Our Doctrine & Statement of Beliefs
What we believe about the Bible
The sole inspired, written foundation of our faith is the Bible. The Scripture is composed of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments. We believe that Scripture in its entirety originated with God and that it was given through the instrumentality of chosen individuals. Therefore, Scripture is the authoritative, inspired revelation of God. We hold that the Scriptures are infallible and inerrant in the original manuscripts. They are the sufficient, unique, and final authority on all matters of faith and practice, and there are no other writings similarly inspired of God. As such, the authority of Scripture cannot be overruled by religious tradition or personal experience. (Psalm 119:89, 97-104, 160; John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21, 3:15-16)
What we believe about God
We believe that there is only one true God who is triune and sovereign. We believe that the Godhead eternally exists in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are one God, having precisely the same nature, attributes, and perfections, and are worthy of precisely the same confidence and obedience. It pleased God, in the beginning, to create out of nothing the universe and all it contains, in order to make the glory of His power, wisdom, and goodness known. By His sovereign power, He continues to sustain His creation. Through His providence, He is revealing Himself and working throughout history to fulfill His redemptive purposes. (Genesis 1:1; Exodus 3:14; Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 6:1-3, 40:12-18, 40:21-29, 45:5-8, 45:18-24, 46:8-11; Matthew 28:19; John 5:22-24, 17:3; Romans 1:18-23; 1 Corinthians 8:5-6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 11:3; Revelation 4:1-11)
What we believe about Jesus Christ
God has fully and finally revealed Himself in His Son, Jesus Christ, who is the second person of the Trinity. Through His miraculous conception and virgin birth, He was united forever with a true human nature and is thus both fully God and fully man. Jesus lived a sinless life of perfect obedience to the Father and voluntarily gave Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of all. Through His death on the cross, Jesus fully paid the penalty for the sins of all who place faith in Him alone. After His bodily resurrection from the dead, Jesus ascended into heaven as the exalted Lord of all, taking His seat at the Father’s right hand, where He intercedes for His own as the advocate and only mediator between God and man. The Lord Jesus Christ will return again to this earth in power and glory to gather His redeemed from all the ages, to judge the living and the dead, and establish His rule over His Kingdom eternally. The wicked who exist under the dominion of Satan will be sentenced to the second death along with Satan and his demons; the righteous in Christ will be rewarded with eternal life in God’s presence. (Isaiah 9:6-7, 53:1-12; Matthew 1:1-25, 25:31-46; Luke 1:26-35, 2:8-11, 2:21-32; John 1:1-4, 1:14-18, 10:27-30, 14:1-9, 17:3; Acts 1:9-11, 2:36, 4:12; Romans 3:21-26, 5:1-2; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:13-20, 2:9-10; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:9-18, 9:11-28, 10:14; 1 John 1:1-2:2; Jude 24-25; Revelation 1:5-8, 1:17-18, 5:6-14, 11:15-17)
What we believe about the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, was sent by the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, of God's righteousness and of coming judgment, and to enable people to repent and believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit regenerates the sinner upon belief in Christ, baptizing the believer into one body, of which Christ is the head. While we believe the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a unique experience for every Christian, we believe those who have been born again and baptized into Christ are called to seek the continuous filling of the Holy Spirit, which results in a Spirit-led vitality of life and ministry. The Holy Spirit is the Father’s seal and pledge, guaranteeing our eternal inheritance. The Holy Spirit indwells, guides, intercedes, instructs, fills, comforts, and empowers the believer for godly living. The gifts of the Spirit are intended to edify believers, serve the common good of the Church, and glorify Jesus Christ. (Mark 13:11; Luke 3:21-22, 4:1-2, 4:14; John 14:16-17, 14:26, 15:26, 16:7-15; Acts 1:8, 13:2; Romans 5:5, 8:9-17, 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 2:12-16, 3:16, 12:4-7, 12:11-13, 12:19; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, 3:17-18; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 1:13-14)
What we believe about Mankind
We believe man was created in the image of God and therefore has inherent worth and dignity as the pinnacle of God’s creation on earth. Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden and enjoyed perfect communion with God, but by voluntarily transgressing, fell from their sinless and happy state. Consequently, all mankind is sinful. All people are sinners not only by inheritance, but also by their own choice, and therefore are under just condemnation without defense or excuse. We believe that without exception, every man and every woman is totally depraved and needs a Savior. (Genesis 1:27, 2:15-17, 3:1-6; Romans 1:18-32, 3:10-20, 5:12-14; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 2:1-3)
What we believe about Salvation
