Many readers of SurvivalBlog are Christians. For us, the search for a desirable “vote with your feet” relocation locale includes a very important criteria: finding a good church home. I am of the opinion that finding a good church home is our Christian duty, and that it honors God. It is also an important factor in finding acceptance in a new community. By joining a church congregation that shares your world view, you can very quickly become part of a community, rather than being perceived as just “that new guy”. In many locales, this shortens the time required for a high level of acceptance and inclusion as a part of “the we”, by years.
In my experience in the western United States, Reformed churches tend to have a very high percentage of families that are both preppers and homeschoolers.
When I put forth my American Redoubt plan, a key aspect was that it would be primarily geared toward fellow Christians, Messianic Jews, and conservative Jews.
Here is a list of my own criteria, for you to consider, perhaps as your baseline. (Note: I come from a Reformed Baptist background, so your criteria may differ):
- Reliance upon and belief in the literal truth of the 66 books of the Old and New Testament as the Inspired Word of God.
- Sound doctrine, with Christ as the cornerstone, and preferably in accord with the Five Solas and the Five Points of Calvinism. (Or at least four of them.)
- A strong emphasis on the Gospel of Christ.
- Some interest in family preparedness. (Not a necessity, but a nice plus.)
- A commitment to Christian Charity.
- An “…in the World but not of the World” outlook.
- Biblical evangelism–the pastor, elders, and congregation all take The Great Commission literally. (Avoid churches with any racism or anti-Semitism.)
- Expository preaching. (Systematic exposition of scripture.)
- An emphasis on teaching and memorizing God’s word with exhortation rather than “programs”.
- A congregation where a substantial portion of the body home schools their children. (Not a necessity, but a nice plus.)
- Congregants with a conservative outlook, modest dress, humble attitudes, and avoidance of worldly trappings.
- An edifying church that gives glory to God.
Reformed Churches in The American Redoubt States:
My initial list has 23 Reformed churches that I’ve either attended or that have been recommended to me.
Note: The pastors of these churches will undoubtedly soon hear about the mention of their churches. I’d appreciate them sending me an e-mail mentioning whether or not they agree with the Redoubt concept, and with their recommendations for similar churches inside the five Redoubt States. Thanks!
Idaho
- Columbia Bible Church, Meridian
- Twin Falls Reformed Church, Twin Falls
- Port Cities Reformed Baptist Church, Lewiston
- Calvary Independent Baptist Church, Post Falls
- Highlands Reformed Church, Coeur d’Alene
- Victory Baptist Church, Sagle
Montana
- Christ Covenant Reformed Church, Billings
- Bozeman Christian Reformed Church, Bozeman
- Beaverhead Baptist Church, Dillon
- Westside Baptist Church, Great Falls
- Liberty Fellowship, Kalispell (Pastor Chuck Baldwin agrees with the Redoubt concept.)
- Fellowship Baptist Church, Sidney
- Wolf Creek Baptist Church, Wolf Creek
Eastern Oregon
- Grace Reformed Presbyterian Church, Bend
- Grace Bible Church, La Grande
Eastern Washington
- Grace Reformed Church, Clarkston
- Trinity Reformed Church, Pullman
- Emmanuel Church (OPC), Colville
- Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA), Walla Walla
Wyoming
- Laramie Reformed Presbyterian Church, Laramie
- Sovereign Grace Church Casper
- Trinity Bible Church, Powell
- Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA), Lander
Conservative Jewish Synagogues and Congregations in The American Redoubt States:
The word “conservative” (????? — shamrani) has different meanings to different Jewish people! (Political conservatism is not always synonymous with religious conservatism and a traditional moral code.)
Yorrie in Pennsyvania mentioned in a recent e-mail that conservative Jewish preppers should seek out congregations that are: “…Torah knowledgeable and observant = Orthodox religiously or similar. Which usually overlaps with conservative politically. The more traditional end of the Conservative Jewish movement did not accept the liberal swing [that began in the 1950s] and is called Traditional, Conservadox (Halfway between Conservative and Orthodox), or sometimes Masorti (Hebrew for Traditional).
There are Orthodox and Traditional Jews in Flathead County, Montana, and more formal congregations of the Chabad movement (a Torah Judaism movement with roots over 300 or more appropriately over 3,000 years).
Chabad congregations in the Redoubt area are in Bozeman, Montana, Jackson, Wyoming, and elsewhere in most major cities around the world.”
Messianic Jewish Congregations in The American Redoubt States:
Many of these congregations tend to be small “home churches”. Make inquiries, locally.
Conclusion:
I’m sure that the foregoing will inspire a lot of correspondence. I don’t have plans to create a nationwide directory of prepper-friendly churches and congregations. (That would go beyond the scope of my project.) But I would appreciate your feedback on any of the churches and congregations listed.
I would also appreciate recommendations on specific Jewish and Messianic Jewish congregations inside of the Redoubt region.