First ARP Church Gastonia — Church Directory

Quick Facts

Pastor — the shepherd God holds accountable Jon (senior pastor called Oct 2023 after serving as youth director and pastoral intern); Brian Wood (Associate Pastor of Adult Ministries, since Aug 2021)

Founded Established congregation

Denomination Associate Reformed Presbyterian (ARP)

Service Times Sunday mornings (check website for times)

Men's Ministry Yes

Kids Ministry Yes

Website www.firstarpchurch.org

Pastor Credentials Associate Pastor Brian Wood — M.Div, Westminster Theological Seminary; senior pastor (Jon) — M.Div and MA in Christian Counseling from Reformed Theological Seminary

10-Point Theological Scorecard

Christology

Is Jesus the only way? (John 14:6)

ARP confessional Presbyterian — Westminster Standards affirm orthodox Trinitarian Christology.

Strong

Scripture

Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?

ARP subscribes to Westminster Confession — Scripture as inerrant, sufficient, and authoritative.

Strong

Men's Discipleship

Intentional formation for men?

Dedicated 'Men' ministry link at /mensministry confirmed on site (R38 fetch).

Strong

Soteriology

Faith alone? How is salvation presented?

Reformed soteriology — sola fide, sola gratia per Westminster.

Strong

Gender / Biblical Design

Biblical manhood and womanhood by God's design — patriarchal, complementarian, egalitarian, or affirming gender ideology?

ARP denomination holds male-only eldership/pastorate; complementarian by confession.

Male-only elders/pastors by ARP confession

Strong

Leadership Structure

Male elders/pastors? Accountability?

Plural elder polity (session) per Presbyterian polity; confirmed by ARP affiliation.

Strong

Preaching Style

Expository or topical/therapeutic?

Reformed expository tradition; Associate Pastor Brian Wood holds M.Div from Westminster Theological Seminary.

Strong

Mission Clarity

Great Commission central?

'Making disciples of Jesus' purpose statement confirmed on site (R38 fetch); Reformed missions emphasis via ARP.

Strong

Cultural Alignment

DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?

ARP conservative confessional stance; no woke vocabulary observed.

Strong

Accountability Structure

Denominational home, elder plurality, or external network — is the pastor answerable to anyone?

ARP affiliation confirmed on site (R38 fetch) — confessional, Westminster-subscribing.

Strong

Assessment

Needs on-the-ground review. Added to directory for coverage.

#arp#reformed#gastonia#north-carolina

MOOP Engagement Tracker

How this church was personally verified by the MOOP directory team:

✓ Researched church website

Sources & Evidence

These are the URLs consulted to arrive at this church's scoring. Score-note claims are synthesized from homepage content, denominational directories, and public statements of faith at the time of review. Church websites change frequently; we're progressively adding Internet Archive snapshots to prevent link rot.

[1] Live source firstarpchurch.org
[2] Live source arpchurch.org/churches/gastonia-first-arp-church/

Transparency note: MOOP ratings are researcher judgments about publicly available theological and ecclesial evidence. They are not infallible. If a church's public posture has changed since our review, or if we've mis-read evidence, tell us — we publish corrections.