A Bible Presbyterian Witness on North Fourth Street
Wilson Presbyterian Church meets at 400 North Fourth Street in Clairton, Pennsylvania, a small Monongahela River town in the steel country south of Pittsburgh. The church identifies itself as a congregation of the Bible Presbyterian Church, a body that separated from the mainline Presbyterian stream in the early twentieth century over the authority of Scripture and the fundamentals of the Christian faith. Wilson's members describe their congregation as a place where the Holy Spirit has gathered people from many different backgrounds to worship the crucified and resurrected Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, together.
The church's motto is "Reverent Worship. Gospel Centered. Growing Together in Grace." That three-part statement sets the tone for everything the church does. Worship at Wilson is deliberately reverent. The teaching is centered on the gospel. And the congregation is committed to growing together in the grace of God rather than drifting apart as so many churches do.
Why "Bible Presbyterian" and Not Just Presbyterian
The name "Bible Presbyterian" is intentional, and the church offers a thorough explanation of it. The first word, "Bible," is meant to signal that the Word of God is the church's only infallible rule of faith and practice. The position of the Bible Presbyterian Synod is that if there is no God, there is no need for churches or pastors, but because God is, and because He wants to be known, the church must hold fast to the Bible as God's infallible message to man. Its watchword is 2 Timothy 3:16: "All Scripture is God-breathed."
The second word, "Presbyterian," points to the form of church government. The name comes from the New Testament word for elder, bishop, or presbyter. Wilson Presbyterian is governed by elders in the historic Presbyterian pattern, with sessions, presbyteries, and a General Synod. Both the form of government and the doctrinal standards of the Bible Presbyterian Church were codified in the tradition of the Westminster Assembly, which met in Westminster Abbey in 1643 and produced the Westminster Confession of Faith. Wilson Presbyterian is guided in its understanding and proclamation of God's Word by that confession.
The Reformed Faith and the Doctrinal Position
Wilson Presbyterian teaches and practices the Reformed faith, which the church describes as the most consistent expression of historic Christianity, with its emphasis on the sovereignty of God and the complete trustworthiness of the Bible. The Reformed faith is most clearly expressed in the studies of John Calvin, the sixteenth-century reformer. As a confessional church, Wilson holds to the Westminster Standards as a faithful summary of what the Bible teaches.
The church was formed in the early decades of the twentieth century, when theological liberalism moved into Presbyterian seminaries and began to spread into the church. The inspiration of the Bible, the virgin birth and deity of Christ, His supernatural works, the atonement on the cross, and the resurrection from the dead were all being questioned. The Presbyterian Church was ordaining ministers and sending missionaries who either questioned or rejected these fundamental doctrines. The Bible Presbyterian Church was raised up to take a faithful stand for the historic Christian faith and to be a standard bearer for these truths in darkening days of compromise and apostasy. The motto of the synod remains, "For the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ," from Revelation 1:9.
Witness, Missions, and Separation
Wilson Presbyterian describes itself as a church that takes seriously the command of Christ to preach the gospel at home and abroad. The church believes that all are lost and under the wrath of God, and that all believers are "ambassadors for Christ," as the Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:20. Missionary work and evangelism must always be practiced within a biblical context; the methods and the message both arise from the Bible, and evangelism should issue forth into discipling new believers and planting churches.
The church extends its hand of fellowship and cooperation to other biblically separated groups. Its synod, the Bible Presbyterian Church, is part of the American Council of Christian Churches, founded in 1941 as a biblical alternative to the National Council of Churches. Wilson opposes the inclusivist ecumenical movement that seeks to bring together all churches, whether liberal or evangelical, and believes it is wrong to make common cause with those who embrace compromise with liberalism and ecumenism.
Sunday at Wilson: A Reverent Pattern
The Sunday rhythm at Wilson Presbyterian follows a simple, unhurried pattern that has been the pattern of Bible Presbyterian churches for generations. Sunday School begins at 9:45 AM. Coffee Fellowship gathers at 10:30 AM. The Morning Worship Service begins at 11:00 AM. A Sunday evening service is also held, beginning at 6:00 PM.
The order of Morning Worship opens with announcements, a call to worship, and a hymn. Members and visitors are then led in reverent and joyful worship through prayer, singing, Bible reading, and preaching. Ushers are present to help newcomers find what they need and answer questions. The church encourages people to come as they are and to dress in what feels most comfortable, in the spirit of the apostle's words, "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves" (Philippians 2:3).
