What We Believe
Our congregation is composed of biblically hungry men and women who want to make a difference in this community for Christ and His kingdom. We affirm the 1689 London Baptist Confession, and are a part of the G3 Church Network.
For just $20/mo, we'll host, maintain, and update this website for you.
We are a community of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. We hold to the inerrancy of the Scriptures both the Old and New Testaments. We believe the Bible is the word of God. Our church life and individual lives are committed to following Jesus Christ as revealed in Scripture. Pastor Dean is an expository Bible preacher and teacher. We are here to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with our community and around the world.
Our congregation is composed of biblically hungry men and women who want to make a difference in this community for Christ and His kingdom. We affirm the 1689 London Baptist Confession, and are a part of the G3 Church Network.
We believe God is spreading the good news through His church. As such, evangelism is a primary focus in our ministries:
• We are presently developing a pregnancy center to service four surrounding counties;
• We are very active in sending out our people for short term and long term mission trips and financial support to missions in Nicaragua, Senegal, the Philippians, and Papua New Guinea;
• We are active in street evangelism in Lewisburg being out there 3-4 times every week proclaiming God's word.
• ECC has supported home-schooling and most of our families are home-schooled.
• We are active members and the center for WV For Life, Greenbrier County, WV.
• Men's and Women's Bible studies;
• Women's weekly sewing ministry for local hospitals and resource centers (Sonshine Quilters)
• Weekly all church fellowship supper and prayer;
• Pastor Dean's daily "Truth Matters" devotional sent via email.
• Weekly "Moms in Prayer" prayer group
12-16-23 - Neighborhood Canvassing meet at ECC 12 noon
12-17-23 - Christmas, The Deliverer Has Come 10:30 AM
12-24-23 - Christmas, The Birth of the King 10:30 AM
12-24-23 - Christmas Eve The Story Unveiled 6 PM
1-6-24 - Greenbrier Pregnancy Center Board Training 9 AM-4 PM at ECC
1-15-24 - Greenbrier Pregnancy Center Committee Meeting (election of officers) 6 PM
Pastor Dean has served as Pastor of Emmanuel Community church since 2000. He is committed to expositionally preaching and teaching God's word. His passion is what is expressed in Colossians 1:28-29 ---"28 Him we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. 29 For this purpose I also labor, striving according to His working, which He works in me in power."
Pastor Dean was married to Jane Ann Pringle for 40 years, until she passed away in 2009. Together they raised four children: Heather, Laura, Amanda, and Clint. Currently, he is married to Gloria June Harper. Although he initially considered pursuing veterinary medicine, he felt called to follow God's leading to a preaching/teaching ministry.
Pastor Dean has worked as a college and university manuscript representative for Prentice Hall Publishing Company, he served as an assistant dean in the School of Business at the University of Wisconsin for 3.5 years, he also served as the Administrator of a Cleveland region Christian High School for 5 years. He has 35 years of pastoral experience.
His educational background includes a B.S. from the University of Illinois in Behavioral Neurology, an M.A. in Counseling from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and an M.Div. from Grace Theological Seminary.
Pastor Brdlik has been affiliated with various church organizations, including: Conservative Baptist, Independent Fundamental Churches of America, Southern Baptist Conference, and presently the G3 Network .
See all posts here.
I recently saw a bumper-sticker that said, “Vote for Trump...I don't care about your feelings.” I guess what that sticker was trying to say was don't let your “feelings” for Trump personally get in the way of voting for constructive policies.
In the Christian life, we often allow “feelings” (passions, moods, heartstrings) get in the way of the constructive ways of God...His “policies.” “Feelings” are often shaped by our sin natures and keep us from listening for and obeying the voice of God. Jeremiah 17:9 reminds us— “The heart (where feelings originate) is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can know it?”
Jay Adams, in his book Competent to Counsel, teaches this approach to counseling: “lovingly confronting people out of deep concern in order to help them make those changes that God requires. By confrontation we mean that one Christian personally gives counsel to another from the Scriptures. He does not confront him with ‘feelings,' either his own or those of whom he is counseling.”
Wise counsel...not only for those who counsel, but as a guiding principle for living the Christian life.
We often try to put “the cart before the horse”...that is, we think our “feelings” should be the driving force that leads us to a deepening relationship with the Lord. No. Our obedience to “God's policies” should be our driving force. Feelings will follow, but they will be feelings of victory, joy, and gratitude. Our bumper-stickers should read—“I vote for God's word...I don't care about ‘feelings.” My prayer for you and me this day is this...Lord, may the words of the Psalmist ring true in our lives— “How can a young man or woman keep their way pure? By keeping it according to Your word.” (Psalm 119:9) Help us to put aside our “feelings” and commit ourselves to Your “policies.” Amen
Walk with the King today and be a blessing.
Dealing with persistent, habitual sin seems to be an insurmountable dilemma for so many of us. It's kind of a spiritual rollercoaster ride where there are times when we feel we have conquered our pet sin only to succumb to it again and again. It's a struggle that brings us guilt and shame when we realize the strangle hold this sin has on us. It's not that we aren't aware of sin's destructive force in our lives...it's not that we don't want to please our Lord Jesus...it's not that we haven't confessed our sin to God...it's not that we haven't made resolutions with ourselves and to God that we will walk away from these habitual sins...it's because we can't seem to rid ourselves of sin's hold on us.
One Bible teacher I had as a teenager stated:
“Freedom is not the right to do what we want, but the power to do what we ought. By engrafting God's Word in us, “sin shall not have dominion over [us]” (Romans 6:14). “If you continue in My word . . . you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32).”
But in reality...in practical terms where we live...how do we do that?
The key to victory over habitual sin is not trying to overcome it as though it were a goal, an effort we must make. Rather, God wants us to live in a “crucified with Christ” zone where we make this assumption - we have been crucified with Christ...our habitual sin has been crucified on Christ's cross and has no more dominion over us. We must get to that “radical moment of assumption / decision”...that moment of realization...that we, by identifying with Jesus' death, have put to death that sin. The sequence is this:
1) Spend time in the Word and prayer. Pray that God, the Holy Spirit, would reveal the root cause of our “habitual sin.” This might take some time and will require humility, repentance, and submission to what God is revealing to you.
2) Once revealed, nail it to the cross...that is, regard it as dead.
My prayer for me and you this day is this: Lord, we do not want to live on a sinful “rollercoaster” any more. Sin shall not rule over us. We have died with Christ and we have been raised with Him to a new life. We nail that “habitual sin” to the cross that it would no longer control us. This is our commitment...herein we stand. Praise and worship belongs to You. Amen.
Walk with the King today and be a blessing