Meet the Pastor

Preamble 

     This Church is established for the purpose of maintaining a place of worship to Almighty God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, to provide for Christian fellowship for those of like faith, where the Holy Ghost may be honored according to our distinctive testimony, to assume our share of responsibility and the privilege of furthering the gospel of Jesus Christ by all available means, both at home and in foreign lands. We recognize ourselves as a local church in fellowship with, and a part of the Pentecostal Church of God, adopting the following articles of church order and submit ourselves to be governed by them. 

Doctrinal Statement 

     As a Christian constituency of New Testament believers, we, Family Worship Center of the Pentecostal Church of God, support the following declaration of the things which we most assuredly believe among us.

 (Luke 1:1 "Foreasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us"). Praying that there be no harmful nor divisive difference of belief to the injury on any, nor disturbance of the peace and harmony of the church, and that we may be all of the same mind and same judgement, speaking the same things in love. (1 Corinthians 1:10 "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement.", Acts 2:42 "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.") And with one voice we glorify God, to the edification of his people, and to give Christians witness to the world. (All this for the purpose of knowing HIM and making HIM known.) 

What We Believe: 

The Scriptures- 

     The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16), presenting to us the complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men and constituting the Divine and only rule of Christian faith and practice (2 Peter 1:21). 

The Godhead- 

     We believe there is but one true and living God, who is everlasting, infinite in power, wisdom and goodness; that He is the Creator of all things, visible and invisible, and Preserver of all things (Romans 1:20; Colossians 1:16). In the unity of this Godhead, there are three persons of one individual essence, who are co-equal, co-existent and co-eternal; namely, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost (Matthew 3:16, 17; 28:18, 19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; John 1:1, 2, 18; 10:33; 14:26; 15:26; Philippians 2:6; Hebrews 9:14). 

     The Son is the eternally begotten of the Father and accepted earthly limitations for the purpose of incarnation, being true God and true man; conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary. He died upon the cross, the just for the unjust, as a substitutionary sacrifice, and all who believe in Him are justified on the grounds of His shed blood. He arose from the dead, according to the Scriptures. He is now at the right hand of the Majesty on High, as our great High Priest, and He will return again to establish His Kingdom of righteousness and justice. 

     The Holy Spirit is a Divine Person, Executive of the Godhead on earth, the Comforter sent by the Lord Jesus Christ to indwell, to guide and to teach the believer, and to convince the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. 

Man, His Fall and Redemption- 

     Man is a created being, made in the likeness and the image of God, but through Adam’s transgression and fall, sin came into the world (Romans 5:12). “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) “As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one.” (Romans 3: 10). Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was manifested to undo the work of the devil, and gave His life and shed His blood to redeem and restore man to God (1 John 3:8). 

Salvation- 

     Salvation is made possible through the meritorious work of Jesus Christ on the cross and through Holy Spirit conviction. Godly sorrow works repentance and makes possible the experience of the new birth, and Christ formed within us is the gift of eternal life (Titus 2:11; Romans 10:13-15; Luke 24:47; Titus 3:5-7). 

     Man is a free moral agent and can at any time, after the new birth experience, turn away from God and die in a state of sin facing the consequences of hell. (2 Peter 2:20-22)   

     Salvation is the gift of God to man, separate from works and the Law, and is made operative by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, producing works acceptable to God (Ephesians 2:8). 

The Church-  

     The true Church, built upon the Foundation of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11; Ephesians 2:20), is the Body of our Lord (Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:27); Christ being the Head (Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:18). Its earthly constituents are all true believers, born again of the Spirit (John 3:6) and of the Word (1 Peter 1:23), who are living an overcoming Christian life (Ephesians 5:27; Revelation 21:27). To the Church, through its members, is delegated the various gifts and offices of the Holy Ghost, (1 Corinthians 12:7-11, 27, 28), which are necessary for the successful evangelization of the world and the perfecting of the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:7; Ephesians 4:11, 12). 

     This universal, invisible, sanctified Church is the chaste virgin Bride of Christ (2 Corinthians 1:1, 2; Ephesians 5:26, 27; Revelation 21:9, 27). It is this Bride for whom Jesus Christ returns, just prior to the Great Tribulation, to catch her away and take her to heaven (John 14:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). 

The Ministry- 

     God, through the Holy Spirit, calls such as He desires, to serve as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, and specifically endues the one called with the talents and gifts peculiar to that office or offices (Ephesians 4:11-13). Under no circumstances should anyone be ordained or set apart to any such office unless the calling is distinct and evident. 

Water Baptism- 

     Baptism in water is by immersion, a direct commandment of our Lord, (Matthew 28:19) and is for believers only. The ordinance is a symbol of the Christian’s identification with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection (Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12; Acts 8:36-39). The following recommendation regarding the water baptism formula is adopted, “On the confession of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and by His authority, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.” (Matthew 28:19). 

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit- 

     The Baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11), is a gift from God, as promised by the Lord Jesus Christ, to all believers in this dispensation and is received after the new birth (John 14:16, 17; Acts 1:8; 2:4, 38, 39; 10:44-48). The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is accompanied by the speaking in other tongues as the Holy Spirit Himself gives utterance as the initial physical sign and evidence (Acts 2:4). 

Sanctification- 

     The Bible teaches that without holiness, no man can see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). We believe in the doctrine of sanctification as a definite, yet progressive, work of grace, commencing at the time of regeneration and continuing until the consummation of salvation (Hebrews 13:12; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2; Ephesians 5:26; 1 Corinthians 6:11; John 17:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:23). 

The Lord’s Supper- 

     The ordinance of the Lord’s Supper is a commandment of our Savior; and being a memorial to His death and resurrection, is limited to Christian believers (1 Corinthians 11:27). The time and frequency of its observance is left to the discretion of each congregation (1 Corinthians 11:26). 

Divine Healing- 

     Healing is for the physical ills of the human body and is wrought by the power of God, through the prayer of faith, and by the laying on of hands (Mark 16:18; James 5:14, 15). It is provided for in the atonement of Christ and is available to all who truly believe. Resurrection of the Just, The Bible promises, “This same Jesus shall so come in like manner” (Acts 1:11). His coming is imminent; when He comes, “The dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17). Following the tribulation, He shall return to earth as King of kings and Lord of lords, and together with His saints, who shall be kings and priests, He shall reign a thousand years (Revelation 20:6). 

Hell and Eternal Retribution- 

     The one who physically dies in his sins without Christ is hopelessly and eternally lost in the Lake of Fire, and therefore has no further opportunity of hearing the Gospel or for repentance (Hebrews 9:27). The Lake of Fire is literal (Revelation 19:20). The terms “eternal” and “everlasting”, used in describing the duration of the punishment of the damned (Matthew 25:41-46) in the lake of fire, carry the same thought and meaning of endless existence, as used in denoting the duration of joy and ecstasy of saints in the presence of God. 

Tithes- 

     We recognize the scriptural duty of all our people, as well as ministers, to pay tithes as unto the Lord (Hebrews 7:8).  Tithes should be used for the support of the active ministry and for the propagation of the Gospel and work of the Lord in general, and not given to charity or used for other purposes (Malachi 3:7-11; Hebrews 7:2; 1 Corinthians 9:7-11; 16:2).