intercession between Sundays and by giving the members a regular rhythm of prayer apart from the formal worship services.
Fellowship Meals Around the Table
Hospitality is woven into the life of the congregation. Sycamore holds potluck fellowship meals on the first and third Lord's Days of each month, immediately following the morning worship service. Visitors are invited to join in, and there is no need to bring anything. Members also share meals throughout the week, opening their homes and bringing food to the sick, embodying the conviction of Acts 2:46 that "breaking bread from house to house" has always marked the people of God. Hospitality is offered as both a way to draw visitors into the life of the body and a natural and spontaneous part of the fellowship of God's people.
Teaching the Next Generation
Sycamore views the training of children as primarily the work of parents in the home, supported by the church's teaching ministries. Parents are encouraged in biblical discipline, family devotions, and catechetical instruction. Sunday School is offered for all ages, with the goal of teaching the great story of redemption running throughout Scripture and showing how all things point to Christ. The Sunday School hour begins at 9:30 AM.
The Children's Catechism, a published set of 150 questions and answers, is the structured tool for passing the faith to the next generation. It begins with the creation and the fall, moves through the covenants of life and grace, the person and offices of Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit, the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper, and ends with the last things. Children are taught that they were made by God for His glory, that they are corrupt in every part of their being by reason of original sin, that no one can be saved through the covenant of life, that Christ obeyed the whole law for His people and suffered the punishment due for their sins, and that they must repent of their sins and believe in Christ as their Savior. The proper mode of baptism is "dipping the whole body of the person in the water," and the bread and wine of the Lord's Supper symbolize the body and blood of Christ given for sinners.
A nursery is provided during all Sunday services for children under three years old. For Sunday School, classes are offered for every age. A training room is available for toddlers and serves as a cry room for nursing mothers.
Youth Ministry
The youth of the church are not left to themselves. Sycamore deeply desires its young people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the Truth, and it plans several activities and gatherings throughout the year to encourage fellowship among them. The youth ministry works alongside the home, supplementing the catechesis and family worship that begins there, and points young people to the public worship of the church as the central means of grace in which they are to participate as they grow.
Becoming a Member and the Church Covenant
For those who wish to put down roots at Sycamore, the path to membership is intentional. Prospective members are asked to write out their testimony and have it shared with the congregation, to read the Confession and Constitution so that any questions about what the church believes may be answered, and to complete a membership application that highlights the privileges and responsibilities of discipleship. After the process is complete, the church formally extends the right hand of fellowship and welcomes the new member into the privilege of partaking of the Lord's Supper.
The Church Covenant, signed by every member, binds the body to twelve specific duties: to walk together in love and unity; to contend jointly for the faith and purity of the gospel; to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; to sympathize with one another and share in one another's needs; to bear with one another's weaknesses; to watch over one another's conduct for good; to keep private matters confidential; to attend the Lord's Day meetings faithfully; to labor for personal and family edification; to pray for one another and for the ministers; to recognize the authority of the elders; and to support the work of the Lord by systematic and proportionate giving. Members close the recitation with the words: "We humbly submit unto these and all other gospel duties, conscious of our own weaknesses, but promising and purposing to perform them in the power and strength of the blessed God, whose we are and whom we desire to serve."
The Constitution also treats at length the modes of receiving and removing members, including reception by testimony, by baptism, and by restoration; removal by death, by commendation, by exclusion, and by excommunication. A member may not resign his or her membership; the only ways out of membership are death, commendation to another church, exclusion by willful schismatic departure, or excommunication by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting. Discipline is described in similar detail, with formative discipline shaping the members through mutual admonition and corrective discipline applied when a member persists in unrepentant sin or false doctrine. Restoration follows when repentance is shown.
The Constitution also affirms that marriage is the exclusive union of one man and one woman, that the officers and staff of the church will only participate in the solemnization of such marriages, and that the facilities and property of the church will only be used for activities that accord with the Confession of Faith and the Constitution. The congregation is organized exclusively for religious, charitable, and educational purposes and operates under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Elders, Pastors, and Deacons
Sycamore is led by a plurality of elders and a bench of deacons, both described in Scripture and in the Constitution in some detail.
