We believe Our Structure Should Enhance the Purposes of God in the Earth
We believe that how we gather with other believers impacts our capacity to pursue divine purpose. We believe that the Lord's ekklesia has a divine order. (Ephesians 3:10; 1Timothy 3:15). Every gathering should support the calling, purpose and ministry of each believer, and build the ekklesia as a whole (Ephesians 4:11-16). Although scripture does not mandate how believers are to gather, we believe that there is strong biblical evidence that the organic, fluid, and simple gatherings of the first century believers served to support the work of the ekklesia as a ruling council in that era, and that similar gatherings will do the same thing today.
House to House
We believe the gathering of believers in the home is the most basic form of the ekklesia. There is no biblical evidence that believers constructed ‘dedicated meeting places’ in the first century. Peppered throughout the New Testament we find dozens of references to the ekklesia that gathered in the homes of believers.
The Ekklesia Center Statement of Beliefs
The Bible
The Bible is our all-sufficient rule of faith and practice. We hold to the complete inerrancy of the Holy Scriptures. We do not presume to say the phraseology employed in this Statement of Fundamental Truths is inspired or that it is the final work on Bible truth. However, we are persuaded it is proper and consistent with the Holy Scriptures to “set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us.” (Luke 1:1).
The Holy Scriptures
Both Old and New Testaments were written by holy men inspired by the Holy Spirit and are God’s revealed word to man. They are sufficient infallible rule and guide to salvation and all Christian worship and service (2Peter 1:20-21; 2Timothy 3:15-17).
God
Scripture teaches that there is one and only one true and living God, who is self-existent, and eternal “I AM,” the Creator of heaven and earth and the Redeemer of all mankind. That He has chosen to reveal Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the same in essence, though distinct in personality (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 43:10-11; Matthew 28:18-19; Luke 3:22). These three are one God, having the same nature, attributes, and perfection and are worthy of the same homage and obedience. (Mark 12:29; John 1:14; Acts 5:3,4; 2Corinthians 13:14; Revelation 1:4-6)
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ, the son of God and the son of Man, was born miraculously of Mary, a young virgin (Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:31,35). He lived a sinless life (Hebrews 7:26; 1Peter 2:22). He came into the world to save men from the guilt and condemnation of sin (John 3:16), offering His blood as an atonement (1Corinthians 15:3; 2Corinthians 5:21) and making it available to all who exercise faith in Him; His bodily resurrection from the dead (Matthew 28:6; Luke 24:39; 1Corinthians 15:4). His exaltation to the right hand of God (Acts 1:9, 11: 2:33; Philippians 2:9-11; Hebrews 1-3). Also that His Divinity is proved from His titles, His attributes, and His works (John 1:14; Luke 1:26-35; Acts 4:12; Acts 16:31). That He is presently seated at the right hand of God the Father, interceding for his redeemed. We also acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord over all things in Heaven, and in Earth, and under the Earth (John 1:1,2,14; 1Timothy 3:16; Acts 7:37-38; Philippians 2:9-10; Hebrews 7:25).
The Holy Spirit
The scriptures ascribe to the Holy Spirit the acts and attributes of an intelligent being. He guides, knows, moves, gives information, commands, forbids, sends forth, reproves, as the instrumental segment of the God Head in the liberal dispersion of spiritual gifts, and can be sinned against (John 16:13; 1Corinthians 2:11; Genesis 1:2; Acts 10:19; 13:2; 16:6; 13:4; John 16:8; Mark 3:29; Acts 7:51; Ephesians 4:30; 1Corinthians 12).The works of God are ascribed to the Holy Spirit; creation; inspiration, giving of life, and sanctification (Job 33:4; 2Peter 1:21; 1Peter 3:18; 1Corinthians 6:11).
Sanctification
That sanctification is the process by which, according to the will of God, we become partakers of His Holiness; that it is begun at regeneration; and that it is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in the continual use of the appointed means especially the Word of God, self-examination, self-denial, watchfulness, and prayer (1Thessalonians 4:3; 1John 2:29; Romans 8:5; Philippians 2:12-13).
