Thousands of people claim to believe the Bible. Many claim that the Bible is their only standard for what they believe and that they do not need any of the historic creeds or confessions of the Church. It is true that the Bible is the only ultimate standard for faith and practice (Isaiah 8:20) and that all other writings must submit to what the Scriptures say but the Scriptures are written to be and must be interpreted (Acts 8:30-31, Nehemiah 8:7-9). 

Doctrinal standards must be determined in order that God's people can have a common agreement on the essential truths of the Christian faith (2 Timothy 1:13, 4:1-4, Galatians 1:6-9). In addition to that, the Church has always maintained codified statements of truth that serve as a standard of agreement among Christians. You find this in both the Old and New Testaments (Exodus 34:6-7, Acts 15:11, 1 Timothy 3:16. 2 Timothy 2:1-2, etc.). 

In light of this reality, as a local church, we choose to subscribe to our denomination's amended version of the Westminster Confession of Faith, including the Westminster Larger and Shorter Catechisms as our statements of faith. These can be found in PDF form elsewhere on this site. 

Orlando FPC is a small community of believers who seek to live in light of what the Bible teaches. By the grace and power of God, we seek to promote the gospel of Jesus Christ and advance His kingdom on earth together. While seeking to do this, we uphold one another in prayer and provoke one another unto love and to good works. 

We are a people who seek to love one another and support one another practically and spiritually throughout our journey in this world as a spiritual family brought together by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We engage in this activity as we gather for formal worship on Sunday (the Lord’s Day), corporate prayer on Wednesdays, and individual fellowship throughout the week. 

The Lord established Orlando Free Presbyterian Church as a local church in January of 1989 and, though it has not always been easy, the Lord has graciously sustained the work since then.

The work had its beginning in a hotel room in October 1988. On that occasion, Dr. Alan Cairns, who, at the time, was the Pastor of Faith Free Presbyterian Church in Greenville, South Carolina, and Rev. John Wagner, traveled to Orlando to explore the possibility of starting an extension work in the area. 

There were approximately five families who had expressed an interest in starting a Free Presbyterian congregation in the area. On the Lord's Day evening, Dr. Cairns preached to the families on 1 Samuel 17:29, "Is there not a cause?" And it was that very text the Lord used to call Rev. Wagner to Orlando to take up his first ministry, which he did in January of 1989. 

A vacant storefront was the congregation's first official meeting place. Several months passed, but the Lord eventually provided the opportunity to purchase a church building and a house on the same property in the summer of 1990. This is the same property where the church remains today. Rev. John Wagner continued as the pastor of Orlando FPC from 1989 until 2002 when he received a call from the Lord to plant another Free Presbyterian Church in Lexington, South Carolina. 

The congregation then called the Rev. Derrick Erwin to be its new pastor. Rev. Erwin had been active in pastoral ministry for several years in Ulster, Northern Ireland before coming to the United States. He came with his wife in 2003 and faithfully served as the congregation's pastor until 2017. 

Orlando FPC was without a pastor for several years after the Erwins left but eventually called Rev. Logan Elder in October 2022 to be the new pastor. Rev. Elder and his family came in January of 2023 and he has been ministering as the pastor since that time. 

A significant aspect of the history of Orlando FPC is its membership in the Free Presbyterian Church of North America, which is a sister denomination of The Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster. That is where the history of our local church and denomination began. If you would like to know more then please visit FPCNA.org