The elders, also called pastors and overseers, are charged with the ministry of the Word and prayer, the oversight of doctrine, worship, order, discipline, finances, and outreach, and the spiritual welfare of the members. They examine potential members and officers, ordain them, preside at the Lord's Supper, pronounce the benediction, and represent the church in associational matters. The current pastors are Chuck Rennie, Salvatore Pezzino, and Jonathan Paul. The Constitution envisions that at least one elder may devote his full time to the ministry, supported by the church.
The deacons are entrusted with the outward and material resources of the church. They assist members in need, prepare and distribute the bread and wine for the Lord's Table, and care for the pastors so that they may devote themselves to prayer, the Word, and hospitality. The current deacons are Greg Clearman and Glen McClure.
Book Studies and the Means of Mutual Encouragement
Periodically, the men and the women of the church meet separately to read and study through a book together. The gatherings provide additional opportunity for fellowship and mutual encouragement apart from the larger worship services. Anyone interested may speak with one of the elders for more information.
Promoting the Gospel in East Moline and Beyond
Evangelism is a member-wide work at Sycamore. The church holds that all believers have been given some opportunity to participate in the spread of the gospel, though not all have been given the same gifts or resources. The Great Commission has been given to the church, to make disciples by preaching the gospel and baptizing them in the name of the Triune God. Members invite friends and neighbors to church, share in evangelism through public worship, sustain the work through prayer and financial giving, and adorn the doctrine of God their Savior by a quiet and faithful life. The church is committed to preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, calling sinners to repent and believe, and seeing new churches planted both home and abroad.
Sycamore cooperates with the Confessional Baptist Association in missions and points its members toward the International Reformed Baptist Seminary, the Banner of Truth, Reformation Heritage Books, and other resources that help Reformed Baptists grow in the faith. A series of brief discussions on matters about and within the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith, called "Consider the Confession," is shared with the congregation.
Livestream and Sermon Archive
Morning Worship at 10:30 AM is livestreamed through the church's livestream page, providing access for those who are providentially hindered from attending in person. The church is careful to note that "watching church happen is not the same as, nor can it replace, your being at church"; those who can attend are encouraged to do so, in keeping with Hebrews 10:25. Past messages are archived, and the recent archive includes expositions of Philippians, the confessions on the Popish Mass and the presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper, expositions of the Psalms and Proverbs, and the early chapters of Joshua.
Visiting Sycamore
Sycamore makes itself readily available to newcomers. The Sunday School hour at 9:30 AM precedes Morning Worship at 10:30 AM. Evening Worship and Communion begin at 5:00 PM. The church meets at 5323 180th Street N in East Moline, Illinois. Visitors may call (309) 302-0005 or write to deacon@sycamorebaptistchurch.com to get in touch with the deacons.
The church answers a number of practical questions for those considering a visit. Sunday morning begins with Sunday School at 9:30 AM and Morning Worship at 10:30 AM; the evening service begins at 5:00 PM. The congregation honors the Lord with its dress, encouraging members to come in a way that reflects reverence for God in worship. Upon arrival, visitors can expect a warm welcome and the help of ushers; services begin promptly. The worship itself is marked by reverent joyfulness, with the singing of Psalms and hymns and the central place of the Word and the ordinances.
Children of all ages participate in the life of the church. A nursery is provided during all Sunday services for children under three years old. For Sunday School, classes are available for every age, with a training room for toddlers that also serves as a cry room for nursing mothers. Visitors are invited to attend a service and join a fellowship meal on the first or third Lord's Day of the month.
Membership is built on shared confession and covenant commitment, and the catechism closes with the hope that frames the whole: the new heavens and the new earth will be "a glorious and happy place, where the saved will be with Jesus forever."