Table of Contents

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For additional information on our church and connection to the Anglican Communion, see:

http://stpeterscheyenne.org/

www.dioceseofthewest.org

www.canaconvocation.org

www.anglicanchurch.net

St Peter’s Anglican Church

Rector Application

Applications should be sent to:

dclark485@gmail.com

Table of Contents

SECTION PAGE

Cover Page 1

Table of Contents 2

Key Personnel 3

Parish Profile 4 - 10

Rector Profile 11

Application Questions 12

Application Checklist 13

Appendices Financial Information 14 - 15Congregational Priorities 16Church History 17Three Streams, One River 18 - 21

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Key PersonnelClergy

Fr Michael Glor – DepartingDeacon Dan ClarkDeacon Marge Marcewicz (on extended absence for medical reasons)

Vestry

Becky Burney – Sr WardenDavid Hays – Jr WardenSue Hume – SecretaryDiane Meese – TreasurerSusan OylerSam Gay

Search Committee

Becky BurneyDan ClarkHeather Roe DayRoger LudwigDiane Meese

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Susan OylerSue Wilson

CHURCH PROFILE  The CHURCH OF SAINT PETER,  

APOSTLE AND CONFESSOR  CHEYENNE, WYOMING 

 

Contents  Part I- Church Information Part II- Building/Financial Information Part III- Church Characteristics 

Part IV- Congregational Priorities 

Part V- Church History 

 Part I: Church Information 

1. The Church of St. Peter, Apostle and Confessor

   Street Address:  252 Dell Range Blvd                  Cheyenne, Wyoming, 82001 

Mailing Address P.O. Box 20283Cheyenne, WY 82003

   Phone:  (307) 635-6868  

2. Search Committee Chairpersons        Deacon Dan Clark  Sr Warden Becky Burney     dclark485@hotmail.com  bburney@bresnan.net     (307)631-3960 (307)214-2021 

3. St Peter’s currently has no paid staff positions   

4.  Position Available:   Rector   Date of vacancy Oct 15, 2017

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5. St. Peter’s Parish Demographics

Adult membership: 41

Average Sunday worship attendance:

2017 YTD: 28(Highest: Easter, 53)2016: 28(Highest: Easter, 61)

Average attendance at adult Sunday School (2017):

14

Average attendance at monthly men’s group (2017):

9

Average attendance at women’s Bible study (2017):

7

Baptisms: 2017 YTD: 32016: 5

Funerals: 2017 YTD: 02016: 1

Age: 0-1112-1718-2930-59

60+

5101625

11%2%0%

34%53%

Gender: MaleFemale

1922

46%54%

Married: 76%Denominational backgrounds:Episcopal, Baptist, Nazarene, Lutheran, Pentecostal, Methodist, Evangelical Free Church, Catholic, unchurched.

6. Worship: 

a.   Worship Times 10:00 a.m. Sunday and special services during Advent, Christmas, Lent and the Easter Season

 b.   Frequency of communion celebration: Weekly plus special seasonal services.

c. Parishioners are actively involved in planning and participating in the liturgy/worship.   Examples include lay readers for lessons and leading prayers of the people.  Younger members and those with special needs are encouraged to participate in worship tasks (Lay Reader, Crucifer, Acolyte, Torch Bearer, etc.) as they are able.   

 

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d. Style of liturgy used in your worship (e.g. traditional, contemporary, variety):  The traditional Rite II liturgy from the 1979 Episcopal Prayer Book is our primary liturgy.  Other liturgies (Kenyan, ACNA, and the 1979 Rite I) are used from time to time.  Members of the congregation actively share personal prayer requests during prayers of the people.  The full service is offered on a projection screen and page number references are listed in the service leaflet for those who prefer to use the Book of Common Prayer, copies of which are available in all the pews.

e. A variety of music styles are used in our worship services including traditional, gospel and praise music.  We have a small choir that participates on special occasions. Instrumental support is provided by pre-recorded accompaniment on an electronic keyboard. There is also an electronic organ at the back of the nave that can be used when an organist is available.

