Who We Are
Three Rivers Fellowship (TRF)
Who we are!
Similar to many of the New Testament Pauline assemblies, Three Rivers Fellowship (TRF) is a home-based assembly located in the Pittsburgh-Area, Pennsylvania (USA).
TRF is based on the understanding that the local assembly exists for the edification of every local saint until we all come to the unity and full stature of the Person of Christ as He is our Head (Eph 4:11-16). This edifying process begins with carefully, rigorously, and consistently (as is humanly possible) applying the same rules of accidence, syntax, grammar, and genre that the inspired writers used when penning the original inscripturated text. This singular foundational idea is the logical basis to which Three Rivers Fellowship is devoted.
TRF meets in the homes of its eldership. Because the studies often tend to be more in-depth and not taken from “canned sources” the fellowship meets twice per month - First Saturday of the Month and 15 days later on Sunday. Typically, the Saturday studies are devoted to topical themes, while Sunday meetings are devoted to exegetical presentations on a given book of the Bible.
In compliance with the Pauline mandate for the local assembly of Body saints, TRF is led by an eldership consisting of elders (deacons) and teaching-elders (bishops). The main distinction between the two offices as Paul details for us in 1 Tim 3 is that the teaching-elder is charged by the eldership as a whole for the public ministry of the assembly, specifically teaching. Currently, the eldership comprises four men where two of the four men are responsible for the teaching of the assembly.
The hope and goal of TRF is to edify one another in doctrine, faith, and practice as taught by the apostle Paul via the gospel which he was personally given by the Savior Himself (1 Tim 1:11; Eph 3:1). The duty of the TRF eldership is to edify the local Body of Christ as outlined in Eph 4:11-16. As additional studies are added to this website it is hoped that others outside of TRF may share in this edifying process as we all learn, master, and obey the gospel which was given to the apostle Paul by the Post-Ascended Savior - as it is the gospel to which men are saved in this age (Rom 2:16; 16:25; 1 Cor 9:17; 1 Tim 1;11; and 2 Tim 2:8).
For additional details on how New Testament Assemblies in general and TRF specifically ought to function, you may examine the study-outlines on Pauline Local Church Polity (also contained in the Pauline Bootcamp) to ascertain a feel for that procedure as taught by the apostle Paul.
In the One Body (ITOB) [Eph 4:4-6]
TRF Eldership