ABOUT EKKLESIA

We are pastors who have seen gospel growth in the heart of the 10/40 Window through the planting and revitalizing of international churches. Because the church is the manifold wisdom of God (Eph. 3:10), we share in the conviction that a healthy church in our various international contexts not only displays the gospel but also fuels and sustains gospel growth. We have benefitted deeply from ministry partnership and relational connectivity and desire to see what we have experienced here in our international churches multiply throughout this region and across the globe.

In a globalized world, the church has unique opportunities for gospel witness and proclamation in international cities. As the church seeks to fulfill The Great Commission, biblically sound, gospel-centered international churches are a uniquely strategic means to obey the mandate of our risen Lord to make, baptize, and teach disciples everything Jesus commanded (Mt. 28:18–20). Just like the earliest days of the church when the commonly shared Greek language allowed the gospel to go forward in power, so now the English language has allowed the church to cross-cultural barriers in globalized cities to make the gospel known. It’s these realities that drive us to encourage the planting and growth of healthy English-Language International Churches.

Shared Understanding of the Gospel

We are united by the belief that as the household of God, the church is the pillar and buttress of truth in the world (I Timothy 3:14–15). The church is God’s truth-protecting, truth-proclaiming institution. To this end, we believe that both the beliefs and practices of the church matter. Fundamental to assessing whether a church is true or false is her understanding of the gospel. This is of first importance (I Cor. 15:3–4), and our unity is formed in the apostolic gospel. To hold out the gospel to the world, the church must have a right understanding of conversion both for the protection of souls and the display of God’s glory. Apart from sound doctrine, the church will lose her mooring and fail to be the pillar of truth she is called to be in the world.

Shared Ministry Philosophy

While doctrine is essential, doctrine alone is not enough. God’s ends are to be accomplished by God’s means, and faithful ministry practice is essential to the health of the church. We are united in our belief that expositional preaching (preaching that makes the main point of the passage the main point of the sermon) should be the normal diet of the church. Because the church is the household of God, a biblical view of membership ensures the various members of the family know who the other members are and how each is responsible to the other. A biblical understanding of discipleship means that the church will take responsibility to guard and grow each other in the gospel and - when necessary - lovingly discipline those members whose lives no longer credibly match their gospel confession. As with any healthy household, faithful leadership is essential, and the church is to be led by biblically qualified elders whose primary responsibilities are to shepherd the flock of God through faithful preaching and teaching, prayer, and oversight (I Tim. 3, Tit. 1, I Peter 5, Acts 20).

While we are particularly focused on healthy English language churches in the 10/40 window, we desire to see such churches and partnerships across the globe. Partnerships across regional and cultural boundaries will encourage gospel growth in our own contexts and settings and beyond.