7.  Church/Sunday School: Christian education is a cornerstone of the church and is well attended in the hour before church.  Average attendance in our current adult education program is 14. A youth curriculum is available for families with young members. 

8. Community Setting: Cheyenne is Wyoming’s largest city and the state capitol. Located 100 miles north of Denver (and Denver International Airport), Cheyenne (and Laramie County) is a thriving western community of approximately 98,000 people. With the benefit of proximity to both large city amenities and outdoor activities such as camping, boating, hunting, fishing, hiking, cycling, rock climbing, skiing, snow shoeing and more. Cheyenne offers a broad spectrum of activities for those who choose to live in our great community. Perhaps most noteworthy is Cheyenne Frontier Days, the biggest and best outdoor rodeo in the U.S. It is often referred to as the “Daddy of ‘em all.”

Cheyenne has a rich history in the railroad industry (on the original transcontinental railroad route) and ranching (developed in the mid 19th century, primarily from British second sons – those who couldn’t inherit the estates back home) and has since developed a diverse economic business base with high tech computer systems (National Center for Atmospheric Research [NCAR] and Microsoft), energy development (wind and carbon based fuels), other natural resources , several national corporate distribution centers (Lowes and Walmart) and numerous small businesses.

Cheyenne is also home to the Wyoming National Guard and F.E. Warren AFB, the longest continuously operating military base in the U.S. The VA Medical Center in Cheyenne is considered by most who know it to be the premier VA facility in the Rocky Mountain Region.

Education is important to our residents, and Cheyenne is home to a number of successful schools including the Poder Academy, a standout charter school and Laramie County Community College. The University of Wyoming is located 50 miles away in Laramie.

Cheyenne also benefits from a broad spectrum of cultural opportunities including a city symphony, a community band and several museums including the nationally renowned Old West Museum, a vibrant community theatre and frequent civic center events.

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Of note, Wyoming has low property taxes and no state income tax. The sales tax in Cheyenne is 6%.

Perhaps of more import or impact on daily living is our weather. Spring time here on the high plains frequently starts with wet snow storms (It is not uncommon for us to do our Palm Sunday processional inside because of inclement weather). And while summer days are often pleasant, we do experience significant thunderstorms in the afternoons, sometimes with accompanying hail, local area flooding and occasional tornados. Our fall seasons are customarily pleasant with occasional snow falls beginning as early as mid-September, but then Indian summer days often bless us through much of October. The winters are a combination of crisp sunny days and occasional brutal blizzards. There are some here who claim that they can play golf at least once a month year round but what most of us experience are cyclic temperate days intermixed with extreme cold, persistent high winds and blowing snow. This is not a place for those who are faint of heart. The good news is that we really appreciate the days that are pleasant – and they can come at any time as a welcome respite, a refreshing reminder of God’s grace to us.

 9. Ministries and activities. 

Activity Purpose # Participants Frequency *LeadershipComea Shelter FeedingServing Dinner to the

Homeless>4 each time;Total of 10-12

Monthly 3

Coalition for the Homeless

Collect snack food for transient population

Entire Parish Weekly 3

Prayer Shawl Knit prayer shawls for anyone with illness or special needs

4 – 6 Ongoing 3

Prayer Team Offer focused prayer support upon request

3 Daily 2

Anglican Church Women’s Group

Spiritual growth and fellowship

8 -10 Seasonally 3

Women’s Retreat Spiritual formation and prayerful reflection

8 - 10 Annually 3

Women’s Bible Study Learning, fellowship and mutual support

8 - 10 Seasonally 2

Home Study Group Build foundation for church plant in Laramie

4 - 6 Weekly 2

Mission Work Africa trauma care training and Wycliffe ministry

Parish supports 3 members

Year Round 2

Fund Raising Events Sponsor/Host Craft Shows and Garage Sales

Entire Parish Annually 3

Dinner Groups Fellowship Entire Parish As Available 3Men’s Group Promote outreach projects

and support members as needed

6 – 8 Weekly gatherings

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Support of CANA Be part of the wider 2 - 4 Annually 2

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functions Anglican CommunionSocial Functions Holidays,Veteran’s appreciation, etc.

