Pastor
Rev. Dr. James A. La Belle
The Rev. Dr. James A. La Belle was ordained and installed by the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) as the Pastor of Presbyterian Church of Cape Cod on Apr 27, 2007. He graduated from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia in May 2006 with a Master of Divinity (MDiv). He served four separate internships in the OPC during his Seminary years before accepting the call to PCCC as his first pastorate. He also served as a Ruling Elder in the Presbyterian Church in America from 1996-2002 before transferring his and his family’s membership to the OPC. Alongside his pastoral ministry at PCCC Pastor La Belle pursued a doctoral degree from The North American Reformed Seminary and graduated in August 2016 with a Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) in Puritan Studies.
Before pursuing the Lord’s call to the pastoral ministry, Pastor La Belle spent 4 years in the grocery store business and 8 years in the construction business, during part of which, he partnered his own business with his brother as General Contractors in WA.
Pastor La Belle was born in Florida, raised in Alabama until he was 15 years old, and then lived in Washington until he was 30, when he and his family left for Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia. He and his wife Chantry have been married for 27 years and have 7 children from ages 23 to 13: River, Schylie, Forrest, Terra, Sandy, Rocky, and Chantry. Before having children, he and his wife spent almost 10 months in Africa (between Zimbabwe and Mozambique) doing missionary work with Youth With a Mission (YWAM).
It was while they were in Africa that they read the Bible cover-to-cover for the first time and came to see the doctrines of grace. Although raised in Pentecostal (James) and Charismatic (Chantry) churches, the doctrines of grace ‘jumped off the pages’ of Scripture and compelled them to re-examine their “childhood theology.” The more they took a submissive and teachable look at Scripture, the more Reformed, Presbyterian, and Puritan they became. They praise God for His illuminating grace and give thanks for the OPC where the richness of the Reformed faith is preserved and pursued.
Pastor La Belle finds his greatest delight in reading the writings and sermons of the 17th century English Puritans. He reads them for personal edification and then teaches through their writings that he might share such gold with others. His favorite authors are the Puritans, and among them, Thomas Goodwin, whose theological genius, passionate piety, and pastoral heart he finds both exemplary and contagious. Pastor La Belle, with the help of Dr. Joel Beeke, is the author of Living By God’s Promises (2010), Living Zealously (2012), and Living in a Godly Marriage (2016)––all published by Reformation Heritage Books. His books address their themes by drawing on the writings several Puritans and bringing their teaching into our own day and lives.
You may e-mail Rev. Dr. La Belle at: capecodopc@mac.com
Elders
Chris Harris
Elder Chris Harris is married to Misty Harris for 37 years. He has five children, Matt, Caitlin, Maggie, Michael, and Annie. Elder Harris has been a member of PCCC since 2009. Elder Harris works for the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Government, in Boston MA. He manages a team of economists.
Elders Emeritus
Dr. Carl W. Mores
Dr. Carl W. Mores has been a Pastor and teacher in the church for many years and served as an education administrator and management consultant for over forty years. He has taught at several colleges and universities in the greater Boston area. He is the author of, Journeys, Finding Life’s Way in Spite of Obstacles, and with Dr. Charles Bradford, Battle Road and Charlestown Heights, Lost and Won and Recollections of an American Hospital in Britain, 1940 – 1942. He has enjoyed a lengthy career as a speaker in many settings. Dr. Mores was a founding member of the PCCC and has served as an elder since 1974, being distinguished as Elder Emeritus in 2010.
Arnie Johnson
Elder Arnie Johnson was born in Hyannis and grew up in Centerville in a large family of brothers, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, all living close by. He married his wife Pam in 1980 and they have three sons and one daughter. “It’s been a long road to the reformed faith for us and we couldn’t be happier in the OPC. I like John Calvin’s Commentaries, William Hendriksen’s Commentaries, and Reformation era history.”