My wife and I really loved this church and the warm & friendly people that attend there. However,…read morefor some reason, having to believe in the "Pre-tribulation rapture" is in their Statement of Faith right up there with mandatory doctrines such as the Virgin Birth and the Atonement of Christ. Unfortunately, though it's a non-essential doctrine, once it was known that I leaned more towards the belief that Christians may have to go through the tribulation and then are caught up with Christ at His Second Coming, it became a major issue. Because of this one thing, my wife and I would never be eligible to teach there at CCTV or be involved in any meaningful way. We were basically made to feel like lower-class, substandard Christians, though we both have been following our Lord Jesus for over 45 years.
Pastor Daryl Zachman of this Calvary Chapel Treasure Valley church had a talk with me, telling me that there are other churches out there and other denominations that my wife and I could leave to. I expressed to him that we really didn't wish to go. However, now we felt so very disposable.....and for such a little thing! We ultimately ended up leaving CCTV to go to Living Hope Bible Church, that thankfully allows each individual of their congregation to have open thought and discussion ("Liberty") in regards to non-essential views, such as many associated with the end times. The LHBC Statement of Faith is worded as follows......
In essentials: unity
IN NON-ESSENTIALS: LIBERTY
In all things: charity (love)
The Pastor of Calvary Chapel Treasure Valley often quotes the likes of Charles Spurgeon and C.S. Lewis, but completely discards the fact that their views about the rapture were also exactly the opposite of his own. It's profound to think that these great Saints, along with Jonathan Edwards, Martin Luther, George Muller, R.C. Sproul, John Piper, Walter Martin and countless others would not be allowed by this man's church to even be home group leaders. I pointed this out to Pastor Zachman and he just smiled.
I was told by another person in leadership that there were approximately 40 guys that attended the CCTV Men's Bible Study that was going through the Book of Revelation and that every single one of them believed the same way as the Pastor.......Gee, I wonder why?
Another man who has long attended Calvary Chapel Treasure Valley told me that he himself tends to be more Calvinistic and Reformed than the leadership of this church would like, but he "just keeps it to himself". The complete inability to have open discussion about non-essential Christian views at this particular church, without penalty or shame, has become shameful itself. "Iron sharpening iron" isn't allowed to happen here, without risk being taken by those that dare to share.
My prayer is that the leadership of Calvary Chapel Treasure Valley would in the future, allow open discussion in non-essential views, without any pressure, penalty or control. As apart from that, CCTV is truly a warm & friendly church that's made up of wonderful people. The Pastor himself, very much included.
I can't remember ever writing in a negative review on ANYTHING, so being a church, I didn't take this lightly. I just feel that this type of control taking place isn't right. So, on behalf of those that may have quietly left before me, and those following that may be spared of such, I wrote this review.
Bob of Boise