Fellowship and Outreach Entire Parish Seasonal 2

*Indicates leadership role identified by following number: 1. Clergy takes primary role.  2. Clergy and laity share responsibility.  3. Laity takes primary role. 

Part II: Building/Financial Information  

1.  Property owned by church:  St Peter’s was blessed by our acquisition of an established church building in 2012 which is in a prime location on a highly visible thoroughfare in our city. It includes a worship space with pew seating for 96 congregants, a comparably sized undercroft with a full kitchen and 4 classrooms, additional storage space, a gathering room for weddings/funerals and an additional set of rest rooms. The facility complex also includes a rectory with a main floor housing complex including two bedrooms, two baths, a fully equipped kitchen, a great room for dining and group gatherings, another room which can be used as an additional bedroom or an office and a laundry/pantry/storage room. The lower level of the rectory which connects to the church has four additional rooms which can be used as bedrooms, office space, individual/couples counselling or storage.

2. Recent/Current Financials: Our 2016 balance sheet and current year-to-date profit and loss statements are in the attached appendix.  It should be noted that part of our income derives from rental of our facility to another church (The Rhema Church, which interestingly has a significant population of Nigerians – we share some common roots) which meets when we are not using the building space. We consider ourselves to be partners with this group in sharing the gospel with those in our community.   

3. Compensation: The compensation package for this position will vary depending on the capabilities and needs of the selected rector.  The initial compensation package is estimated to be in the range of $35,000 to $40,000 including free use of the church rectory.  Salary increases are certain to follow as our church grows under the leadership of our new rector.  

Part III: Church Characteristics 

1. Our Church in the Community:St. Peter’s considers our church to be part of the community, committed to making a difference in meaningful and practical ways. We have a longstanding relationship with the COMEA House shelter which provides temporary housing for those in need: Our members regularly help serve meals there. We also make weekly donations of individually-packaged snack items and shelter supplies to the Coalition for the Homeless.

St Peter’s has always been a welcoming parish with a passion for including everyone in our activities, especially those with special needs. We have offered bible study sessions for those with special needs and recently, the men’s group hosted a fish fry for residents at a local adult day-care center for the special needs clients there, including two of our parishioners.

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The men’s group has also supported recent Special Olympics activities with roles as starters, timers, organizers and cheer leaders for participants, some of which were St Peter’s Parishioners.

We envision continued outreach to the special needs community in Cheyenne and consider them to be part of our family and in the category of the “least, the last and the lost” that we are called to serve.

2. Christian EducationOur usual practice is to explore the depths of scripture by reading and discussing it, often with some background to help us better understand and gain inspiration, instruction and encouragement.

Adult Christian Education meets every Sunday at 9:00 am in the parish undercroft. All are welcome from age 13 and up. Each week is generally a “stand alone” lesson where attendance the prior week is not necessary to be up to date. Lesson guide materials and Bibles are provided.

3 . S mal l G rou ps & B ib le S tu d yWe also offer special classes and small group studies at other times. We periodically hold small groups, bible studies or book clubs when we meet together in homes around Cheyenne. There is also a group meeting in Laramie which has the goal of planting a church there as their numbers increase. The Women’s group has recently completed a series of 6 programs by Beth Moore. Together, we have also offered the Marriage Alpha program for parishioners and others from our community. The Men’s group is currently using the Authentic Manhood 33 Series for their Saturday morning sessions and also meet regularly for coffee and chat on Monday mornings.

4 . Ch i ld renThe Children’s Ministry at St. Peter’s supports parents to help their children know & love Jesus.We provide children’s Sunday School, using training materials that are linked to the lectionary readings used in our worship service and child care for children 5 and under during the 10am church service.

