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The church is the house of the living God, the pillar and base of the truth (I Timothy 3:15). In late 1987 a group of Christian brothers began a Saturday morning Bible study in one of their homes in a suburb of Elyria, Ohio. We enjoyed the riches of God’s word and the rich ministry of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee. After meeting for a few months, the Lord touched our hearts regarding His testimony in the city of Elyria, Ohio.
In June of 1988 four families moved to Elyria to begin meeting as the church here: two families from Cleveland, one from Lorain, Ohio, and one from Sheffield, Ohio. For two years the church met in the homes of these believers, but in 1990 the church was able to purchase a meeting hall. Since the purchase of the hall, the church has continued to enjoy the Lord’s rich supply, His loving care, and His shepherding. Through trials and testing, the Lord’s testimony here has been preserved for His glory.
By the Lord’s mercy and grace we have resolved to stand absolute for God’s economy (plan), which is to dispense Himself into His chosen, redeemed, and regenerated people to make us members of the Body of Christ, to be built together as His expression on the earth today, and to consummate the New Jerusalem as God’s expression for eternity.
Praise the Lord for His Body, the church. As the church we have:
1) The headship of Christ,
2) The leadership of the entire New Testament ministry, which is the teaching of the apostles, and
3) The fellowship of the leadership in the church life.
For this reason the Body of Christ is our living and the New Jerusalem is our unique goal.
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