Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Below are some questions we've received, along with our responses, which are based on the Word of God.
What is the name of your church?
We have no name other than the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The term 'local church' is not a title but a description of the church in a specific city (Acts 13:1; Rev. 1:11). Just as the Bible speaks of "the church in Ephesus," we are simply the church in Boise (1 Cor. 1:2).
Who is your leader?
Christ is our unique Head (Col. 1:18). We have no hierarchy or worldwide leader. We are served by brothers who take the lead to shepherd the saints in love, functioning as bondslaves of Christ rather than lords over the believers (Matt. 23:8-11; 1 Pet. 5:3).
Where are your headquarters?
We have no central headquarters. Each local church is locally governed and autonomous in its administration (Titus 1:5). All local churches share the same standing before the Lord, with no church being "head" over another (Rev. 1:12, 20).
What do you do in your meetings?
Our meetings are characterized by mutuality. We pray, sing, and "prophesy" (speak for the Lord) so that the church may be built up (1 Cor. 14:26, 31). Every Sunday, we gather for the Lord’s Table to remember Him (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 11:23-26).
What is "pray-reading"?
Pray-reading is the practice of turning the words of the Bible into prayer. We do this to "eat" the Word as spiritual food, receiving the life-element of God into our being (Eph. 6:17-18; Jer. 15:16).
What do you mean by "eating and drinking" Jesus?
To eat and drink Jesus is to receive Him as our life supply through the Spirit and the Word (John 6:57, 63). As we call on His name and pray-read, we "digest" His riches, allowing Him to become our internal satisfaction (1 Cor. 10:3-4; John 7:37).
What is the "economy of God"?
The word "economy" (oikonomia) means a household administration (1 Tim. 1:4). God’s economy is His plan to dispense Himself—Father, Son, and Spirit—into His chosen people to produce and build up the Body of Christ (Eph. 1:10; 3:9-11).
Do you believe in the Trinity?
Yes. We believe God is eternally Triune, Three-in-One (Matt. 28:19). We reject Modalism and Tritheism, believing instead in the co-inherence of the Father, Son, and Spirit for the purpose of dispensing Himself into man (John 14:10-11, 20; 2 Cor. 13:14).
Do you teach that man becomes God?
We believe that believers are born of God to possess His life and nature (John 1:12-13; 2 Pet. 1:4), but never His Godhead. We are being transformed into His image to become His expression, but we do not and will never become an object of worship (2 Cor. 3:18; 1 John 3:2).
Do you teach that Satan is in man’s body?
We believe that through the Fall, sin (the nature of Satan) was injected into man’s flesh (Rom. 7:17-18, 23). While Satan is certainly in the world, he also dwells within the fallen nature of man as the "law of sin" until our bodies are redeemed (Eph. 2:2).
How are the churches supported?
Through voluntary offerings (2 Cor. 9:7). We do not take up collections during meetings. Each church is a self-supporting entity with transparent records, and members are encouraged to give in secret to the Lord (Matt. 6:3-4).
What is your attitude toward other Christians?
We receive all genuine believers as our brothers and sisters in Christ (Rom. 15:7). While we stand apart from unscriptural systems to maintain the "ground of oneness," we embrace the whole Body of Christ and welcome all saints to the Lord’s Table (Eph. 4:3-4; 1 Cor. 10:17).