Welcome!
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Galatians 1:3-5, ESV
Jesus in us, loving you!
We are the Oak Harbor Christian Reformed Church, a small-town, family-sized congregation in the Oak Harbor community on beautiful Whidbey Island, Washington.
Going way back, the church was established in 1902 and has been faithfully serving the Oak Harbor community ever since! From founding the local Christian school in 1938, to serving the homeless community through partnering with the work of the Whidbey Homeless Coalition over the past few years; OHCRC has been faithful in living out the message of Jesus. We’re committed to keeping that legacy into our future.
Our heart as a church for our community is to live out the love of Jesus towards one another and most importantly in how we serve others. To know more about OHCRC, check out who we are to see what what we’re all about.
Meet the Pastor
Hello, brothers and sisters in Christ! It is such a blessing to have the opportunity to serve you in the ministry of God’s Holy Word! My name is Bailey Towne. I am a husband to one beautiful wife and a Dad to four beautiful children here on earth and three in heaven.
I am a bi-vocational interim pastor here at Oak Harbor CRC, both serving the church in teaching and preaching while serving our nation in the United States Navy. I am conservative and reformed in my theology and christian life. I earned my Master of Arts in Bible and Theology at Calvin Theological Seminary in 2022 and am currently working to complete my Master of Divinity at Calvin.
Come join our warm and welcoming congregation for a Lord’s Day worship service, we would love to meet you!
God bless!
What We Believe
The Holy Bible
We believe that the Holy Bible, consisting of 66 total books, 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament are the sole infallible rule of faith.
We believe the word of God, as written in the original autographs, to be inspired, infallible, and inerrant. We believe the Bible contains all that is necessary to lead men and women that have been called by God to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. The Holy Bible is also sufficient to guide men and women in their Christian walk, that they might be conformed to the image of Christ, that they might be light and salt in this world. We affirm with the apostle Paul:
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17, ESV)
Creeds and Confessions
Although subservient to Scripture, the creeds and confessions act as tools to guide us in our understanding and in educating believers on the core truths that are taught in Holy Writ. The standards affirmed by the Christian Reformed Church are often referred to as the Three Forms of Unity and include the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, and the Canons of Dort.
The Belgic Confession
The Belgic Confession is a definitive 1561 statement of Reformed faith, systematically outlining thirty-seven articles of biblical doctrine. It affirms the Trinity, the supreme authority of Scripture, and salvation through grace alone in Christ. Originally written by martyr Guido de Brès to defend persecuted believers, it remains a foundational standard for the Reformed church.
The Heidelberg Catechism
The Heidelberg Catechism is a 1563 Reformed teaching tool structured around three themes: human sin, divine deliverance, and lives of gratitude. Using a warm, pastoral "Q&A" format, it explores the Apostles' Creed, Sacraments, and Ten Commandments. It offers spiritual comfort by emphasizing that believers belong, in body and soul, to their faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.
The Canons of Dort
The Canons of Dort are the 1619 judicial rulings of the Synod of Dort, specifically addressing the Arminian controversy. They clarify the Reformed doctrine of salvation, focusing on God's sovereignty in grace. Often summarized by the acronym TULIP, they emphasize total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and the final perseverance of the believers in Christ.