Grand Rapids First
AI summary — doctrinal positions on this page are inferred by AI from this church's own public statements and may be inaccurate.
Inherited from denomination
What Assemblies of God USA teaches
Positions bound by the denomination's confessional standards. This is what the tradition teaches; whether this specific congregation publicly holds each is a separate question — see Statements below.
Affirms
- Believer's BaptismSTRONGBaptist confessions; Pentecostal fundamentals; Anabaptist tradition
- Marriage as one man and one womanSTRONGGenesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4–6; historic universal Christian teaching.
- Permissibility of divorce and remarriagestandardMatthew 19:9 (adultery ground); 1 Corinthians 7:15 (abandonment ground). Practice varies.
- Women in pastoral / ordained officestandardVarious denominational actions (TEC 1976, ELCA 1970s, PC(USA) 1956, AG 1935, CofE 1994 priests / 2014 bishops, etc.)
Denies
- Apostolic SuccessionstandardCongregational and presbyterian polity reject the necessity of tactile episcopal succession.
- Assumption of MarystandardUniversal Protestant rejection — not attested in Scripture; not received as dogma.
- Homosexual practice and biblical sexual ethicsSTRONGRomans 1:26–27; 1 Corinthians 6:9–10; historic universal Christian teaching.
- Immaculate ConceptionSTRONGUniversal Protestant + Orthodox rejection. Orthodox reject on the grounds that they hold prepurification at the Annunciation, not conception.
- Infant BaptismSTRONGBaptist confessions (New Hampshire; BFM 2000 VII); Anabaptist / Schleitheim; Pentecostal fundamentals
- Perpetual Virginity of MarystandardNatural reading of Matthew 13:55–56 (brothers of Jesus); typical modern Baptist / evangelical position.
- Real PresencestandardMemorialist / Zwinglian view; typical Baptist and Free Church position
- TransubstantiationSTRONGOrthodox reject the Aristotelian metaphysics; Lutherans use 'sacramental union'; 39 Articles Art. XXVIII rejects explicitly; Reformed/Baptist reject substance-change.
Wrestles with
- Pacifism vs. just-warweakDefault just-war framework — usually unwritten. Inheriting at weak confidence.
In their own words
Statements
about_us
<!DOCTYPE html> Explore Our Beliefs and Leadership at Grand Rapids First | Grand Rapids First Watch Live Give Menu I'm New Events Watch Baptism Sunday Discover Menu Connect Kids Youth Young Adults Adults Español Next Steps Small Groups GR1 Serve Baptism Membership RightNow Media About Ways to Give Connect Next Steps GR1 Global About Us Sam Rijfkogel Lead Pastor, Executive Leadership Team Pastors Sam and Brenda Rijfkogel have served at Grand Rapids First since 2006. Pastor Sam’s creative communication style brings a fresh perspective to sound biblical doctrine.Source ↗
about
Explore Our Beliefs and Leadership at Grand Rapids First | Grand Rapids First Watch Live Give Menu I'm New Events Watch Baptism Sunday Discover Menu Connect Kids Youth Young Adults Adults Español Next Steps Small Groups GR1 Serve Baptism Membership RightNow Media About Ways to Give Connect Next Steps GR1 Global About Us Sam Rijfkogel Lead Pastor, Executive Leadership Team Pastors Sam and Brenda Rijfkogel have served at Grand Rapids First since 2006. Pastor Sam’s creative communication style brings a fresh perspective to sound biblical doctrine. His own family’s conversion is a fruitful testimoSource ↗
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