The Salvation of Man
Man’s only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Salvation is received through repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, being justified by Grace through faith, man becomes an heir of God according to the hope of eternal life. The inward evidence of salvation is direct witness of the Spirit and the outward evidence to all men as a life of righteousness and true holiness (Luke 24:47; John 3:3; Romans 10:13-15; Ephesians 2:8; Titus 2:11; 3:5-7; Romans 8:16; Ephesians 4:24; Titus 2:12).
The Doctrine of Baptisms
We believe the New Testament teaches at least three Baptisms. First, there is the baptism by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ (1Corinthians 12:13). Secondly, there is water baptism in Jesus Name by immersion for believers only (Acts 2:38). This we believe to be an ordinance of the church, whereby the believer experiences the reality of the death, burial and resurrection with the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 6:3-6). Thirdly, there is the filling or baptism of the Holy Spirit by the Lord Jesus Christ, which may occur at or subsequent to conversion. We believe that speaking in tongues as the Spirit gives the utterance is the normative evidence of this baptism. Further, we believe that by the believers continued submission to the Holy Spirit, his very weakness is transformed into strength to witness for Jesus Christ in power, and to live according to the will of God (Acts 1:5-8, 10:46, 11:28, 19:6).
The Ekklesia
The ekklesia is the body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of her great commission and purpose. The ekklesia is the ruling council that Jesus declared He would build in such manner that the forces of darkness would have no power to defeat it. He gave the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to His ekklesia with the authority to bind and loose on earth anything that had been bound or loosed in heaven (Matthew 16:18-19). Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the ekklesia of the firstborn, whose name is written in heaven. As such, the Bible reveals that we are members one of another and the basis of our fellowship is in Christ in the power of the Spirit (Ephesians 1:22, 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23; 1Peter 2:5).
The mission of the ekklesia is to advance the authority of the kingdom of God in the earth, and to demonstrate the wisdom of God to principalities and powers in heavenly places (Matthew 24:14; Ephesians 3:10).
The ekklesia is governed by a plurality of elders appointed by apostolic leadership and developed and equipped by ministry gifts given by Jesus Christ (Acts 14:23; Ephesians 4:11-16; Titus 1:5).
Responsibility of the Believer
We believe that it is essential that each believer pursue a foundation of Biblical truth and experience upon which he-she builds his/her life. These foundation stones are: Repentance from dead works, faith toward God, doctrine of baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment, all of which are prerequisites to going on to perfection (spiritual maturity) (Hebrews 6:1-2). We believe the goal of every believer should be to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29). We believe that every believer should become a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ and seek to edify, exhort and comfort other disciples (Luke 14:33; 1Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrew 3:13)
We accept as true that each believer is called and chosen in God as priest unto God to offer up the sacrifice of praise (the fruit of the lips), to give of his time, strength, and material possessions to the service of the Lord (2Corinthians 9:6-9; 2Timothy 1:9; Hebrews 13:15; 1Peter 2:9)
The Blessed Hope
The resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ and their translation together with those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord is the blessed hope of the ekklesia (1Thessalonians 4:16-17; Romans 8:23; Titus 2:13; 1Corinthians 15:51).
Gifts of the Spirit
The nine gifts of the Spirit set forth in 1Corinthians 12 should be and must be operative in every ekklesia to enjoy the fullness of God. These gifts are imparted by the sovereignty of the Holy Spirit and only work, or are operated by this one and the self-same Spirit (1Corinthians 12:11). The ministry gifts identified in Ephesians 4:11-16 are necessary for the maturing of the church. The grace gifts identified in Romans 12:1-13 provide the church a foundation for ministry to one another.
The Second Coming of Jesus Christ
The second coming of Christ includes the visible and physical return of Jesus Christ to the earth (Matthew 24:30; Acts 1:11; 1Thessalonians 4:16-18; 2Thessalonians 1:7).
