Heights Church — Church Directory

Quick Facts

Pastor — the shepherd God holds accountable Josh Whitlow (Lead Pastor) and Crystal Whitlow (Co-Pastor)

Founded Approximately 2015

Denomination Non-Denominational (ARC — Association of Related Churches)

Service Times Sundays 8:30 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:30 AM

Men's Ministry No

Kids Ministry Yes

Website theheightschurch.com

10-Point Theological Scorecard

Christology

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

ARC-affiliated non-denominational; orthodox Christology assumed but confession not accessible (site returned 403 on About).

Strong

Scripture

Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?

ARC-affiliated churches tend toward experiential and charismatic theology; inerrancy not confirmed.

Caution

Men's Discipleship

Intentional formation for men?

No dedicated men's ministry confirmed.

Caution

Soteriology

Faith alone? How is salvation presented?

Soteriology not publicly documented; ARC churches vary widely on faith alone vs. grace+works frameworks.

Caution

Gender / Biblical Design

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

Crystal Whitlow is co-listed as 'Pastor' alongside Josh Whitlow — female pastor/co-pastor designation is a disqualifying concern under a complementarian framework. ARC fully egalitarian in practice.

Confirmed: Crystal Whitlow publicly listed as Co-Pastor alongside husband Josh — egalitarian husband-wife co-pastor model. Gender rating red stands.

WARNING!

Leadership Structure

Male elders/pastors? Accountability?

Husband-wife co-pastor model is standard ARC practice — incompatible with male-only elder/pastor standards.

WARNING!

Preaching Style

Expository or topical/therapeutic?

Not accessible via About page (403); ARC network typically charismatic-leaning seeker-sensitive style.

Caution

Mission Clarity

Great Commission central?

ARC church-planting network emphasis; 'planted in 2015'.

Strong

Cultural Alignment

DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?

Seeker-sensitive, multi-service megachurch posture. ARC churches tend toward contemporary/entertainment-style worship.

Caution

Accountability Structure

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

ARC (Association of Related Churches) is a charismatic church-planting network. No formal doctrinal accountability beyond network affiliation.

Caution

Assessment

Heights Church is a fast-growing non-denominational congregation in the Henrico/West End Richmond area, affiliated with ARC (Association of Related Churches) — a charismatic church-planting network. The church runs three Sunday services and has a significant following. The core disqualifier for USMC Ministries alignment is the co-pastor structure: Josh and Crystal Whitlow are both listed as 'Pastors' in ARC promotional materials, representing a fully egalitarian leadership model incompatible with complementarian theology. ARC churches also tend toward charismatic, experiential, and seeker-sensitive frameworks that prioritize emotional engagement over expository rigor. Visitor reviews confirm the preaching is Christ-centered and practical, which is positive, but the gender/leadership structure alone is disqualifying for any man committed to male-only pastoral leadership. Not recommended as a home church for theologically conservative men.

#non-denominational#arc#charismatic#richmond#west-end#megachurch#egalitarian

Sources & Evidence

Enrichment Notes

Co-pastor model with female co-pastor confirmed — red rating correct; cannot access full doctrinal content (403).

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] Archived snapshot web.archive.org/web/20251111222809/https://theheightschur…
↳ Snapshot of theheightschurch.com (live link)
[2] Archived snapshot web.archive.org/web/20260119045534/https://www.arcchurche…
↳ Snapshot of arcchurches.com/heights-church-richmond-va/ (live link)

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.