Who We Are

We are a God-Focused, Christ-Centered, Bible-Based, Confessionally Reformed Church

Mission

We seek to worship God in Spirit and in truth, live to God’s glory, and spread the good news of Jesus Christ to our community and abroad.

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History

In God’s providence, we began worshiping in Wellandport over 20 years ago. Today, we have been blessed with a building to call home located in Fenwick.

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Name

Zion is the name given in the Old Testament to Jerusalem. It was the place where God’s house was and where He dwelt in a special way among His people.

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Beliefs

As a Free Reformed Church we hold to the historic Reformed Confessions and subscribe to three historic creeds.

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MISSION

We are a gathering of believers in Jesus Christ who seek to worship God in Spirit and in truth (John 4:23, 24), live to God’s glory and spread the good news of the gospel in our community and abroad.

As a church, Zion is devoted to focusing on Jesus Christ through biblical preaching and the use of the sacraments. Through our worship, lives and witness we want the world to see the beauty of our Savior!

HISTORY

In the Lord’s providence, Zion Free Reformed Church began worshiping in the Wellandport Christian School gymnasium in June of 2002. Due to increased growth in the Vineland Free Reformed Church, with their blessing 40 families began a new fellowship as a daughter church. In February 2003, we were privileged to receive Pastor Eric Moerdyk as our first pastor who served us until being called to Abbotsford FRC in 2007. As membership numbers increased we were blessed with the opportunity to build our own church building located still today on 1075 Boyle Road, Fenwick in 2004. In July 2010, we called Pastor Henk Bergsma from our London, Ontario congregation who faithfully served us until 2019 when he retired from active ministry. Since 2019, we are thankful that Pastor Mark Wagenaar has been serving our congregation. Pastor Mark and Sarah along with their 3 children live in Welland, Ontario.

NAME

ZION

So why are we called Zion? Well, Zion is the name given in the Old Testament to Jerusalem. It was the place where God’s house was and where He dwelt in a special way among His people. In the New Testament, Zion is the name given to the New Jerusalem, Heaven. There God dwells in the midst of His saints and angels. As a church, we recognize our need for God’s presence among us and trust His promises that He dwells with His people (Matt 18:20; Eph 2:19-22). Therefore, we worship with the expectation that while on earth, we are participating by faith in Heaven’s worship (Heb. 12:22-24).

FREE

Maybe you are wondering why we are called Zion Free Reformed Church. This reflects our historical roots in the Netherlands, where we freed ourselves from the civil tyranny and the religious liberalism of the state church that was occurring in the 19th century. We are still affiliated with our sister denomination in the Netherlands, the CGK.

While many of our members trace their roots to Dutch descent, we celebrate God’s grace in saving brothers and sisters from all groups of people, and gladly welcome people from all backgrounds into our fellowship (Gal 3:28).

Zion FRC is affiliated with the Free Reformed Churches (FRC) of North America. The FRC is a family of churches across North America that are both doctrinally and governmentally Reformed. Please visit our shared website here: https://frcna.org/

REFORMED

Being a Reformed church means that we aim to be re-formed according to the Word of God. Our life and worship must be shaped by Scripture. This is reflected in how we strive to keep God’s Word central in every aspect of our worship service.

Further, we believe our Reformed confessions are faithful summaries of the Bible, and therefore, help us to be reformed by Scripture Alone. The confessions we adhere to are the Three Forms of Unity: The Belgic Confession (1561), the Heidelberg Catechism (1563), and the Canons of Dort (1618-1619). The confessions summarize scripture in teaching us that we are justified by Grace Alone, through Faith Alone, in Christ Alone, to the Glory of God Alone.

CHURCH

The Church is the Bride of Jesus Christ. As such, she is precious in His eyes. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus promised that He would triumphantly build His church, and for the past 2000’s years He has been fulfilling that promise.

One way we celebrate Christ’s work of building His church through history and across the globe is by confessing the universal creeds of the historic church (Apostles’ Creed, Nicene Creed, and Athanasian Creed).

BELIEFS

As a congregation of the Free Reformed Churches of North America we fully subscribe to the following historic Reformed confessions:

The Heidelberg Catechism

The Canons of Dort

The Belgic Confession

We also fully subscribe to the three historic creeds:

The Apostle’s Creed

The Nicene Creed

The Athanasian Creed

For more information about our church, please visit our denominational website at www.frcna.org.

Below is a summary of core beliefs more fully developed in the above mentioned Reformed Confessions. Any further questions you may have about these statements can be asked to our pastor or elders. (Bullet Points or Numbered)

All Scripture is self-attesting and being Truth, requires our unreserved submission in all areas of life. The infallible Word of God, the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, is a complete and unified witness to God’s redemptive acts, culminating in the incarnation of the Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible, uniquely and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, is the supreme and final authority on all matters on which it speaks.

We believe in one God, the sovereign Creator and Sustainer of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Jesus Christ, the living Word, became flesh through His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and His virgin birth. He who is true God became true man united in one Person forever. He died on the cross as sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures. On the third day He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, where, at the right hand of God the Father, He now is our High Priest and Mediator.

The Holy Spirit has come to glorify Christ and to apply the saving work of Christ to our hearts. He convicts us of sin and draws us to the Savior. Indwelling our hearts, He gives new life to us, empowers and imparts gifts to us for service. He instructs and guides us into all truth, and seals us for the day of redemption.

Being estranged from God and condemned by our sinfulness, our salvation is wholly dependent upon the work of God’s free grace. God credits His righteousness to those who put their faith in Christ alone for their salvation, thereby justifying them in His sight. Only such as are born of the Holy Spirit and receive Jesus Christ become children of God and heirs of eternal life.

The true Church is composed of all persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit are united together in the body of Christ. The Church finds her visible, yet imperfect, expression in local congregations where the Word of God is preached in its purity and the sacraments are administered in their integrity; where scriptural discipline is practiced, and where loving fellowship is maintained. For her perfecting, she awaits the return of her Lord.

Jesus Christ will come again to the earth – personally, visibly, and bodily – to judge the living and the dead, and to consummate history and the eternal plan of God. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” (Rev. 22:20)

The Lord Jesus Christ commands all believers to proclaim the gospel throughout the world and to make disciples of all nations. Obedience to the Great Commission requires total commitment to “Him who loved us and gave Himself for us.” He calls us to a life of self-denying love and service. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10)