Web Verified
Presbyterian / Reformed

Living Hope ARP Church of Belmont

Belmont, NC
Confessionally Reformed — Strong
Quick Facts
Pastor — the shepherd God holds accountable Mark Forbes, Pastor
Founded Unknown
Denomination ARP
Service Times See website
Men's Ministry No
Kids Ministry No
10-Point Theological Scorecard
Christology
Is Jesus the only way? (John 14:6)
ARP affirms Nicene orthodoxy — Christ fully God and fully man, sole mediator.
Strong
Scripture
Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?
Westminster Standards affirmed — Scripture inerrant, infallible, sufficient.
Strong
Men's Discipleship
Intentional formation for men?
Varies by congregation; historic ARP emphasizes household-led discipleship.
Strong
Soteriology
Faith alone? How is salvation presented?
Reformation soteriology — Westminster Confession articulation of sola fide/sola gratia/solus Christus.
Strong
Gender / Biblical Design
Biblical manhood and womanhood by God's design — patriarchal, complementarian, egalitarian, or affirming gender ideology?
Male-only teaching and ruling elders per ARP Form of Government. Male-only clergy.
Strong
Leadership Structure
Male elders/pastors? Accountability?
Plurality of male elders with ARP Synod/presbytery accountability; historic Scots-Irish Presbyterian polity.
Strong
Preaching Style
Expository or topical/therapeutic?
Expository preaching from the whole counsel of God; traditional Presbyterian homiletic.
Strong
Mission Clarity
Great Commission central?
Great Commission and covenantal Reformed evangelism; Erskine heritage of missions.
Strong
Cultural Alignment
DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?
Conservative Southern Presbyterian heritage; resistant to progressive theology; historic commitments intact.
Strong
Accountability Structure
Denominational home, elder plurality, or external network — is the pastor answerable to anyone?
ARP (Associate Reformed Presbyterian) — conservative Southern Presbyterian denomination with Erskine College/Seminary heritage and male-only officers.
Strong
Assessment
ARP congregation in Grace Presbytery, NC Piedmont. Westminster Confession, male-only officers, Seceder-Erskine Presbyterian heritage.
#arp#presbyterian#reformed#westminster-standards#erskine
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Sources & Evidence
Enrichment Notes

[2026-05-09 verify-arp sweep: confirmed via lhcbelmont.org — Mark Forbes (mforbes@lhcbelmont.org).]

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. [1] Live source naparcsearch.com/arpc/congregations
  2. [2] Live source lhcbelmont.org

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.

Last reviewed: 2026-05-16 — Annual review recommended
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