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, as a propitiatory representative and substitutionary sacrifice. We believe that each person, who by faith receives Him as personal Savior, is justified on the basis of Jesus Christ's shed blood on the cross. Each person who receives Christ as personal Savior is born again of the Holy Spirit and thereby becomes eternally secure as a child of God. We believe the Holy Spirit is the divine pledge and seal of God, marking every true believer as a joint heir with Jesus Christ. (Isaiah 53:4-6; John 3:16-18; Acts 2:38; Romans 1:16, 3:21-26, 5:1-5, 5:12-19, 8:1-2, 8:26-30; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, 5:21; Ephesians 2:4-10, 4:30; Titus 3:3-7; 1 John 2:1-2)
What we believe about the Church
In the present age, God's primary work is to call out from among all humanity a people to be His very own, who through common faith in Jesus Christ are united in one spiritual body, the Church. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus Christ has been exalted by God the Father as Head of the Church. It is God's will for each believer to be an active and accountable part of a local expression of Christ's body, which is an assembly of those who have made public profession of faith in Christ through baptism, and who unite for the purpose of worship, prayer, ministry of the Word, fellowship, service, observance of the Lord's supper, and discipline. God has entrusted the oversight of the local church to scripturally qualified men called Elders, who serve as accountable to the Chief Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, and who by their example, instruction, exhortation, correction, and discipline shepherd the assembly of believers. Functioning under the Elders are scripturally qualified Deacons who serve the assembly by caring primarily for its physical and material needs. Jesus’ mission for His Church in the world is to make disciples by winning, building, equipping, and mobilizing people to express and advance Christ's kingdom and exalt His name. (Matthew 16:18, 28:18-20; Acts 1:8, 2:39, 4:32-35, 15:14-18, 20:17-28; 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, 12:12-27; Ephesians 1:18-23, 2:21-22, 4:11-16, 5:23; 1 Thessalonians 1:5-7, 5:12-13; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9; Hebrews 10:23-25, 13:17; 1 Peter 2:9-10, 5:1-4)
What we believe about Human Destiny
According to Scripture, all people are sinners and therefore destined to die. Upon death, the soul of the believer immediately enters the presence of God, and the soul of the unbeliever enters a state of separation from God. For all people, there will be a resurrection of the body and a final judgment. For unbelievers, judgment will result in eternal, conscious torment and punishment in a place the Bible calls Hell. Believers will be rewarded for works done in this life and experience eternal joy and communion with God in Heaven. At the consummation of all things, God will create a new heaven and a new earth upon which He will eternally dwell with all the redeemed of the Lord. (Isaiah 51:6; Matthew 24:29-31, 25:31-46; Luke 16:19-26; John 3:18, 3:36, 5:28-29, 11:25-26; Romans 3:23, 5:12, 6:23; 1 Corinthians 3:12-15, 15:12-28, 15:42-58; 2 Corinthians 5:8-10; Philippians 1:21-23, 3:20-21; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 5:9-10; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Hebrews 1:10-12, 9:27; 2 Peter 3:8-13; Revelation 6:9-17, 20:1-15, 21:1-8, 22:12-15)
Statement of Beliefs
1. What we believe about Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality
We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person. We believe that the term ‘marriage’ has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as described in Scripture (Genesis 2:18-25). We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (1 Corinthians 6:18, 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4). We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.
We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of Living Word Community Church, as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model to our members and our community, it is imperative that all persons employed by Living Word Community Church in any capacity, or who serve as volunteers, agree to and abide by this statement on Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality.
We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ (Acts 3:19-21; Romans 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11). We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity (Mark 12:28-31). Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed towards any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines and practices of Living Word Community Church.
2. What we believe about the Sanctity of Human Life
We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the elderly and aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life (Genesis 1-2; Psalm 139).
3. What we believe about Final Authority for Matters of Belief and Conduct
This Statement of Faith (our Church Doctrine) does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper, ethical conduct of mankind. God’s Word, the Bible, is the sole and final source of all that we believe.
For purposes of Living Word Community Church’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our Pastor(s) and Elders serve as the final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application (1 Timothy 3:1-7).
A Statement of Commitment to God’s Supreme Authority
Living Word Community Church exists to glorify God our Creator by yielding our lives to His Holy
Spirit, as we proclaim the Gospel, make disciples, and faithfully serve Jesus Christ, locally and
globally. As a locally-assembled church, we firmly and unequivocally stand upon the authority of
God’s Holy Word, the Bible. This unassailable truth defines our commitments to the Lord, to one
another, and our response to the authority, or so-called ‘right’ of the government / state, to intrude
upon the God-ordained sphere of authority, otherwise identified as the family and the church.
