Starting a Church
Opening an Advent Christian Church
Ready to start a church of your own? This all-in-one resource on opening an Advent Christian church features all the reliable, straightforward advice our readers expect.
To assist aspiring religious entrepreneurs, we offer some good advice on how to start an Advent Christian church.
Advent Christian Church Background
With roots that trace back to 1860, the Advent Christian Church is a Christian denomination with approximately 26,000 members and 300 congregations in the U.S. -- figures that have remained virtually unchanged since the early 20th century.
Advent Christian theology is deeply rooted in Scripture and emphasizes the need for personal salvation through repentance in preparation for the imminent return of Christ. In contrast to other Protestant Christian denominations, Advent Christians adhere to a belief in "soul sleep", an unconscious state in which the dead remain undisturbed and unaware until Christ's return.
Planting an Advent Christian Church
The Advent Christian Church places a high value on congregational governance, meaning that each local church is largely responsible for its oversight and decision making. This gives Advent Christian church planters a certain amount of freedom in shaping new churches and establishing a unique, congregational identity.
Although congregations are self-governing, Advent Christian congregations voluntarily band together to conduct many of their activities through representative assemblies in the form of regional associations and state/area conferences. These assemblies retain authority in the areas of ministerial ordination, evangelism and church planting.
Assemblies and conferences present opportunities for church planters to expand their contact list and knowledge base through networking. But to be effective, you'll need to be adept at making the most of each networking event you attend.
The first step in starting a new Advent Christian Church is to contact the Regional Superintendent in your area. The names and contact information of Advent Christian Regional Superintendents can be found on the Advent Christian General Conference website.
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