Harrisburg Brethren in Christ Church — Church Directory

Quick Facts

Pastor — the shepherd God holds accountable Pastor Hank Johnson

Founded Not published

Denomination Brethren in Christ

Service Times Sundays (see website)

Men's Ministry Yes

Kids Ministry Yes

Website harrisburgbic.org

Pastor Credentials Senior Pastor since November 2018; previously Pastor of Discipleship & Youth (2008-2018); MDiv; Liberian-born refugee experience; serves on BIC Historical Society board; assistant moderator Atlantic Conference

10-Point Theological Scorecard

Christology

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

BIC Articles of Faith — orthodox Trinitarian.

Strong

Scripture

Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?

Affirmed.

Strong

Men's Discipleship

Intentional formation for men?

Not specified.

Caution

Soteriology

Faith alone? How is salvation presented?

BIC Wesleyan-Holiness/Anabaptist hybrid.

Caution

Gender / Biblical Design

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

Pastor Hank Johnson (male) — denominational yellow only.

Pastor Hank Johnson (male) — Senior Pastor since November 2018

Caution

Leadership Structure

Male elders/pastors? Accountability?

MDiv-credentialed Senior Pastor with long tenure track from youth pastor to senior role.

Strong

Preaching Style

Expository or topical/therapeutic?

MDiv pastor with podcast and historical society work indicates serious teaching engagement.

Strong

Mission Clarity

Great Commission central?

Urban-mission emphasis; pastor's BIC Historical Society + Atlantic Conference leadership.

Strong

Cultural Alignment

DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?

Inner-city setting; verify cultural-engagement positions.

Caution

Accountability Structure

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

BIC USA — see Grantham notes.

Caution

Assessment

Harrisburg Brethren in Christ Church is a city-center congregation under Pastor Hank Johnson, who came up through this very church — first as Youth Pastor (2008), then Pastor of Discipleship & Youth (2013), and finally Senior Pastor (November 2018). His backstory is striking: born in Monrovia, Liberia, he and his family lived as immigrants and refugees through Sierra Leone and Côte d'Ivoire before settling in Palisades Park, NJ and Philadelphia. His MDiv and his work on the BIC Historical Society board and as Atlantic Conference assistant moderator suggest a serious denominational pastor. For a Harrisburg-area man wanting a Bible-rooted, urban, mission-oriented church under male senior leadership in the Anabaptist-Holiness tradition, Harrisburg BIC merits a careful visit. Denominational yellow on gender remains because BIC USA permits women's ordination.

#brethren-in-christ#bic#anabaptist#harrisburg#city-center#atlantic-conference#hank-johnson#liberian-american

Sources & Evidence

Enrichment Notes

Pastor confirmed via BIC denominational directory + dedicated bio page on church website.

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 bicus.org/church/harrisburg-bic/
[2] Live source harrisburgbic.org/site/
[3] Live source bic-history.org/article-authors/hank-johnson/

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.