The family, the church, and the state each have a divinely-given role to play in society. These roles
have been established and limited by God, as defined in Scripture. These three spheres of authority
were each established to mutually act for the advancement and wellbeing of society, but never to
interfere with/ within the sphere of authority given to one of the other two spheres God ordained. The
government has no authority to override the authority God has given the family or the church.
In the first few months of 2020, the warnings began being broadcast of a virulent virus – COVID-19.
Not long thereafter, state and local governments began issuing emergency orders directed by the
federal government and their so-called medical experts, warning Americans that COVID might cause
a widespread loss of life, like the Black Death in the 14th century. The consequences of policies that
were then enacted and forced upon us resulted in the closure of public gatherings, including the
gathering of believers assembling for weekly worship services. As we look back on this period in our
recent history as a nation, and more particularly as Christians, we realize that the governmental
authority intruded upon the sphere of a higher authority, the church and the family.
The question of when, or even if, the church has a God-given right and responsibility to assemble
together became prominent across the United States. One article, published in February 2021, “A
Theology of Resistance for Reluctant Protestants” (By Tim Cantrell, a Pastor in South Africa) –
confronted this important theological-societal issue straightforwardly, drawing from 20th century world
history, as well as from the Book of Romans, chapter 13. www.gracechurch.org/cantrell/posts/2127 This
article, along with a message by Pastor John MacArthur at Grace Community Church in Los Angeles,
CA (published Sept. 2021) – www.gracechurch.org/news/posts/1988 - serve to frame the position we
have adopted at Living Word Community Church of Greencastle.
The state, as one sphere of authority established by God, does not have a sovereign right to
forbid Christians from assembling to worship as a local church or congregation. In fact, God
has made it clear to us in His Word that we would be disobedient to Him were we not to
assemble together regularly and faithfully as His People – (Hebrews 10:24-25).
Therefore, we choose to honor the Lord above the intrusion and interference of any federal,
state, or local governing authority that seeks to prevent Living Word Community Church of
Greencastle from assembling, due to government mandates. We believe there is a Sovereign
Authority who is supreme over all, the Lord Jesus Christ, who has called us to Himself and
will strengthen, protect, and guide us as we remain true to Him above all else.
The sole inspired, written foundation of our faith is the Bible. The Scripture is composed of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments. We believe that Scripture in its entirety originated with God and that it was given through the instrumentality of chosen individuals. Therefore, Scripture is the authoritative, inspired revelation of God. We hold that the Scriptures are infallible and inerrant in the original manuscripts. They are the sufficient, unique, and final authority on all matters of faith and practice, and there are no other writings similarly inspired of God. As such, the authority of Scripture cannot be overruled by religious tradition or personal experience. (Psalm 119:89, 97-104, 160; John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21, 3:15-16)
What we believe about God
We believe that there is only one true God who is triune and sovereign. We believe that the Godhead eternally exists in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are one God, having precisely the same nature, attributes, and perfections, and are worthy of precisely the same confidence and obedience. It pleased God, in the beginning, to create out of nothing the universe and all it contains, in order to make the glory of His power, wisdom, and goodness known. By His sovereign power, He continues to sustain His creation. Through His providence, He is revealing Himself and working throughout history to fulfill His redemptive purposes. (Genesis 1:1; Exodus 3:14; Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 6:1-3, 40:12-18, 40:21-29, 45:5-8, 45:18-24, 46:8-11; Matthew 28:19; John 5:22-24, 17:3; Romans 1:18-23; 1 Corinthians 8:5-6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 11:3; Revelation 4:1-11)
What we believe about Jesus Christ
God has fully and finally revealed Himself in His Son, Jesus Christ, who is the second person of the Trinity. Through His miraculous conception and virgin birth, He was united forever with a true human nature and is thus both fully God and fully man. Jesus lived a sinless life of perfect obedience to the Father and voluntarily gave Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of all. Through His death on the cross, Jesus fully paid the penalty for the sins of all who place faith in Him alone. After His bodily resurrection from the dead, Jesus ascended into heaven as the exalted Lord of all, taking His seat at the Father’s right hand, where He intercedes for His own as the advocate and only mediator between God and man. The Lord Jesus Christ will return again to this earth in power and glory to gather His redeemed from all the ages, to judge the living and the dead, and establish His rule over His Kingdom eternally. The wicked who exist under the dominion of Satan will be sentenced to the second death along with Satan and his demons; the righteous in Christ will be rewarded with eternal life in God’s presence. (Isaiah 9:6-7, 53:1-12; Matthew 1:1-25, 25:31-46; Luke 1:26-35, 2:8-11, 2:21-32; John 1:1-4, 1:14-18, 10:27-30, 14:1-9, 17:3; Acts 1:9-11, 2:36, 4:12; Romans 3:21-26, 5:1-2; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:13-20, 2:9-10; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:9-18, 9:11-28, 10:14; 1 John 1:1-2:2; Jude 24-25; Revelation 1:5-8, 1:17-18, 5:6-14, 11:15-17)
