Organizational Preamble

Politic:

The principle foundation behind the organization of First Church House of God is to restore the Christian church to it’s original design and function as God ordained in His establishment of the first church by Jesus Christ and the original Apostles in the book of Acts.  God is empowering the rebirth of his beloved church through the First Church Movement.  This vision and enactment was given and empowered through the Holy Spirit in a time of desperation in the Christian Church globally.  In the end times and the last days of man on earth, there will be a great conflict and God needs His church at full power.  Signs and Wonders are a seal of Gods presence and authority.  Eph. 4:1-16 in the Holy Scriptures gives the heart, intent, and organization of the First Church as God wills.

“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.  But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.  (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?  He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”

The Church is to function by the direct will of God, operating in a unified spirit of Love, without divisions, led by current Apostles, for the perfecting and unification of the church and dismantling of false doctrines.  God’s authoritative order in the church was not for a specific time but for the life of the church.

First Church House of God has emerged by a Call of God to anoint Richard Fenner as Apostle for the emerging church.  By the recognition of signs, wonders and miracles that God has wrought through His calling on Richard Fenner, churches in India, Africa, and China recognized his call and authority to heal the suffering church.  They aligned themselves with his teachings and immediately experienced God’s refreshed power.  First Church House of God was born and within the first nine months over five hundred churches were added in three countries.  Signs and Wonders continued to manifest themselves through every church to God’s Glory and the healing of Christ’s Church had begun.

PREAMBLE

First Church House of God is the rebirth of the Christian Church with the heart to bring an ordered freedom to worshippers and renewed empowerment to the work of Christ.  The organization of the First Church follows the order established by the first church in the book of Acts.  The apostolic leadership is not intended to be an authoritative rule over the people but an empowering support that filters down and covers all believers in its family.  Its purpose is not to fetter the freedom of worship or practice of spiritual gifting but to bring all things into order for the cause of loving the lost into an everlasting relationship with Jesus Christ and free Gods authoritative power in His church.  The Holy Scriptures, as the foundation of all doctrine, is the source of all knowledge to the furtherance of the church.  Acknowledging that the Holy Spirit is the revealer of all truth, Apostle Richard confirms that God is Love and all understandings and actions of the First Church must be founded in Love or it is not of God.  For God so loved the world and His creation that through His one and only beloved son Jesus Christ, He formed the church to be his extension of Love and Power to a wondering and lost world for His own purposes and Glory.

The First Church House of God is a sanctuary for all of Gods children without respect to Race, Color, Culture, or Status in life.  It is a home to all who confess salvation through Jesus Christ and are baptized into the family.  Each church vows to make each worship experience acceptable to all cultures and open to every yearning soul.  The doors of the church are to remain open to all who are seeking and its care and mission are to begin at the threshold and flow out (Ezek 47)!  Though every entity of First Church is self-governing, they pledge to submit in a spirit of loving reverence to the spiritual authority of the denomination and Apostles.  Each church further agrees to support the work of the denomination by tithes and offerings.  Placed into the storehouse, these resources are for the benefit of the administration and benevolent work to care for and expand the kingdom.  The benevolent heart and outreach of First Church House of God will extend to ALL humanitarian needs within and outside the body, for the loving care of all mankind.

THE CHURCH

The church universal, is the whole body of Christ comprised of all those who have recognized their sinful nature by the enlightening of the Holy Spirit, repented of their sin towards God, asking forgiveness through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, receiving the indwelling of Gods Holy Spirit, becoming regenerated in nature, adopted as a son or daughter into God’s family, inheriting eternal habitation in heaven, receiving spiritual gifting here on earth and becoming empowered to complete the work of Jesus, to reconcile a lost world to God the Father. Jesus Christ, the one and only begotten Son of God the Father, born of the virgin Mary, placed on the cross to bear our sins, who’s shed blood cleanses our transgressions, died on the cross and placed in a tomb, arose from the grave after three days, took victory over death, defeated Satan, rose into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father and was given all power over things under the earth, on the earth and over the earth for all time.  The same Jesus gave his life for the establishment of the church.

The church corporate, is a body of baptized believers in Jesus Christ that unite themselves under the headship of a called pastor to function in unity with the denomination First Church House of God under the direction of Apostolic leadership.  The Apostles are given the power and authority by God to organize and guide the spiritual health of the church.  Each church organizes itself under the constitution and bylaws of First Church House of God and registers itself according to local and national laws to assure its legal status.