The Final Judgment and Eternal State
We believe that at death, the spirits and souls of those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ pass immediately into His presence and there remain in conscious bliss until the resurrection of the glorified body, when Jesus Christ returns. Whereupon soul and body reunited shall be with him forever in glory; but the spirits and souls of the unbelieving remain after death conscious of condemnation and in misery until the final judgment of the Great White Throne when soul and body reunited shall be cast into the lake of fire, not to be annihilated but to be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power (Luke 16:19-26, 23:42; 2Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23; 2Thessalonians 1:7-9; Jude 6, 7; Revelation 20:11-15).
Giving
Giving is fundamental to the ekklesia. Believers should give generously and consistently to insure every ekklesia, and every believer within each local ekklesia have all the resources they need to fulfill their divine purpose. Giving must be practiced continually by all believers and is an outward expression of the unity of the ekklesia, as it joins together in support of the work of the Lord (1Corinthians 16:2; Genesis 28:22; Matthew 23:23; Deuteronomy 26, 14:28-29, 15:7-11; Numbers 18:8-11; Ezekial 44; Proverbs 14:21, 29:7; Luke 11:41, 12:33).
The Kingdom
The Kingdom of God is eternal. It is divine intent that rule, reign and authority of God be manifest in the earth as it is established in the heavens. The expansion of the Kingdom in the earth is the mission of every ekklesia of the Lord Jesus Christ. The believers inherit the kingdom and its manifested benefits in the earth (Psalms 145:13; Daniel 7:27; Matthew 6:10; Matthew 24:14; Luke 10:9; 2Peter 1:11).
We believe that how we gather with other believers impacts our capacity to pursue divine purpose. We believe that the Lord's ekklesia has a divine order. (Ephesians 3:10; 1Timothy 3:15). Every gathering should support the calling, purpose and ministry of each believer, and build the ekklesia as a whole (Ephesians 4:11-16). Although scripture does not mandate how believers are to gather, we believe that there is strong biblical evidence that the organic, fluid, and simple gatherings of the first century believers served to support the work of the ekklesia as a ruling council in that era, and that similar gatherings will do the same thing today.
House to House
We believe the gathering of believers in the home is the most basic form of the ekklesia. There is no biblical evidence that believers constructed ‘dedicated meeting places’ in the first century. Peppered throughout the New Testament we find dozens of references to the ekklesia that gathered in the homes of believers.
- (Acts 2:46) And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
- (Acts 5:42) And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ
- (Acts 8:3) As for Saul, he made havock of the [ekklesia], entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
- (Acts 12:12) And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.
- (Acts 20:20) And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house,
- (Romans 16:3-5) Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the [ekklesia] of the Gentiles. Likewise greet the [ekklesia] that is in their house. Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.
- (1Corinthians 16:19) The [ekklesia] of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the [ekklesia] that is in their house.
- (Colossians 4:15) Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the [ekklesia] which is in his house.
- (1Timothy 5:11-13) But the younger widows refuse: for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry; Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith. And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.
- (Philemon 1:2) And to [our] beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the [ekklesia] in thy house:
The Ekklesia Center Statement of Beliefs
The Bible
The Bible is our all-sufficient rule of faith and practice. We hold to the complete inerrancy of the Holy Scriptures. We do not presume to say the phraseology employed in this Statement of Fundamental Truths is inspired or that it is the final work on Bible truth. However, we are persuaded it is proper and consistent with the Holy Scriptures to “set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us.” (Luke 1:1).
The Holy Scriptures
Both Old and New Testaments were written by holy men inspired by the Holy Spirit and are God’s revealed word to man. They are sufficient infallible rule and guide to salvation and all Christian worship and service (2Peter 1:20-21; 2Timothy 3:15-17).