What we believe about the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, was sent by the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, of God's righteousness and of coming judgment, and to enable people to repent and believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit regenerates the sinner upon belief in Christ, baptizing the believer into one body, of which Christ is the head. While we believe the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a unique experience for every Christian, we believe those who have been born again and baptized into Christ are called to seek the continuous filling of the Holy Spirit, which results in a Spirit-led vitality of life and ministry. The Holy Spirit is the Father’s seal and pledge, guaranteeing our eternal inheritance. The Holy Spirit indwells, guides, intercedes, instructs, fills, comforts, and empowers the believer for godly living. The gifts of the Spirit are intended to edify believers, serve the common good of the Church, and glorify Jesus Christ. (Mark 13:11; Luke 3:21-22, 4:1-2, 4:14; John 14:16-17, 14:26, 15:26, 16:7-15; Acts 1:8, 13:2; Romans 5:5, 8:9-17, 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 2:12-16, 3:16, 12:4-7, 12:11-13, 12:19; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, 3:17-18; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 1:13-14)
What we believe about Mankind
We believe man was created in the image of God and therefore has inherent worth and dignity as the pinnacle of God’s creation on earth. Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden and enjoyed perfect communion with God, but by voluntarily transgressing, fell from their sinless and happy state. Consequently, all mankind is sinful. All people are sinners not only by inheritance, but also by their own choice, and therefore are under just condemnation without defense or excuse. We believe that without exception, every man and every woman is totally depraved and needs a Savior. (Genesis 1:27, 2:15-17, 3:1-6; Romans 1:18-32, 3:10-20, 5:12-14; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 2:1-3)
What we believe about Salvation
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, as a propitiatory representative and substitutionary sacrifice. We believe that each person, who by faith receives Him as personal Savior, is justified on the basis of Jesus Christ's shed blood on the cross. Each person who receives Christ as personal Savior is born again of the Holy Spirit and thereby becomes eternally secure as a child of God. We believe the Holy Spirit is the divine pledge and seal of God, marking every true believer as a joint heir with Jesus Christ. (Isaiah 53:4-6; John 3:16-18; Acts 2:38; Romans 1:16, 3:21-26, 5:1-5, 5:12-19, 8:1-2, 8:26-30; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, 5:21; Ephesians 2:4-10, 4:30; Titus 3:3-7; 1 John 2:1-2)
What we believe about the Church
In the present age, God's primary work is to call out from among all humanity a people to be His very own, who through common faith in Jesus Christ are united in one spiritual body, the Church. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus Christ has been exalted by God the Father as Head of the Church. It is God's will for each believer to be an active and accountable part of a local expression of Christ's body, which is an assembly of those who have made public profession of faith in Christ through baptism, and who unite for the purpose of worship, prayer, ministry of the Word, fellowship, service, observance of the Lord's supper, and discipline. God has entrusted the oversight of the local church to scripturally qualified men called Elders, who serve as accountable to the Chief Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, and who by their example, instruction, exhortation, correction, and discipline shepherd the assembly of believers. Functioning under the Elders are scripturally qualified Deacons who serve the assembly by caring primarily for its physical and material needs. Jesus’ mission for His Church in the world is to make disciples by winning, building, equipping, and mobilizing people to express and advance Christ's kingdom and exalt His name. (Matthew 16:18, 28:18-20; Acts 1:8, 2:39, 4:32-35, 15:14-18, 20:17-28; 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, 12:12-27; Ephesians 1:18-23, 2:21-22, 4:11-16, 5:23; 1 Thessalonians 1:5-7, 5:12-13; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9; Hebrews 10:23-25, 13:17; 1 Peter 2:9-10, 5:1-4)
What we believe about Human Destiny
According to Scripture, all people are sinners and therefore destined to die. Upon death, the soul of the believer immediately enters the presence of God, and the soul of the unbeliever enters a state of separation from God. For all people, there will be a resurrection of the body and a final judgment. For unbelievers, judgment will result in eternal, conscious torment and punishment in a place the Bible calls Hell. Believers will be rewarded for works done in this life and experience eternal joy and communion with God in Heaven. At the consummation of all things, God will create a new heaven and a new earth upon which He will eternally dwell with all the redeemed of the Lord. (Isaiah 51:6; Matthew 24:29-31, 25:31-46; Luke 16:19-26; John 3:18, 3:36, 5:28-29, 11:25-26; Romans 3:23, 5:12, 6:23; 1 Corinthians 3:12-15, 15:12-28, 15:42-58; 2 Corinthians 5:8-10; Philippians 1:21-23, 3:20-21; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 5:9-10; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Hebrews 1:10-12, 9:27; 2 Peter 3:8-13; Revelation 6:9-17, 20:1-15, 21:1-8, 22:12-15)
Statement of Beliefs
1. What we believe about Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality
We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person. We believe that the term ‘marriage’ has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as described in Scripture (Genesis 2:18-25). We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (1 Corinthians 6:18, 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4). We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.