PASTORS CONGRESS

Each church governing itself autonomously and uniting with the denomination of First Church House of God becomes part of the body fitly joined together.  As a member each fellowship becomes an active part of the congress of churches.  The serving pastors of each region comprise the membership of a pastor’s congress.  These pastors are recognized by their calling from God and Ordained by the Apostles or presiding Bishops as ministers.  Evangelists ordained by First Church are also presiding members of the Congress.  This congress or regional fellowship of pastors will convene monthly.  The functions of these meetings serve many vital purposes.

(1)  This body is self governed but submits itself in a loving respect to the guidance and leadership of the presiding Bishops and Apostles.

(2)  As all parts of the body are recognized as separate in function but are the part of one body that moves in one accord as equals.

(3)  Unified body to stand together in celebration or in persecutions in a united front of Power and Strength.

(4)  Fellowship for Prayer, Support, Encouragement and Training.

(5)  Voice of the body.

(6)  Body from which men of extreme calling and moving of God's spirit are chosen to serve a life term as Bishop of First Church.  Their service is activated by the laying on of hands by an Apostle.

(7)  Body from which disputes and divisions are settled.

Each church belonging to First Church House of God will submit to only one authority, and will leave all other ties so it will not become a house divided.  Support and mission efforts from other Christian sources are welcome in a spirit of brotherhood and unity.  Every church must have within its name the recognition of its origin, First Church House of God and adopt the Constitution and Bylaws of its faith.

As each First Church is self-governed under the Constitution and Bylaws of our denomination, it is free to experience and set it’s own worship style and practice as well as respond to the leadership of the Holy Spirit in its gifted nature and mission.  The pastor, as the head of the church, serves as the final authority in his congregation but leads in a spirit of Love as he empowers the body with the same freedom as the church is given to explore individual gifting and spiritually feed the congregation so it may attain the highest level of compliance to God's Will and obedience to it.  Further, each church recognizes that they are empowered by God to be the extension of His will in all matters of kingdom affairs.  As such, are authorized to extend Healings, Deliverances, Miracles, Blessings, and Coverings from the hand of God to his beloved creation.  All of God's children are saved and redeemed by the Shed Blood and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, Sanctified by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, Empowered by His gifting, commanded to engage in Missions, and Empowered by God to continue the work of Jesus Christ to bring healing and Salvation to a lost world!  Freely given – Freely Give!  Amen.

BISHOPS

The Bishops, as selected from the body of pastors and ordained by the Apostles, serve as ambassadors of the church to the Body of Christ.  Their roll is to equip and support the work of the churches and defend the Apostles doctrine.  They are men full of the Holy Ghost, showing evidence of miracles, and carrying the heart of God to the church through evangelism and training.  They are an extension of the apostolic governance and representatives of the body.  Though their position is one of service and not of authority, they remain revered by their degree and calling, recognized by those whom they serve, and elevated by God through a higher calling.  The Bishops roll is to empower those whom they serve to function fully in their independent relationships with Jesus Christ and their gifting toward the church.  Their support and resource for benevolence is from the body of churches in their tithes and offerings.  The Bishops term of service is indefinite unless terminated by death, resignation or major breach of holiness.

APOSTLES

The times of Apostles began with the first eleven plus Paul, chosen by Jesus.  They were called by God, to be His representatives here on earth with His choosing and discipleship in Jesus Christ, in the empowering of the Holy Spirit, exercising authority as given, to be the founders and leaders of the Christian church under Jesus Christ.  Their leadership in the church is recognized as the Apostle’s Doctrine and ordained by God for the guidance of understanding in all spiritual matters.  The word of the Apostles is not a command but should be revered and respected as from a higher authority in its form and spirit.  All believers in Christ hold a simple personal accountability to the Triune God Head in salvation, personal growth, sin, forgiveness of sin, and callings, but remain under the headship of the church (Heb 13:17).  As a father cares for his family, the Apostle cares for the church.  The Apostles authority and gifting, as given them by God, is for the empowering and edification of the church and their covering handed down throughout the church to the last.  Thus empowering every believer in Christ to reach their individual potentials in God as He made them uniquely and wonderfully.  As the founding Apostle Richard Fenner was recognized by the church body as sent from God to the church for its healing and care, there will be others, not limiting the headship of First Church of God to one Apostle.  As other Apostles are recognized by the church body possessing a synchronous spirit and harmonious heart to First Church House of God as well as signs and wonders as evidence of their anointing from God, they may be added by the laying on of hands by presiding Apostles.