About Us

Our Denomination

Our church is a congregation of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. That’s a name which occasionally raises eyebrows! For many, “orthodox” brings to mind the icons and incense found in the Eastern Orthodox churches. However, the word orthodox simply means straight teaching. This word was chosen in the early days of our denomination because it reflected a desire to champion sound, biblical doctrine at a time when many were departing from the “faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3).

Thus, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church is a denomination in the Reformed tradition committed to upholding the teaching of the Bible and proclaiming the gospel throughout the world. For more information about the history and ministry of our denomination, visit opc.org.

Our Worship

We worship each Sunday at 9:30 AM and 5:00 PM at the McMinn Senior Activity Center (205 McMinn Ave, Athens, TN 37303). During our worship…

We Gather

We gather for worship twice each Lord’s Day as we seek to rest from the cares of this world and devote the entirety of the day to God. Because it is the Lord who beckons us to do this, each of our worship services begin with a greeting from the Lord and a call to worship taken from the Scriptures.

We Pray

Our worship services are marked by what might be called “comprehensive prayer.” In other words, we pray a lot! Throughout our time of worship, we offer up prayers in order to praise and thank the Lord, to confess our sins, and to make our requests known to him.

We Sing

The people of God are a singing people. Indeed, God commands his people to sing in both the Old and New Testaments. Therefore, we raise our voices together each Lord’s Day, making use of the Psalms of the Old Testament and the hymns of the faith.

We Listen

One of the most remarkable aspects of our worship services is that God speaks to us every Sunday. No, he does not speak to us with an audible, heavenly voice, but he does speak to us through his written Word. For this reason, much of our time is taken up attentively listening to the reading and preaching of God’s Word. Samples of our preaching can be found in our sermon archive.

We Feast

The same God who feeds us with his Word also invites us to gather around his table so that we might feast together. In the Lord’s Supper, God gives us tangible tokens of the grace which is ours in Christ Jesus. As we eat the bread and drink of the cup with faith, we are nourished by the body and blood of our crucified Lord through the work of the Holy Spirit. We partake of this feast each Lord’s Day, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, either in the morning or in the evening.

We Go

Having worshipped in the manner prescribed in God’s Word, we receive the blessing of the Lord through the pronouncement of a benediction, departing the gathering of God’s people to return to the world, strengthened and refreshed for obedient service.

Ultimately, the best way to learn more about how we worship is to experience it. Should you choose to worship with us, you can expect a warm welcome and answers to any questions that might arise. And because so many ask… There’s no dress code! You will find a wide range of clothing worn at Zion OPC. All we ask is that you dress modestly.