We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of Living Word Community Church, as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model to our members and our community, it is imperative that all persons employed by Living Word Community Church in any capacity, or who serve as volunteers, agree to and abide by this statement on Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality.
We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ (Acts 3:19-21; Romans 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11). We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity (Mark 12:28-31). Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed towards any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines and practices of Living Word Community Church.
2. What we believe about the Sanctity of Human Life
We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the elderly and aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life (Genesis 1-2; Psalm 139).
3. What we believe about Final Authority for Matters of Belief and Conduct
This Statement of Faith (our Church Doctrine) does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper, ethical conduct of mankind. God’s Word, the Bible, is the sole and final source of all that we believe.
For purposes of Living Word Community Church’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our Pastor(s) and Elders serve as the final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application (1 Timothy 3:1-7).
A Statement of Commitment to God’s Supreme Authority
Living Word Community Church exists to glorify God our Creator by yielding our lives to His Holy
Spirit, as we proclaim the Gospel, make disciples, and faithfully serve Jesus Christ, locally and
globally. As a locally-assembled church, we firmly and unequivocally stand upon the authority of
God’s Holy Word, the Bible. This unassailable truth defines our commitments to the Lord, to one
another, and our response to the authority, or so-called ‘right’ of the government / state, to intrude
upon the God-ordained sphere of authority, otherwise identified as the family and the church.
The family, the church, and the state each have a divinely-given role to play in society. These roles
have been established and limited by God, as defined in Scripture. These three spheres of authority
were each established to mutually act for the advancement and wellbeing of society, but never to
interfere with/ within the sphere of authority given to one of the other two spheres God ordained. The
government has no authority to override the authority God has given the family or the church.
In the first few months of 2020, the warnings began being broadcast of a virulent virus – COVID-19.
Not long thereafter, state and local governments began issuing emergency orders directed by the
federal government and their so-called medical experts, warning Americans that COVID might cause
a widespread loss of life, like the Black Death in the 14th century. The consequences of policies that
were then enacted and forced upon us resulted in the closure of public gatherings, including the
gathering of believers assembling for weekly worship services. As we look back on this period in our
recent history as a nation, and more particularly as Christians, we realize that the governmental
authority intruded upon the sphere of a higher authority, the church and the family.
The question of when, or even if, the church has a God-given right and responsibility to assemble
together became prominent across the United States. One article, published in February 2021, “A
Theology of Resistance for Reluctant Protestants” (By Tim Cantrell, a Pastor in South Africa) –
confronted this important theological-societal issue straightforwardly, drawing from 20th century world
history, as well as from the Book of Romans, chapter 13. www.gracechurch.org/cantrell/posts/2127 This
article, along with a message by Pastor John MacArthur at Grace Community Church in Los Angeles,
CA (published Sept. 2021) – www.gracechurch.org/news/posts/1988 - serve to frame the position we
have adopted at Living Word Community Church of Greencastle.
The state, as one sphere of authority established by God, does not have a sovereign right to
forbid Christians from assembling to worship as a local church or congregation. In fact, God
has made it clear to us in His Word that we would be disobedient to Him were we not to
assemble together regularly and faithfully as His People – (Hebrews 10:24-25).
Therefore, we choose to honor the Lord above the intrusion and interference of any federal,
state, or local governing authority that seeks to prevent Living Word Community Church of
Greencastle from assembling, due to government mandates. We believe there is a Sovereign
Authority who is supreme over all, the Lord Jesus Christ, who has called us to Himself and
will strengthen, protect, and guide us as we remain true to Him above all else.