OUR PASTOR
      Our pastor, Jim O'Brien, grew up in New Jersey. He has been happily married to Pam for 30 years. They have a daughter, Heather, who is in the 10th grade.
      Pastor Jim graduated in 1974 with a B.A. in Religion/Philosophy from Westminster College (New Wilmington, PA). He earned his M.A. (summa cum laude) from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary where he studied with two distinguished church historians: John Gerstner and Ford Lewis Battles. From 1982-1985 he was the Medieval and Renaissance Fellow at Duke University, studying the history of Christian doctrine.
      He was called to the pastoral ministry in Raleigh, NC in 1986. For the past 19 years he has served churches in North Carolina and New Jersey. He began his ministry at Reedy River PCA in the Fall of 2003.
      Our pastor loves the Reformed faith and takes particular delight in the writings of the 17th century Puritans and the "Old Princeton" theologians of the 19th century. His main area of study is in the doctrine and practice of the Christian life. As he often says, "Our Reformation Fathers defined 'theology' as the disciplined study of living unto God. All theology, no matter how deep, has practical implications for living for God and His Glory. The purpose of expounding the Scriptures is to come to understand the doctrines taught in each part of the Bible and to learn how those doctrines enable us to live more faithfully day by day. Nobody understood that better than the Reformation Fathers of 17th century England. Although much maligned, the "Puritans" were masters of the Christian life. Far from being morbid or legalistic, they knew the joy of being united to Christ and living by faith in God's promises which are all fulfilled through the innumerable blessings that Christ has purchased for us."