5. Support of Local Law Enforcement AgenciesDeacon Dan currently serves not just at St Peter’s, but also as chaplain to four local law enforcement agencies, the Cheyenne Police Department, the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office, the Wyoming Highway Patrol and the Wyoming Office of the FBI. He leads the chaplain program for these agencies, recruits and trains new chaplains, mentors new chaplains, provides administrative support for the law enforcement agencies and provides forward looking visioning for additional chaplain support – next on the agenda is to support additional first responders in the Cheyenne area including fire fighters and emergency medical technicians (EMTs).

Deacon Dan also serves as the Training Officer for the Wyoming Law Enforcement Chaplains Association which conducts training for law enforcement chaplains on an annual basis using the facilities at the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy in Douglas, WY.

The parish supports all these activities with prayer as needs and thanksgivings are made known.

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Part IV:  Congregational priorities:  See the attached survey. 

Part V:  Church History  

See attached history.  What have been the most important events in the history of your church?  

Formation of our church.  Affiliation with CANA  Ordination of our deacons  Purchase of church building Departure of our founding priest for medical reasons  Unexpected departure of our current priest for personal reasons 

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Rector ProfileSt. Peter’s is seeking a full time priest to care for the spiritual wellbeing of our members, to stimulate the numerical growth of our congregation and to continue a vibrant Anglican witness in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

The roles we envision for our new Rector include:

Through preaching, teaching and mentoring, help parishioners learn to live a life in Christ

Demonstrate through his physical presence the love of Christ to those in need, especially those who suffer from illness of body, mind or spirit

Work with vestry, commission heads and lay leaders to develop rich worship and Christian education programs – lead, participate and train others to share in ministry.

Use all elements of the 3 Streams, 1 River concept in sermons and teachings (The Word of God, Sacramental Liturgy and the promptings of the Holy Spirit)

Encourage parishioners to take the Gospel out into the local community to lead others the Christ – consider this to be a key element for congregational growth

Exercise administrative leadership in a climate of teamwork, mutual support and accountability. Ensure open communications are established and maintained to coordinate programs and make most effective use of team members

Encourage and affirm ministry of the laity – help parishioners develop/recognize their gifts and use them to help build God’s Kingdom here on earth

Make fellowship a priority in our parish life by participating in group activities and encouraging parishioners to interact in a positive way with those outside our walls – consider this to be another key element for congregational growth

With the vestry, develop a planned stewardship program to communicate the financial needs of the local church and mission activities in global perspective

Participate in and support CANA functions throughout the year

Continue support of mission work being accomplished by members of our parish and other mission work that we may be led to support

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With the vestry, develop and carry out a systematic plan for visitation of the entire congregation with special attention to those with special needs – consider this to be another element of congregational growth by retaining and supporting existing and new members

Application QuestionsPlease answer the following questions with reasonably concise answers to help us get to know you better.

1. Briefly describe your spiritual journey.

2. What elements of being a priest do you think you are especially gifted for and why?

3. What areas of ministry do you struggle with the most? How would you want others to assist you in these areas?

4. Describe an event or program you conceived and carried out that nurtured spiritual growth in your congregation.

5. Describe what programs you have instituted which resulted in numerical growth of your congregation.

6. Tell us how you delegate program responsibilities and evaluate results.

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7. Describe your techniques for maintaining and developing stewardship in your congregation.

