Welcome to Crete PRC
We welcome you to the website of Crete Protestant Reformed Church. This site is produced and maintained by its evangelism committee under the supervision of the church’s council. Crete (formerly South Holland Protestant Reformed Church) has been an established member of the denomination of the Protestant Reformed Churches of America (PRCA) since 1926. Together with all the churches in the denomination and with its sister churches abroad, Crete stands upon the infallible truth of God’s word as confessed in the Reformed three forms of unity—the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, and the Canons of Dordrecht.
In this website you can peruse several introductory articles regarding Crete’s history, the PRCA, and our faith and worship. Also available are many recordings of sermons, which you can order and listen to online. The website hosts the live broadcast of Crete’s sermons twice each Sunday. Many pamphlets and articles are available for free download, and distinctively Reformed books can be ordered at the site.
Follow the links to the website of the PRCA to find additional Reformed material for your use and benefit.
Our prayer is that you will be profited by these materials and that the Lord, the king of his church, will use these means for the furtherance of his gospel and kingdom.
Who We Are
The history of Crete Protestant Reformed Church (Crete) is one with the history of the Protestant Reformed Churches of America (PRCA). The reason for Crete's formation was the same doctrinal issue as led to the formation of the PRCA: the maintenance of the truth of God's sovereign and particular grace over against the denial that truth by the adoption of the doctrinal error known as common grace in 1924 by the synod of the Christian Reformed Church (CRC). There were those in the area of Lansing and South Holland, Illinois, who were opposed to the denial of God's sovereign grace by the CRC's adoption of the three points of common grace. Through the labors of deposed Christian Reformed ministers, Rev. Herman Hoeksema and Rev. George Ophoff, these people were instructed in the issues and eventually organized on August 24, 1926 as the Protestant Reformed Church. Later the name was changed to the Protestant Reformed Church of South Holland.
How We Worship
According to the Heidelberg Catechism, the second commandment teaches that we may not worship God by images, but that in the worship of God we worship him in no other way than he has commanded in his word. This principle regulates all that is done in the worship of Crete Protestant Reformed Church.
In that worship the preaching of the word is central, because God will have his people taught by the lively preaching of his word. We reject anything that would intrude itself on the preaching or seek to take its place in the worship service.
In the worship collections for the poor and for the other causes of the kingdom of heaven are diligently taken.
What We Believe
Crete Protestant Reformed Church is a Reformed church which means that the doctrine she believes to be the truth of the word of God is confessed in the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession, and the Canons of Dordtrecht, collectively known as the three forms of unity.
We believe that the sixty-six books of the canonical Scripture, the Bible, are the infallibly inspired word of God and are without error. We believe that this word of God fully contains the will of God, is the sole authority for the faith and the life of the church, and teaches all things that are necessary to believe unto life and godliness. We believe that it is forbidden to add to or to take away from them, and we reject whatsoever does not agree with this infallible rule.
Our Denomination
Crete Protestant Reformed Church (Crete) belongs to the denomination of churches known as the Protestant Reformed Churches of America (PRCA). We believe in the autonomy of the local congregation, that is, each local church is a complete manifestation of the universal body of Jesus Christ and is self-governing. We also believe that local congregations are required to federate into denominations. This explains the name of our denomination: Protestant Reformed Churches (plural). The denomination is a federation of churches, each of which is self-governing and each of which freely joins in federation with her sisters to form a denomination.
Our Pastor
Rev. Joshua Engelsma graduated from the Protestant Reformed Theological Seminary and was ordained into the ministry in October of 2014. He served as the pastor of Doon PRC until July 2021. Then in August of 2021 the LORD called him to be our pastor. Rev. Engelsma is the stated clerk of Classis West as well as one of the editors of the Standard Bearer. He is married to his wife Courtney and they have six children.