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.
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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
Street evangelism every Wednesday in October weather permitting noon-1 PM in the city square of Lewisburg
10-5-24 - Allegany Association of Baptist Churches presentation of the Greenbrier Pregnancy Center (GPC)
10-6-24 - Collection fund for Christ In Action as they serve to help the folks of SC, NC and GA from the hurricane disaster. More than $5000 will be sent.
10-7-24 - Soup canning fundraiser for GPC Monday - Wednesday
10-11-24 - all church family picnic and outdoor movie at the Brdlik farm 6:30 PM. All are welcome!
10-17-24 - Right to Life of WV meets at the church 6 PM
10-26-24 - Greenbrier Pregnancy Center yard sale fundraiser here at ECC
11-16-24 - Grand Opening for GPC 11 AM - 1 PM Governor of WV has been invited to attend
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 .
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The other day I was driving in my car and heard a song on the radio I needed that day:
I'm saved to the uttermost and I know that I am,
Washed in the blood of the precious lamb.
Through the Father, through the Son, through the Holy Ghost,
I'm saved to the uttermost.
The reason I needed that song was because I was feeling so inadequate, so prone to sin...thinking Jesus would have had it with me. The Holy Son of God would no longer tolerate the sinful imperfections in my life...imperfections that are my fault...imperfections that keep me feeling that I'm no longer acceptable to Holy God. Then I was reminded of that song, “I'm saved to the uttermost, washed in the blood of the precious Lamb.” But the most important part of that song was “and I know that I am.” I needed to be reminded of that. I needed to be reminded of what God says to me: “nothing can separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39) A renewed sense of confidence, assurance, and a thankful heart for the magnificent, magnanimous grace that bought me and made me His own came as I thought about the word “uttermost” in that song.
Maybe you go through experiences like mine...you probably do...I think we all do. The more mature we become as Christ followers, the more sin bothers us. During those times it becomes even more important that we remember “uttermost.”
Today's My Utmost for His Highest reminds us of the importance of “utmost:”
“There are many things I cannot do: I cannot save and sanctify myself; I cannot redeem the world; I cannot make right what is wrong, pure what is impure, holy what is unholy. All this is the sovereign work of God. Do I have faith in what God, through Jesus Christ, has done? He has made for us a perfect atonement, placing us back in a right relationship with him. Am I in the habit of constantly realizing it?
The great need in each of our lives isn't to do things or to experience things but to believe them. The atonement isn't something I experience. It is the great act of God, upon which I build my faith.
Do I understand that Jesus Christ wants his atonement to be recognized in every practical thing I do? In my home life? In my business? I must continually bring myself to judgment and ask, “Am I looking at this matter in the light of the atonement, or am I lacking Christ's discernment?” Every time I obey, absolute Deity is on my side. Obedience means that I've placed all my hope in the atonement, and everything I do is met by the supernatural grace of God.”
There's nothing more that needs to be done. We are saved permanently, perfectly, forever. When we go through times of self-judgment and feelings of rejection, let us be reminded of this passage:
21 And since this great High Priest of ours rules over God's household, 22 let us go right in to God himself, with true hearts fully trusting Him to receive us because we have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean and because our bodies have been washed with pure water. 23 Now we can look forward to the salvation God has promised us. There is no longer any room for doubt (Hebrews 10 TLB)
My prayer for you and me this day is this: Lord, what assurance, peace, and blessing it is for us to know we are saved to the uttermost...and know that we are. Thank You for Your magnanimous grace that goes before us every day. May Your love and Your grace drive us to obedience and increased love for You. Amen.
Walk with the King today and be a blessing.
The Message paraphrase renders Matthew 11:28-30 this way:
28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Life comes at us hard sometimes. We fret, fume, feel disappointed or defeated. Do we remember the invitation Jesus gives us? Just come to Him...tell Him our frustrations...and while we do, know that He is God and that He loves us. King David figured it out:
My lovingkindness and my fortress, My stronghold and my deliverer, My shield and He in whom I take refuge, (Psalm 144:2)
The next time life is hard, remember these words from Isaiah 30 -- 20 The Lord has given you bread of distress and water of oppression; He, your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will see your Teacher. 15 “In [m]repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your might.” 18 Therefore Yahweh waits with longing to be gracious to you, And therefore He is on high to have compassion on you. How blessed are all those who wait for Him.
Today's My Utmost for His Highest emphasizes this point:
Isn't it humiliating to be told that we must come to Jesus?
Think of all the things you won't come to the Lord about. If you want to know how spiritually real you are, test yourself with these words: “Come to me.” In every degree to which you are not real, you will argue rather than come; you will go through sorrow rather than come; you will do anything rather than present yourself, just as you are, to your Lord.
“Come to me.” When you hear these words, you know that a change must happen inside you before you will come. The Holy Spirit will show you what you have to do. He will show you that you must take an axe to the thing that is preventing you from getting through to the Lord. You will never get any further until you do. The Holy Spirit will locate the one unmovable thing in you, but he won't budge it unless you let him.
How often have you come to God with your requests and had the feeling that you'd achieved your goal, only to come away with nothing? And yet all the time, God has stood with outstretched hands, not only to take you but so that you will take him. Think of the invincible, unconquerable, untiring patience of Jesus as he says, “Come to me.”
Let me end these thoughts by inviting you to sing this prayer:
I am weak but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I'll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.
Thro' this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
Walk with the King today and be a blessing.