8. How do you balance time spent with your family and your parish?

Application ChecklistSend to dclark485@gmail.com

We will send you acknowledgement of receipt

o Short cover letter introducing yourself

o Personal Resume / CV

o Picture of you (and family if applicable)

o Responses to application questions from St. Peters

o Audio files or web links to one or two of your recorded sermons

o List of five references (names, relationship, and contact information – both phone and email requested)

o Professional reference from current Bishop or Dean

o Professional reference from other clergy member

o Personal reference

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o Personal reference

o Personal reference

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Congregational PrioritiesAs part of this search process, a parish survey was conducted which revealed the following priorities in rank order:

1. Discipleship training and spiritual development2. Hospital visitation when needed, followed closely by home visitation, especially for new

visitors3. Worship and Christian education leadership and participation4. Proclamation of the Word – scripturally based preaching5. Evangelism training and mentoring6. Administrative leadership7. Encouraging and mentoring the ministry of the laity8. Facilitating and participating in congregational fellowship9. Guiding stewardship and commitment programs10. Supporting missions beyond the local community

Our survey tool did not have a category for numerical growth so that criterion is not included on this list, but it is a high priority for our parish. Ideally, it would be a normal outcome from meeting these priorities in aggregate.

There is also a strong feeling among our leadership group that adhering to the three streams, one river philosophy of Anglicanism is important for our parish. See the appendix item on this for additional information.

Our Distinctives:

St. Peters was formed out of a reverent commitment to the authority of Christ as expressed in scripture, cherishing faith in the core teachings of Christianity with a tolerance for the mystery and diversity of the non-essentials. Liturgy is seen as a way to bring us into God’s presence and while we respect its traditional forms we want its language to readily communicate.

Our bishops and visitors have commented on the kindness and warmth of our congregation since its beginning, with a heart for the differently-abled. We believe that prayer makes a difference, both in the one praying and in the circumstances for which we intercede. Many of us enjoy opportunities to reflect and discuss a depth of scriptural and theological understanding, yet we know that it is in the way our lives are lived out in Christ that truly matters.

We have struggled with congregational growth. Through the years many people have joined with us but many have also moved away for employment or retirement. Others have passed away.

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A Brief History of St Peter’sIn 2003 Fr Skip Reeves retired from St Mark’s Episcopal Church in Cheyenne and at the urging of numerous parishioners took action to establish a new Anglican Church in our community.  On Jan 18, 2004, St Peter’s opened its doors, holding its first service at Laramie County Community College.  This happened to be the feast day of the Confession St Peter the Apostle and that became the name of our church, The Church of St Peter, Apostle and Confessor.

 We were founded on the conviction that the Church must confess the authority of Scripture and hold to the historic teachings and traditions of the Church.  We wanted to be as bold as St Peter in upholding the Christian faith that we had received from the prophets, apostles and martyrs. 

We also wanted to remain in the Anglican Communion.  Bishop Bill Anderson of the Anglican Church of Canada offered us his supervision and authority for our first years, but found that he was inhibited from truly functioning as our bishop because the Anglican church of Canada was restricting his oversight of our parish.  So in October of 2006, we were accepted as a congregation in the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) under the leadership of Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria who has since been succeeded by Archbishop Nicholas Okoh.  This has allowed us to function fully and freely under the spiritual direction of an orthodox and Godly Bishop.  We have also been actively supported by Bishops Minns and Anderson of CANA and Bishop Jones, the ACNA (CANA) Bishop of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy. 

Our founding priest, Fr Skip was stricken with cancer and was compelled to retire in the summer of 2010. Following a diligent and prayerful clergy search, St Peter’s called the Rev Michael Glor to serve at St Peter’s beginning in Jan 2011.  Under Fr Mike’s leadership, St Peter’s made many strides ahead including: growing our children’s ministry, supporting numerous outreach activities including the Convoy of Hope, God’s Mighty Men, Day of Giving and local community activities such as the clean-up of a local park, hosting visitors for the nearby 4th of July fireworks display and sponsoring a float in the local Christmas parade. 

Through the initiative and selfless generosity of one of our parishioners, we were also blessed to be able to acquire an existing church building in 2012 which is located on a major thoroughfare in Cheyenne – highly visible on the most highly traveled road in the state. Our innovative church sign postings have become a high point for citizens passing by and draw frequent positive comments. Additional information on this property are included in the Building and Financial Information section of the Parish Profile.

