About Ozark Doctrine
A labor of love for the Church in the Ozarks and beyond.
Who We Are
Ozark Doctrine is an independent Reformed resource founded by Christians who call the Ozark region home. We are not a church, nor do we seek to replace the local church. Rather, we exist to serve the Church, to encourage believers, to introduce others to the richness of the Reformed tradition, and to provide theological resources for a region where confessional Christianity is often hard to find.
We are confessional Protestants who hold to the historic Reformed faith as expressed in the ecumenical creeds and the great confessions of the Reformation, particularly the Westminster Standards, the Three Forms of Unity, and the broader Reformed confessional tradition. We believe these documents faithfully summarize the teaching of Holy Scripture and provide an invaluable framework for understanding the Christian faith.
What We Believe
At the heart of everything we do are the great truths recovered by the Protestant Reformation:
- The sovereignty of God over all things, including creation, providence, and salvation. God is not a passive observer of human history. He is its Author, Sustainer, and End.
- The authority and sufficiency of Scripture as the only infallible rule of faith and practice. We do not place tradition, experience, or human reason above or alongside the Word of God.
- The doctrines of grace, that salvation from first to last is the work of God alone. He chose us before the foundation of the world, Christ died effectually for His people, the Spirit irresistibly draws the elect to faith, and those whom God saves He preserves to the end.
- Justification by faith alone in Christ alone. We contribute nothing to our salvation. We are declared righteous solely on the basis of Christ’s perfect life, atoning death, and glorious resurrection, received by faith which is itself a gift of God.
- The means of grace, the faithful preaching of the Word, the right administration of the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and the proper exercise of church discipline. These are the ordinary means by which Christ builds His Church.
- The importance of the visible Church, her worship, her offices, her courts, and her witness. We believe Christ has given His Church a particular order and that faithful church membership is not optional for the Christian.
Why This Exists
The Ozarks are a beautiful place filled with kind, God-fearing people. But for those who hold to Reformed convictions, the landscape can feel isolating. The nearest confessional Presbyterian or Reformed church may be an hour or more away. Many believers in this region have never been introduced to the Westminster Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, or the Canons of Dort. Some have never heard a sermon on the doctrines of grace or the covenant of grace.
Ozark Doctrine was born out of the conviction that these truths are not the province of academics or a bygone era. They are living, breathing realities that shape how we worship, how we pray, how we parent, and how we die. They are truths the Ozarks need, not because the people here are worse than anyone else, but because every place needs the full counsel of God.
We write with conviction but without hostility. We aim to be irenic where we can and clear where we must. Our goal is not to win arguments but to win hearts for the truth, for the Church, and ultimately for Christ.
“Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.”Colossians 1:28
Our Commitments
Confessional
We are not “merely Reformed” in sentiment. We subscribe to the historic Reformed confessions as faithful summaries of biblical teaching. Confession without subscription is sentiment without substance.
Churchly
We believe in the visible, institutional Church. Ozark Doctrine is not a substitute for the local congregation. We point people toward faithful churches and encourage active membership under the oversight of elders.
Charitable
We recognize that many faithful Christians disagree with us on secondary matters. We aim to speak the truth in love, to represent other positions honestly, and to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace wherever conscience allows.
Accessible
Theology is for everyone, not just pastors and professors. We strive to write clearly and accessibly so that the single mother in Springfield and the farmer in Mountain Home can benefit as much as the seminary student.
Get Involved
Read the blog. Share an article with a friend. Start a conversation in your church. Subscribe to stay up to date. And above all, pray for the Church in the Ozarks, for reformation and revival, and for the glory of God in this place.