The livestream of the Sunday service is available online, with the broadcast going out around 10:00 AM each Sunday. The feed is hosted through a Facebook live channel, so those who cannot attend in person can follow along from home or anywhere with an internet connection.
Mid-Week Bible Study and Prayer
On Wednesday evenings, the church gathers for Bible Study and Prayer at 6:30 PM. This mid-week meeting is a time for the congregation to dig deeper into the Scriptures, to pray for one another and for the world, and to maintain the kind of close fellowship that a once-a-week service cannot sustain on its own. The Bible Presbyterian tradition has always placed a high value on the expository study of God's Word, and this Wednesday hour is one of the chief ways that value is put into practice at Wilson.
Children, Sunday School, and Youth
Children are welcomed as full members of the church family at Wilson Presbyterian. The nursery is set aside for newborns and toddlers, and there are classes for preschoolers and elementary-aged children every Sunday morning. The church sees its Sunday School not as a peripheral program but as a central part of how a covenant community raises up the next generation in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Tuesday evenings at 6:30 PM belong to the youth group. This gathering is designed for the teenagers of the church and their friends, a place to study the Bible, ask honest questions, and build friendships with other young people who are seeking to follow Christ. On Tuesday mornings at 10:00 AM, a group called Crochet Chicks and Knit Wits meets for fellowship around a handcraft project, one of several informal gatherings that knit the congregation together across the generations.
A Place for Friendship, Learning, and Service
Wilson Presbyterian describes itself in five overlapping ways: a place for friendship, learning, enrichment, service, and worship. Nothing quite compares to the joy of Christian friendship, and the congregation makes it a priority to build lasting bonds of concern and genuine commitment to one another. Studying the Bible is vital because it not only instructs intellectually but also guides spiritually; the Bible, the church believes, is alive and relevant to life today. For every person at every age level, a wealth of opportunities is offered, special programs and ministries for children, youth, and adults that fill the church calendar. And just as Jesus Christ came "not to be ministered unto, but to minister," the church accepts its responsibility to reach out in service both within the family and outside the fellowship.
For those who want to get more involved, the church points to four main ways to connect: attend a service, join a fellowship meal, join a small group, and volunteer. Each of these is meant to draw members and visitors into the kind of Christian friendship and mutual care that the Bible Presbyterian tradition has long cherished.
Pastoral Leadership and Church Government
The pastor of Wilson Presbyterian Church is Ben Robinson. Pastor Ben is the regular preacher of the Word and the shepherd of the flock, and he is the speaker for recent series, including expository messages through the Psalms and Philippians.
Wilson Presbyterian operates under the same representative form of government common to Presbyterian bodies worldwide. The local church session is made up of teaching and ruling elders, with each having equal representation and vote. The presbytery consists of the particular churches within a geographical area, with each church represented by its minister and one ruling elder at each meeting; the General Synod meets annually in one of the churches, with representation from all ordained ministers and a ruling elder from each church. Each congregation calls its own pastor without interference from outside; ministers are not appointed, and each church owns its own real estate and buildings.
Visiting Wilson Presbyterian
For anyone considering a visit, the church keeps things simple. When you arrive at 400 North Fourth Street in Clairton, you can expect to be greeted with warm smiles and an open door. Services begin promptly, and ushers are on hand to help you find a seat, locate the nursery or Sunday School classrooms, and answer any questions you might have. The church asks that people dress in what feels most comfortable, in keeping with the spirit of reverent and joyful worship that the church has cultivated for generations.
Children of all ages are invited to take part in the growing ministry of the church, with spaces for newborns and toddlers in the nursery and classes for preschoolers and elementary school every Sunday morning. The whole family is welcomed to take part in learning and growing toward Christ as a part of the covenant community.
Wilson Presbyterian Church is a member of the Bible Presbyterian Synod and is affiliated with the American Council of Christian Churches. The church gathers at 400 North Fourth Street, Clairton, Pennsylvania, 15025, and can be reached by telephone at (412) 233-5996. The Sunday morning service is livestreamed each week on Facebook, and recent sermon recordings are available for those who wish to follow along throughout the week. Whether one is moving to the area and looking for a Bible-believing church or has perhaps never been to a church at all, Wilson Presbyterian is a place that seeks to welcome, encourage, and support all who come through its doors in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.