Through all of this, Fr Mike and his wife Stevie endeavored to grow our parish in both spiritual and numerical aspects.  As part of this effort, Fr Mike engaged the services of Canon Steven Saul to help us focus on a visioning and revitalization program for the parish. With Canon Saul’s help, we came up with a set of goals and a timeline for moving ahead and made significant progress.

Fr Mike’s last Sunday with us will be Oct 15, 2017.  He is leaving in good standing with the parish and our bishop.

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Three Streams, One River

A Statement of Identity, a Model for Our Lifeby David Harper

May 2003

A number of years ago my predecessor, Renny Scott, articulated a powerful vision that has played a pivotal role in defining the essential character of Church of the Apostles. He called his vision “Three Streams, One River.” It remains a defining statement about who we are, and who God has called us to be.

Three Streams is derived from Psalm 46:4: “There is a river whose streams make glad the city (people) of God.” That water brings God's people into wholeness, a reality that Ezekiel saw in his vision (Ezekiel 47) when he noticed that, growing beside the river of the water of life, were trees whose leaves were for the healing of the nations.

Three great streams have flowed throughout Biblical history, as well as through the Christian Church. The apostle John identifies these in his first letter: “There are three witnesses; the Spirit, the water, and the blood and these three agree.” (1 John 5:8)

Some of us come from the Spirit, or Pentecostal, stream. Others identify more with the water, with its emphasis on the washing of the Word (John 15:3) and the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This is the Protestant, the biblical and evangelical stream. Still others come from the blood, or Catholic stream with its emphasis on liturgy and sacrament. The differences and even struggles which can arise between us often reflect our inability to understand one or other of the streams, where we feel less at home.

John is clear that these three witnesses are distinct, yet are in complete agreement. What do they agree about? They are unanimous about the person of Jesus Christ: who he is, why he came, and what he has done for us. Those witnesses agree because, together, they create a brilliant composite picture of Christ. None of them can manage that completely on their own. Yet though their witness is in perfect agreement, there is also a dynamic tension between them. The three streams agree on the substance of our faith: the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. Yet though their witness is in perfect agreement, there is a dynamic tension between them.

Let's take a look at how each typically approaches six key areas of Christian life.

Standards of Orthodoxy (What it means to be a Christian) Catholic: “By their fruit you shall know them” (Matthew 7:1). Orthodoxy is measured by commitment to living out the Faith by sacrificial service, particularly to the poor. Evangelical: “If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord', and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Orthodoxy is measured by profession of personal faith in Jesus Christ.

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Pentecostal: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are of God” (1 John 4:1). The Pentecostal standard of orthodoxy is measured by the exercise of discernment rather than by objective criteria.

Music and Worship Catholic: Psalms and other liturgical music, which help emphasize and illustrate the liturgy. Evangelical: Hymns, such as the great hymns of the Reformation, which are rich in doctrine. Pentecostal: Spiritual songs that arise out of and reflect what God is doing and saying now.

Authority Catholic: The Catholic model is hierarchical. It values and respects the office of leader, despite any shortcomings in the incumbent. Evangelical: The Evangelical model is congregational. It values individual autonomy and independence. Pentecostal: The Pentecostal model is spontaneous. Follow the leader who has the anointing.

Structure Catholic: Places value on centrally organized and led structures. Evangelical: Wary of central organization; Prefers bottom-up, lay-led structures. Pentecostal: To the Pentecostal, structure equals stricture. Preference is given to unstructured spontaneity.

Theological emphasis Catholic: God the Father Evangelical: God the Son Pentecostal: God the Holy Spirit

Key aspect of Christ’s life and ministry

Catholic: The Incarnation. Strength: emphasizes Christ’s love for and involvement in the world. It takes this world seriously. Weakness: too worldly; can become devoid of transforming power.

Evangelical: The Cross. Strength: emphasizes Christ's atoning death and the need for personal conversion. Weakness: tends to engage only those parts of the world which are considered already redeemed.

