WHERE EC IS NOW

Spiritually Spirit-filled church with numerous backgrounds (30% Catholic). We believe in passionate worship and allowing the power of God to transform lives. The Word of God is central and reaching lost people is in our spiritual DNA.
Geographically 39 acres
Numerically 1000+
Organizationally We belong to the Church of God, which has International Headquarters in Cleveland Tennessee. Our Regional Offices are in Columbia, Maryland. The Church of God is a strong missions organization with five times the membership outside the United States.
Structurally Evangel Cathedral has a simple structure. This allows the church to focus on ministry and not get bogged down in bureaucracy. My wife and I provide the overall vision and leadership of the church. We get our orders from the Lord and it is our responsibility to oversee that His plans are implemented. I have a church council that assists me in the business of the church. Pastoral care is provided by ministers I have trained and mentored. There are 34 ministers presently serving the congregation with others in training as we speak. Much ministry happens on Sundays and throughout the week because of committed people who have a heart for the kingdom of God, who are trained in their areas of ministry, and are released to make a difference in people’s lives.
Philosophically Evangel Cathedral exists for a specific purpose. This purpose is rooted in scripture and provides the foundation for what happens at EC. Let’s look at three passages of scripture that define our purpose:

Matthew 22:36-40 “ ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.’”

Matthew 28:19,20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Ephesians 4:11,12 “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”

These passages provide for us seven purposes for the church’s existence. They are:
1. Love God
2. Love One Another
3. Make Disciples
4. Baptize
5. Teach
6. Equip
7. Edify
If the church is not functioning according to its purposes, it has no right to exist. The Great Commandment plus the Great Commission equal a church in a Great Condition. This requires a Great Commitment from each of us. A church in a Great Condition is not accidental. I am not suggesting that a church in a Great Condition is a perfect church. I am suggesting that it is a healthy church.
Ephesians chapter four gives us a picture of what a healthy church looks like:

An Equipped Church
Ephesians 4:11,12 “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints…”
An equipped church is one in which each person is “completely furnished,” to accomplish what God has “wired” them to accomplish. The primary role of church leadership is to help people discover what they were designed for.

A Serving Church
Ephesians 4:12 “…for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”
Please note what the equipping if for. It is so that the saints, those equipped, would do the work of ministry. The word ministry in the Greek means serving. The function of the body is to do the work of the Lord. In too many circles the emphasis is on the leadership “doing” the work of the ministry.
In Thom Rainer’s book Breakout Churches, he looks at thirteen congregations who went through a period of stagnation or decline and then hit a season in the life cycle of the church where the church began to grow steadily over a period of time. One of Rainer’s churches, Grace Church in Middleburg Heights, Ohio, had hit the 200-attendance ceiling. He writes, “The reason for the ceiling was obvious to many of the members. The majority of those attending Grace expected Pastor Walters to meet their ministry needs. After all, such had been the pattern when the church was smaller. Walters realized, however, that the church would remain in its business-as-usual pattern unless some changes took place.” The fact is unless the saints are equipped to do the work of ministry the church will not grow over a long period of time.

A Unified Church
Ephesians 4:13 “Until we all come to the unity in the faith…”
Unity is paramount in the body of Christ. Jesus said in Matthew 12:25 “A house divided against itself shall not stand.” The enemy knows this and will do anything he can to divide the church. It is the responsibility of all of us to keep unity. Earlier in Ephesians 4 in verse 3 Paul writes, “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” The word “endeavor” in the Greek means “to use speed, make effort, be prompt, be earnest.” In other words, do everything you can to keep unity and do it quickly. The longer you wait when something isn’t right, the harder it will be to bring unity.

A Learning Church
Ephesians 4:13 “…and of the knowledge of the Son of God.”
We must be growing in knowing Him. Paul’s earnest cry in Philippians 3:10 is “That I may know Him…” Evangel Cathedral wants to know Him. We exist to connect people with God. As we connect with Him through worship and prayer, the Word, serving, discipleship, and giving, we know Him more.

A Mature Church
Ephesians 4:13 “…to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”
Knowledge must lead to maturity. The word “perfect” means mature. Maturity is revealed in knowing. It is also revealed in attitude. A good attitude is indicative of maturity. Being mature also means we do not get easily offended. Those who are too sensitive and are unable to stay consistent through offenses will never be able to reach their full potential.

A Scripture-based Church
Ephesians 4:14 “That we should on longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine…”
This is a continuation of Paul’s thought concerning maturity. Doctrinal instability must be guarded against for this keeps one from having roots. If there is no root there is not growth and no maturity. Therefore, a church must keep steady in the Word of God. The way we accomplish that at EC is through the One Year Bible. The Bible is arranged into daily readings for each day of the year. You simply turn to the present date and there is always a selection from the Old Testament, one from the New Testament, a Psalm, and a selection from Proverbs. The readings are in succession so that today’s reading builds from yesterday’s reading and sets the stage for tomorrow’s reading. The advantages of having the entire church in the One Year Bible are these:
1) It assists in keeping the unity of the church. There is better communication and opportunities for teaching if everyone is on the same page.
2) It allows the congregation to be in spiritual synchronization with PB and me.
3) It provides a tool for believers to have a consistent and disciplined daily devotional life. This is absolutely essential for living a healthy Christian life.
4) It enables the pastor to mentor the leadership in a more effective way.

A Growing Church
Ephesians 4:15 “But, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head-Christ.”
Growth is a biblical concept spanning both Old and New Testaments. God wants the church to grow. This verse says growth needs to be “in all things.” Therefore, we can conclude that God desires every area of our lives to be moving forward and growing.

An Empowered Church
Ephesians 4:16 “From whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working of every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”
There are several important things this verse teaches us about the church. First, the church is held together by what each one of us contributes. Your part in the church should not be underestimated. Second, church life includes every person doing his or her share. Notice the wording in this verse, “…according to the effective working of every part does its share…” It is unfair for only a few to carry the weight of the church. Each person needs to do his or her share. It is imperative for us to discover where we fit. Please know, if God wants you here at EC, God has a place for you to serve. There is an acrostic that may help you to discover that special place:

S Spiritual gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:1,7 – “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant…but the manifestation (gift) of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all.” According to the Bible each person has a gift. That gift is to profit the church.

H Heart. What are you passionate for? What makes you cry? A person will find fulfillment when they serve where in an area that matches their passion.

A Abilities. These are the God-given endowments that you are blessed with. Some people can sing. Some can play an instrument. Some are great at organizing.

P Personality. My wife and I are trained in administering the DiSC personality profile. This is a great tool to help an individual understand their own personality and the personalities of those around them. The D personality is a dominant individual. Charge ahead and get it done is their mode of operation. The I personality is an influencer. They are a party person. The S personality is steady. They are faithful and consistent. The C personality is cautious and compliant. These individuals are detailed. God has wired you a certain way and this plays a significant role in where you should serve.
E Experiences. Painful experiences and adversity usually shape where our ministry should be. There are far too many people who exclude the negative experiences they have had in life and don’t allow them to be a point of ministry to others who have had similar experiences. This may be because of the pain or because of embarrassment. However, I would encourage you to not let your history be in vain. God can use you powerfully to help someone else who is hurting.
Third, as each of us contributes and does its share, the church will grow. Again, notice the wording of the verse: “causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” Every living thing grows. If the church is alive it will grow. There are three biblical reasons why the church must never stop growing:

1. Because God loves people. 2 Peter 3:9 – “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

2. Because God wants His house full. Luke 14:23 – “Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.’”