God
Scripture teaches that there is one and only one true and living God, who is self-existent, and eternal “I AM,” the Creator of heaven and earth and the Redeemer of all mankind. That He has chosen to reveal Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the same in essence, though distinct in personality (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 43:10-11; Matthew 28:18-19; Luke 3:22). These three are one God, having the same nature, attributes, and perfection and are worthy of the same homage and obedience. (Mark 12:29; John 1:14; Acts 5:3,4; 2Corinthians 13:14; Revelation 1:4-6)
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ, the son of God and the son of Man, was born miraculously of Mary, a young virgin (Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:31,35). He lived a sinless life (Hebrews 7:26; 1Peter 2:22). He came into the world to save men from the guilt and condemnation of sin (John 3:16), offering His blood as an atonement (1Corinthians 15:3; 2Corinthians 5:21) and making it available to all who exercise faith in Him; His bodily resurrection from the dead (Matthew 28:6; Luke 24:39; 1Corinthians 15:4). His exaltation to the right hand of God (Acts 1:9, 11: 2:33; Philippians 2:9-11; Hebrews 1-3). Also that His Divinity is proved from His titles, His attributes, and His works (John 1:14; Luke 1:26-35; Acts 4:12; Acts 16:31). That He is presently seated at the right hand of God the Father, interceding for his redeemed. We also acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord over all things in Heaven, and in Earth, and under the Earth (John 1:1,2,14; 1Timothy 3:16; Acts 7:37-38; Philippians 2:9-10; Hebrews 7:25).
The Holy Spirit
The scriptures ascribe to the Holy Spirit the acts and attributes of an intelligent being. He guides, knows, moves, gives information, commands, forbids, sends forth, reproves, as the instrumental segment of the God Head in the liberal dispersion of spiritual gifts, and can be sinned against (John 16:13; 1Corinthians 2:11; Genesis 1:2; Acts 10:19; 13:2; 16:6; 13:4; John 16:8; Mark 3:29; Acts 7:51; Ephesians 4:30; 1Corinthians 12).The works of God are ascribed to the Holy Spirit; creation; inspiration, giving of life, and sanctification (Job 33:4; 2Peter 1:21; 1Peter 3:18; 1Corinthians 6:11).
Sanctification
That sanctification is the process by which, according to the will of God, we become partakers of His Holiness; that it is begun at regeneration; and that it is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in the continual use of the appointed means especially the Word of God, self-examination, self-denial, watchfulness, and prayer (1Thessalonians 4:3; 1John 2:29; Romans 8:5; Philippians 2:12-13).
The Salvation of Man
Man’s only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Salvation is received through repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, being justified by Grace through faith, man becomes an heir of God according to the hope of eternal life. The inward evidence of salvation is direct witness of the Spirit and the outward evidence to all men as a life of righteousness and true holiness (Luke 24:47; John 3:3; Romans 10:13-15; Ephesians 2:8; Titus 2:11; 3:5-7; Romans 8:16; Ephesians 4:24; Titus 2:12).
The Doctrine of Baptisms
We believe the New Testament teaches at least three Baptisms. First, there is the baptism by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ (1Corinthians 12:13). Secondly, there is water baptism in Jesus Name by immersion for believers only (Acts 2:38). This we believe to be an ordinance of the church, whereby the believer experiences the reality of the death, burial and resurrection with the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 6:3-6). Thirdly, there is the filling or baptism of the Holy Spirit by the Lord Jesus Christ, which may occur at or subsequent to conversion. We believe that speaking in tongues as the Spirit gives the utterance is the normative evidence of this baptism. Further, we believe that by the believers continued submission to the Holy Spirit, his very weakness is transformed into strength to witness for Jesus Christ in power, and to live according to the will of God (Acts 1:5-8, 10:46, 11:28, 19:6).
The Ekklesia
The ekklesia is the body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of her great commission and purpose. The ekklesia is the ruling council that Jesus declared He would build in such manner that the forces of darkness would have no power to defeat it. He gave the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to His ekklesia with the authority to bind and loose on earth anything that had been bound or loosed in heaven (Matthew 16:18-19). Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the ekklesia of the firstborn, whose name is written in heaven. As such, the Bible reveals that we are members one of another and the basis of our fellowship is in Christ in the power of the Spirit (Ephesians 1:22, 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23; 1Peter 2:5).
