A Matter of Faith

A discussion with Pastor Nathan Sobers

How would you define the nature of God?

God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Creator, Savior and Comforter. The Trinity; three persons in one

What is the nature of heaven in your religious tradition?

Heaven is not some distant place far removed from us, but it is the Kingdom of God, which we are called to work to bring about here on earth.

What constitutes canon for those of your faith?

In the Presbyterian Church (USA), our canons are found in the Book of Confessions, which constitute part of the church’s constitution and includes the following: 

Nicene Creed, the Apostles' Creed, the Scots Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, the Second Helvetic Confession, the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Shorter Catechism, the Larger Catechism, the Theological Declaration of Barmen, the Confession of 1967, the Confession of Belhar, and the Brief Statement of Faith.

I’ll note that many of these are read in a historical context today.  The idea that the Pope is the anti-Christ, for example, which is part of the Westminster Confession, is no longer the official position of the denomination.

What kind of hierarchy does your religious tradition have?

The hierarchy of the PC(USA) is best described as more along the lines of grassroots, or bottom up, as opposed to top down.  We are a connectional church, which means that each part of the church relates, and answers to, the next highest level.  This starts at the individual congregational level, which is governed by Elders (The Session) elected by the congregation.  The Session, along with the pastor, have the responsibility for the day to day operations of the local church.  The next level is the Presbytery, which is a regional grouping of congregations.  Each church elects commissioners to Presbytery, who make decisions for the regional body and are responsible for the examination and ordination of clergy within their bounds.  Above that is the Synod, which is a regional grouping of Presbyteries.  Each Presbytery elects commissioners to Synod which has oversight responsibilities for all of the Presbyteries within its bounds.  Finally, there is the General Assembly, which is the highest governing body of the church.  Every two years, Presbyteries elect commissioners to attend General Assembly, much in the same way that we elect representatives to Congress.  These commissioners vote on matters pertaining to the life of the entire denomination.

What are the most important rites of your faith and what do those mean?

In the PC(USA), we hold that the preaching and teaching of God’s word is the central focus of worship.  This is important in order to understand what God is telling us through Holy Scripture, and how we should order our lives.

Presbyterians celebrate two sacraments; the sacrament of baptism, which is a person’s entry into the family of God, and the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, which  reminds us of the sacrifice that Jesus made for all of humankind.

How do the roles of men and women differ in your religious tradition?

The PC(USA) believes that God calls both men and women to serve at all levels of the church.  There are no restrictions regarding roles.  We have ordained women to the office of Deacon since the 1910s, the office of Elder since the 1930s and we ordained the first women minister to serve in the denomination in 1956.  Currently, the three highest positions (Stated Clerk, Co-Moderator of the General Assembly and the President and Executive Director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency) are held by women.  While there are those within the denomination who still argue against women in ministry, based on a firm belief in the principle of God alone is the Lord of the Conscience, and a narrow interpretation of the Apostle Paul’s writings, they are a minority within the church.

How does your religious tradition view other religions?

The PC(USA) has a long history of ecumenical outreach to other Christian faith traditions. We believe there are many mansions in God’s house and we respect the beliefs and traditions of all faiths.

What sets your faith apart from other religions in the world?

The way we govern ourselves.  As I noted, we are governed from the bottom up. We believe that the best way to hear God’s voice is through debate and discussion and actively listening to the Holy Spirit.

Would you share your personal faith journey/story that led to your present position?

I was raised LDS and was excommunicated from the LDS church in 1982 for being gay. In 1992, I was living in Seattle and was hired to be the organist for a small inner city, predominately African American Presbyterian Church.  During this period, the PC(USA) was fiercely debating the role of LGBTQIA+ people within the denomination, particularly around ordination.  When the denomination lifted the ban on ordination of LGBTQIA+ clergy in 2011, I was encouraged to seek ordination.  With that encouragement, I was able to pursue my lifelong dream of being a pastor and was ordained in 2015.  I have served congregations in Seattle and Palm Springs, CA, and came to Soda Springs in the summer of 2021.

What are some of the concerns you have for our community here in Caribou County, and in what ways can your faith make a difference?

Drugs are a major issue in our community and I feel that a positive, non-judgmental attitude from the faith community, at large, could go a long ways towards providing help for people suffering from addiction.

What advice would you give a person experiencing a faith crisis?

First, and foremost, I would offer a non-judgmental space for someone experiencing a faith crisis to simply talk.  I would also assure them of God’s love for them, no matter what was going on, and explain that it often takes time to heal from religious trauma, which is, more often than not, the root cause of the crisis.  I would offer to walk along side anyone experiencing a faith crisis and do my best to help them rediscover their own faith, regardless of where that takes them.

Where and when do you hold worship services?

First Presbyterian Church of Soda Springs holds regular Sunday worship services at 10:30 AM either online (https://www.facebook.com/Presbychurchsodasprings) or in person.  The church is located at 109 S. 1st E. in Soda Springs.

Outside of your regularly scheduled worship service, are there additional events the community should be aware of and are welcomed to?

In addition to our Annual Harvest Bazaar, which is held on the first Saturday of November, and our Christmas Eve service, we also host a regular Bible study on Tuesday nights at 5:30 PM at the church, where we study the text for the following Sunday in a number of different translations and then have a lively discussion about the differences.  We also host a regular Thursday night social, in the church’s Fellowship Hall, along with a number of other events.  You can check out the church’s website, http://www.sodapc.org for more details regarding all of our activities and events.