Conference 2023

The Westminster Assembly

The Westminster Assembly and the Church

2023 Cheyenne Reformation Conference

Dates: September 29-October 1, 2023

Speaker:

Dr Chad Van Dixhoorn
Professor of Church History
Westminster Theological Seminary

As the Protestant Reformers understood it, the Christian faith is a kind of three-legged stool. In England, the Reformation took place gradually, and only in the 1640s did the church find all of its legs: worship, government and doctrine. In this conference we will be seeking to deepen our understanding of the faith by looking at the history and theology of the Westminster Assembly (1643-1653), the group of ministers that wrote the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Larger and Shorter Catechisms — and more than 130 other less-known documents. We’ll consider some topics that are often ignored, such as preaching, and others that are central in Reformed history, such as church government and the importance of confessions.

Northwoods Presbyterian Church (PCA) invites you to join us this fall for our annual conference.

As always, we trust this will be an edifying and encouraging time of learning and fellowship.

Location

Northwoods Presbyterian Church
4723 Griffith Avenue
Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009

Conference Sessions

Friday, September 29

7:00 pm – 8:00 pm Session 1: “To Have and to Hold: Creeds, Confessions, and the Church”
In this first session we’ll consider why Creeds and Catechisms are both important and useful for the church today.

Saturday, September 30

9:00 am – 10:00 am Session 2: “The Church at a time of War”
The first session puts the famous Westminster Assembly in its own time, telling the story of its chaotic context and high ambitions. The assembly encountered problems both similar and similar from churches and pastors today. This first lecture sets the stage for the next four.

10:30 am – 11:30 am Session 3: “The Church’s preaching”
In Session Three we consider one of the most important and least known aspects of the Westminster assembly’s work: the reform of the preaching of the English church, as central to the reform of the worship of the church. Those who attend this lecture will be challenged by thinking about preaching, and how to pray for preachers.

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Session 4: “The Church’s worship”
In our fourth slot we consider another aspect of the assembly’s work: its work and writing on the worship of the church. Here we consider some of the issues most difficult for members and important for ministers.

2:15 pm – 3:15 pm: Q&A Session

Lord’s Day, October 1

9:00 am – 10:00 am Session 5: “The Church’s government”
In this fifth session we will consider the reform of church government, and think aloud about why this might matter to the church today.

Dr Van Dixhoorn preached at both our 10:30 am service and our 5 pm service.