The mission of the ekklesia is to advance the authority of the kingdom of God in the earth, and to demonstrate the wisdom of God to principalities and powers in heavenly places (Matthew 24:14; Ephesians 3:10).
The ekklesia is governed by a plurality of elders appointed by apostolic leadership and developed and equipped by ministry gifts given by Jesus Christ (Acts 14:23; Ephesians 4:11-16; Titus 1:5).
Responsibility of the Believer
We believe that it is essential that each believer pursue a foundation of Biblical truth and experience upon which he-she builds his/her life. These foundation stones are: Repentance from dead works, faith toward God, doctrine of baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment, all of which are prerequisites to going on to perfection (spiritual maturity) (Hebrews 6:1-2). We believe the goal of every believer should be to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29). We believe that every believer should become a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ and seek to edify, exhort and comfort other disciples (Luke 14:33; 1Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrew 3:13)
We accept as true that each believer is called and chosen in God as priest unto God to offer up the sacrifice of praise (the fruit of the lips), to give of his time, strength, and material possessions to the service of the Lord (2Corinthians 9:6-9; 2Timothy 1:9; Hebrews 13:15; 1Peter 2:9)
The Blessed Hope
The resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ and their translation together with those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord is the blessed hope of the ekklesia (1Thessalonians 4:16-17; Romans 8:23; Titus 2:13; 1Corinthians 15:51).
Gifts of the Spirit
The nine gifts of the Spirit set forth in 1Corinthians 12 should be and must be operative in every ekklesia to enjoy the fullness of God. These gifts are imparted by the sovereignty of the Holy Spirit and only work, or are operated by this one and the self-same Spirit (1Corinthians 12:11). The ministry gifts identified in Ephesians 4:11-16 are necessary for the maturing of the church. The grace gifts identified in Romans 12:1-13 provide the church a foundation for ministry to one another.
The Second Coming of Jesus Christ
The second coming of Christ includes the visible and physical return of Jesus Christ to the earth (Matthew 24:30; Acts 1:11; 1Thessalonians 4:16-18; 2Thessalonians 1:7).
The Final Judgment and Eternal State
We believe that at death, the spirits and souls of those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ pass immediately into His presence and there remain in conscious bliss until the resurrection of the glorified body, when Jesus Christ returns. Whereupon soul and body reunited shall be with him forever in glory; but the spirits and souls of the unbelieving remain after death conscious of condemnation and in misery until the final judgment of the Great White Throne when soul and body reunited shall be cast into the lake of fire, not to be annihilated but to be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power (Luke 16:19-26, 23:42; 2Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23; 2Thessalonians 1:7-9; Jude 6, 7; Revelation 20:11-15).
Giving
Giving is fundamental to the ekklesia. Believers should give generously and consistently to insure every ekklesia, and every believer within each local ekklesia have all the resources they need to fulfill their divine purpose. Giving must be practiced continually by all believers and is an outward expression of the unity of the ekklesia, as it joins together in support of the work of the Lord (1Corinthians 16:2; Genesis 28:22; Matthew 23:23; Deuteronomy 26, 14:28-29, 15:7-11; Numbers 18:8-11; Ezekial 44; Proverbs 14:21, 29:7; Luke 11:41, 12:33).
The Kingdom
The Kingdom of God is eternal. It is divine intent that rule, reign and authority of God be manifest in the earth as it is established in the heavens. The expansion of the Kingdom in the earth is the mission of every ekklesia of the Lord Jesus Christ. The believers inherit the kingdom and its manifested benefits in the earth (Psalms 145:13; Daniel 7:27; Matthew 6:10; Matthew 24:14; Luke 10:9; 2Peter 1:11).