Written by Jeffrey Irwin
When the Apollo 13 mission ran into some issues during their moon flight in April 1970, they contacted mission control with the words “Houston, we’ve had a problem here.” An explosion triggered by an oxygen tank resulted in the crew aborting the mission. The flight was under constant surveillance by a superb team, and while the crew had to handle the issues mid-flight, there was no doubt an amount of comfort knowing they were being monitored and guided by qualified professionals. A headquarters is the hub of a business; a mission control. It is the driving force for corporations and its personnel are usually tasked with setting standards, procedures, and tenets to be followed. The Church of God also has a base which fulfills the duty of administering to those who believe and are part of it; however unlike corporations, its headquarters is in heaven.
To understand that there is no earthly headquarters, one must first know how the church was founded. Matthew 16:18 states “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Here, Jesus is establishing a foundation, one which will support the church He has built. Just as many well-known buildings are often credited to the builder, so Christ is credited with his establishment, and is the cornerstone of His creation. So with Jesus being the founder, we can state that He is the Head of the Church. In fact, this is declared in Ephesians 4:15, when Paul writes “but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.”
The organizational chart is very flat: God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
Christ’s divinity is paramount to the creation of the Church. The Word of God is clear on the point that He died and rose again after three days, after which He ascended to heaven to be with the Father. With this knowledge, we can rightly say that the founder of the Church is in heaven. As the Son of God, we realize that His church is not a literal brick and mortar establishment. While we meet in a physical location, the true kingdom of God lies within our hearts. This heavenly kingdom is the Church we are a part of. Our physical congregation simply represents a small earthly part of God’s kingdom. Unlike corporate or government headquarters, there is no opportunity for corruption when the decrees come from a heavenly location.
With a divine headquarters and Jesus Christ as the Head, how does this earthly assembly function? The organizational chart is very flat: God the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. Then in Ephesians 4:11 “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.” Each pastor receives a calling from God and is placed by Him to preach, teach, instruct, guide, and reprove.
There is no opportunity for corruption when the decrees come from a heavenly location.
At the Church of God in Connoquenessing, we have one pastor who diligently works to guide our congregation at the calling of the Holy Spirit. His sermons come through divine inspiration, with no man or committee to influence them. There is no assembly that votes the pastor in (or out). Neither are our values and beliefs dictated by a board and voted upon.
We stand on the doctrines of Jesus Christ, the Word of God, and these tenets do not change despite what influences are prevailing in our society. When the headquarters is incorruptible, no man can put his hand to it. There are many congregations around the world that hold to these same doctrines with Holy-Ghost-filled men and women who have been called to pastor them. Despite the distance between each group, our messages all ring with the same truths and our teachings coincide with the Bible.
The Church of God, established in A.D. 33, has stood throughout history. It has faced much persecution; it has been attacked and attempts have been made to snuff out its flame. But it continues today with a holy government far out of reach from human designs. Christ’s building is established on one foundation, which is the Word of God.
