(PDF of the letter without links)

Dear Church Family,

After much prayer, study, and reflection, I want to share something personal with you. I have decided to begin attending another church whose theological direction more closely aligns with my own convictions—particularly in the area of soteriology.

This has not been a quick or emotional decision. CCC has been home to me for many years, through different seasons, buildings, friendships, and growth. I am deeply grateful for the pastors, elders, and members who have invested in my life. Many of my most meaningful conversations, lessons, and spiritual milestones have happened here. I care deeply for this church and its people, and I will always value the time I’ve spent among you.

Over the past year, I have spent considerable time revisiting the doctrines surrounding salvation—especially divine sovereignty, human responsibility, election, calling, and assurance. As I have listened carefully to the direction of recent teaching and re-examined my own convictions in light of Scripture and church history, I’ve come to recognize that my theological understanding is no longer fully aligned with the trajectory of CCC.

More specifically, I hold to the conviction that God genuinely desires all people to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9), that Christ’s atonement is sufficient for and sincerely offered to all (John 3:16–17), and that individuals are truly responsible for accepting or rejecting the gospel (John 1:12; Romans 10:9–13). I understand these invitations as reflecting a real capacity to respond—not merely an outward call accompanied only by an inward, effectual call for some.

In wrestling through these matters, I have reflected on the distinction often made between God’s revealed will—what He commands and expresses in Scripture—and His decretive or secret will—what He ordains in His eternal purposes. My concern is that when emphasis shifts too heavily toward the hidden decree of God, it can overshadow the plain force of His revealed invitations and commands. The universal call of the gospel can begin to feel less like a genuine appeal to all and more like a formal proclamation intended only for those already determined to respond.

For me, it is essential to maintain that the gospel call truly applies to all who hear it, that faith in Jesus’ promises is the responsibility of every sinner, that Christ is sincerely offered to all without qualification, that God displays real common grace toward the world, and that His love extends in a meaningful way even to those who ultimately reject Him. While I am not suggesting that CCC embraces what is commonly labeled hyper-Calvinism, I do find myself increasingly concerned when theological formulations appear to narrow the scope of the gospel’s free and universal offer.

While I affirm God’s sovereignty in salvation, I do not believe Scripture teaches that God unconditionally determines who will believe and who will not, nor that His decree stands as the ultimate explanation for unbelief. As A.W. Tozer eloquently states:

Here is my view: God sovereignly decreed that man should be free to exercise moral choice, and man from the beginning has fulfilled that decree by making his choice between good and evil. When he chooses to do evil, he does not thereby countervail the sovereign will of God but fulfills it, inasmuch as the eternal decree decided not which choice the man should make but that he should be free to make it. If in His absolute freedom God has willed to give man limited freedom, who is there to stay His hand or say, What doest thou? Mans will is free because God is sovereign. A God less than sovereign could not bestow moral freedom upon His creatures. He would be afraid to do so.

I struggle with formulations that make divine determinism the governing framework—particularly when they risk portraying God as causally ordaining evil (1, 2, 3) or withholding saving grace from those whom He commands to repent.

Additionally, I am persuaded that assurance of salvation ultimately rests in Christ’s finished work and the promise of the gospel, rather than primarily in evaluating the consistency or degree of one’s perseverance. Good works are the fruit of genuine faith, but they are not the foundation of our confidence before God.

I want to say clearly: this decision is not about questioning anyone’s faith, sincerity, or love for the Lord. Faithful believers have long differed on these matters, and I do not doubt that God is at work wherever the gospel is proclaimed. My departure is not a declaration that others are unbiblical or insincere. Rather, it is an acknowledgment that convictions about the character of God and the nature of the gospel are not peripheral—they shape how we preach, invite, disciple, and offer hope.

One of the moments that clarified this for me was realizing that I hesitated to invite an unbelieving young man to CCC —not because of the people here, whom I love, but because I felt I might need to explain or reconcile theological distinctions that, in my understanding, complicate the straightforward and universal nature of the gospel invitation in Scripture. That tension made me recognize it would be more honest and spiritually healthy for me to worship and serve in a church where my convictions are fully aligned with the pulpit, and where I can invite others with complete clarity and confidence.

Please know this decision comes with affection, not frustration. I am thankful for the friendships we’ve built and the ways we’ve sharpened one another. I have no desire for division—only integrity in following my conscience as I seek to grow in Christ.

I leave with gratitude and with prayers for continued faithfulness, unity, and fruitfulness at CCC. I hope our relationships will continue, even as I worship elsewhere.

With appreciation and brotherly love,

Sean G