Pentecostal: Pentecost and Second Coming. Strength: emphasizes personal renewal and transformation. Weakness: has difficulty relating to and transforming the world.

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Here is a brief summary of the distinct approaches adopted by each stream:

Catholic Evangelical Pentecostal

Standards of Orthodoxy “By their fruit...” “If you confess . . .” “Test the spirits...”

Music and Worship Psalms Hymns Spiritual Songs

Authority Hierarchical Congregational Anointing

Structure Top-down, Centralized Bottom-up, Diversified, Spontaneous, Loose

Theological Emphasis Father Son Holy Spirit

Salvation Preference Incarnation/Cross Cross/Resurrection Pentecost

What will a three streams, one river church look like in practice?

Standards of OrthodoxyA three-streams church won't separate faith from works. It will be passionate about calling people to a vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ through repentance and faith but it will not be tempted to see that as an end. The goal is also to call people into a life of obedience to Jesus by sacrificial service to the least of these my brothers. One of our mission statements - Servant Ministry captures that truth.

Music and WorshipAll the great kinds of music that Paul mentions in Ephesians 5:19 psalms,hymns, and spiritual songs are welcomed and balanced in a three streamschurch. Each has its own unique place: psalms, liturgical music to enhancethe liturgy; hymns, which express the grandeur and majesty of God and whichare rich in doctrine and biblical imagery; and spiritual songs, music which givescontemporary expression to what God is saying and doing to his Church now.Spiritual songs usually have a relatively brief shelf-life. They feel dated after afew years.

At our Sunday three streams celebration we employ all three genres. At TheFather's Blessing, which exemplifies the Pentecostal stream, greater emphasis isplaced on spiritual songs.

AuthorityOur Episcopal model of authority is hierarchical. Clergy have spiritual authority over their congregations. Bishops have spiritual authority over clergy. A three-streams church receives and respects that authority. But it will expect those in authority to recognize the spiritual giftedness of the congregation, and to call all its members to the work of ministry.

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A three-streams congregation also understands the futility of engaging in ministry without the empowering of the Holy Spirit. It will pray for its ordained and lay ministers to be freshly andpowerfully anointed, so that their leadership and ministry will manifest the presence and power of Christ.

StructureThe Catholic preference for top-down, centralized structures speaks of the need for spiritual oversight, and submission to the authority God has placed over the church. The Protestant preference for bottom-up (lay-initiated and -led) and diversified (shared power) structures insists that the congregation be trusted with real responsibility, and be given a sense of ownership for the life and mission of the church. The Pentecostal preference for spontaneity speaks of a burning desire for life and a recognition that structures in themselves cannot bear fruit.

These three, apparently incompatible, approaches are mutually consistent. Each needs the others. The first, by itself, leads to authoritarianism; the second to anarchy; and the third to chaos. Holding them in dynamic balance is difficult and demanding but results in life and blessing if done successfully.

Theological EmphasisThe Charismatic Renewal succeeded in bringing back the forgotten Holy Spirit into the Church. Three-streams churches will make generous room for the Holy Spirit. They will welcome the manifestation of all the spiritual gifts. They will emphasize intuitive ways of knowing Truth, not restricting these to the rational and cognitive. But they will never divorce the Spirit from the Word, preferring manifestations of the Spirit to disciplined Bible study, biblical preaching, and rationality. The Word must in fact judge manifestations of the Spirit. Neither will a three-streamschurch create false dichotomies between spontaneity and freedom on the one hand, and planning, program and structure on the other. Finally, they will not divorce the Spirit and the Word from the Father, who creates order by keeping Word and Spirit in dynamic tension.

Key Aspect of Christ’s SalvationA three-streams church will receive and love Jesus Christ as the scriptures reveal him to us through his incarnation, sacrificial death, triumphant resurrection, and glorious ascension; through the gift of the Spirit at Pentecost; and through his promised return. It will never prefer His divinity over His humanity, or His miracles to His command to love and serve others.

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