Christianity, curiosity, and challenges

From an early age, Tim Haldeman was deeply curious about the world around him. He often asked, “Who?” “What?” “Where?” “When?” “How?’, and his favorite, “Why?”. Tim had far too many unanswerable questions in his childhood. By the time he was in third grade, he had come up with a solution: Tim was going to become a scientist. After all, scientists dedicate their lives to unanswered questions. Tim knew then the importance of exploration and discovery. It is no surprise that in his college years, Tim was drawn toward engineering and computer science.

It wasn’t until years later that Tim’s questions became directed toward theology and faith.  After attending church for some time, Tim found himself wrestling with questions about religious beliefs. He grappled with understanding how certain beliefs fit into what seems true in the world around us. Then, the questions came rolling back in: “How old is the Earth?” “How could Genesis be understood if the Earth is as old as it appears to be?” Then emerged an even more challenging question: “How does substitutionary atonement actually work?”

With the spirit of a scientist, Tim examined this question throughout Christian history. He found that there are many interpretations of atonement among thoughtful Christians, each exploring these ideas through multiple lenses. However, in his findings, Tim realized that not every church is comfortable openly engaging in these questions. Tim recalls thinking at the time, “I'd gladly drive an hour to find a church where people could honestly explore these kinds of questions together.” But Tim would find his solution much closer to home. Ten minutes away, to be exact.

Tim and his wife, Karen, were blown away by Palmyra Church of the Brethren’s (PCOB) congregation and ministry. They found like-minded individuals eager to engage deeply with faith, scripture, and real life. Tim joined PCOB’s study groups, such as Boundaries, Terry Baker's IHS class, NewBeginnings, and the JOI class. Haldeman found, “people willing to think carefully, to listen respectfully, and wrestle honestly with meaningful questions.” These values are a core tenet of our mission. PCOB welcomes theological curiosity and diverse perspectives. We recognize that questions and doubts are integral to faith and hope. Most of all, we trust you, our congregation, to each bring something of value to contribute to our understanding and practice of faith. 

What Tim most appreciates about PCOB is that “Faith here is understood not merely as agreeing with doctrines, but as participating in the way of Jesus.” He continues, “Our focus is not simply believing certain things about Jesus, but actually following Jesus, living with compassion, serving others, and participating in the work of God's kingdom together.”

Tim passionately invites you to invest in the future of our church and mission, “That is why Karen and I give our time and our abilities and our financial support to this ministry. This church creates space for people to bring their real questions, their real lives, and their real needs. That matters to us deeply.” Tim assures us all, “Got questions? Well, we don't promise to have answers, but any of our pastoral staff and I would be more than willing to discuss them with you at any time.”

Your gifts keep our mission alive and help our church family grow. If our ministry has blessed you, please consider giving back to help us bless others. Your generosity fuels our ministry and changes lives in our community. We are so grateful for our amazing church family. Thank you to everyone who already supports us. Whether you give your money, volunteer your time, or share your special talents, you make our ministry possible! We could not do this work without you.

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