Our Beliefs

BASIC BELIEFS: “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us” (1 John 4:7-12).


At Shiloh Church we believe that our faith is to be lived out as well as understood. We believe that God is most loving, gracious, and merciful to us; therefore, we try to be loving, gracious, and merciful to each other. The following is a summary of what we believe:

THE BIBLE is inspired by God and is inerrant is the final authority in all matters is all about Jesus, from beginning to end GOD exists in three equal Persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – who are one God is love, holy, just, infinite, eternal, unchangeable, all-knowing, and all-powerful is sovereign over everyone and everything.

HUMANITY was originally made good, in the image of God, fell into universal sin, misery, death, and condemnation through the sin of the first man, Adam still bears the image of God, though it is severely marred by sin.

JESUS is the eternal Son of God, the second Person of the blessed Trinity was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary is completely human and completely God without mixture or separation, in one Person forever was perfectly sinless, and represented His people in His obedience died on the cross, suffering and satisfying the infinite wrath of God for our sins was physically resurrected from the tomb on the third day ascended into heaven and sat down on the right hand of God is coming again in power and glory to raise the dead, judge the world, and make all things new.

SALVATION is by the grace of God alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone is only for sinners brings a sinner into union with Jesus Christ gives perfect and immediate forgiveness and right standing with God to the believer gives the believer power to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ is secure through all eternity.

ETERNITY will be experienced by every person, either in the happy presence of God in heaven or shut out from the happy presence of God in hell will be experienced by the soul at the point of death will be experienced by the whole person – body and soul – at the resurrection.


For a comprehensive description of what we believe click on the following documents:

Westminster Confession of Faith

The Larger Catechism

The Shorter Catechism

Our Denomination

Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church

History of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church


The beginning of what became the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church is a wonderful story. Like all churches in the Presbyterian family, the ARP traces its roots back to the Church of Scotland. Presbyterian Churches have held to the Reformed faith, also known as “Calvinism.” As you may know, the Reformed faith emphasizes the sovereignty of God. The Reformed faith also emphasizes that the grace of God is to be offered freely to everyone without distinction or exception. Sadly, by about the year 1720, the Church of Scotland had overemphasized the sovereignty of God to the point of fatalism. At that time, the Church of Scotland taught that someone would have to show signs of being one of God’s chosen people before he or she should could be offered salvation. They pressed the doctrine of predestination so far that they could no longer say to anyone, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” The men who really were the beginnings of what became the ARP opposed this teaching. While they believed firmly in the sovereignty of God and predestination, they also believed that salvation should be offered to everyone, and that anyone who would believe would be saved. This ignited a controversy, called the Marrow Controversy, which led to the formation of the “Associate Presbytery.” This became the start of the ARP. We are glad to have come from this heritage. We believe in the free offer of God’s grace to everyone, and we extend that offer to everyone. Dr. Sinclair Ferguson has done an excellent overview of the Marrow Controversy. You may listen to it free of charge HERE – Transcripts from Dr. Ferguson's teaching on the Marrow Controversy are also available:

The Marrow Controversy #1 Historical Details

The Marrow Controversy #2 The Dangers of Legalism

The Marrow Controversy #3 The Dangers of Antinomianism

Shiloh's Staff


  • Rev. Dean Franklin

    Dean Franklin was born in Brevard, NC but moved to Salisbury, MD at the age of 7.  He went to Bryan College of Dayton, TN. Bryan is a small liberal arts college and is where he met his wife, Kirsten.

  • Doris Miller

    Doris Miller has been our secretary since 2007. She also assists with administration for the SONshine Preschool and volunteers with our Good News Club. She has two daughters, and is the proud grandmother of six.

  • Cecil Catoe

    Cecil Catoe leads our Youth Ministry. He is also a former Deacon and now serves as an Elder. He and his wife, Nikki, have a daughter, Gracie.

  • Dan Robinson

    Dan Robinson has served as Music Director and Organist for over fifty years. He is married to KoKo. They have two sons and four grandchildren. Dan serves in every area of church life, including the Good News Club and being President of Young-at-Heart.

Contact Us

Shiloh ARP Church

346 Shiloh Unity Road

Lancaster, SC 29720

Phone: 803-283-8122

Fax: 803-283-8122

Email: shiloharp@comporium.net   (If this link doesn't work, type it in your email browser)