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HE name of our Church is The Independent Mission. There are two considerable words in our name— (1) Independent. We are independent internally in that, as far as our Church Government goes, we are entirely self-governing. We are independent externally (that is to say, we are independent from all Protestant religious denominations) because of the widespread sin and Apostasy that is reigning within most of them at the present time. We believe in Ecclesiastical Separation. We adhere to those Words of the Apostle Paul where he said: “Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.” II Corinthians 6.17.
We also are Independent traditionally. It was JESUS CHRIST, in Matthew 18.15-20, Who was THE GREAT FOUNDER of the Independent Church. The Book of Acts and the Epistles of the Apostle Paul also clearly show that the First Christian Churches were all Independent Churches. There was no Hierarchy above the Local Congregation. In Protestant History, after the Papal oppression was abated, Independency revived in the mid to late 1500s through the instrumentality of Reverends Robert Browne, Henry Barrowe, John Greenwood, and John Penry. Reverends Barrowe, Greenwood, and Penry were put to death for their Faith. The word Independent chiefly describes the Independent Form of Church Government that exists among Independent Churches. The historic Standard of the Independent Church is the Scripture. The historic Theological position of the Independent Church is Reformed. Our Public Confession Of Faith is the celebrated Savoy Declaration of 1658.
(2) Mission. The word Mission etymologically means “a sending forth.” Historically, this is what Missions used to be. They were Religious Organizations that reached out to people presenting the Truth of the Scriptures. Ever since this Work began, it has peculiarly and constantly been involved in this type of Ministry. With such a concentrated Outreach, the word Mission is the best accurate description as to what we truly are.
The motto of our Mission is: “The Light shineth in darkness.” These Words are taken from John 1.5. The seal of our Mission is an old-fashioned candle burning in the midst of an apparent darkness adorned with flowers. The candle is chosen because the size of our Work is small. We are but one little candle. The old-fashioned candle (that type having the circular handle) is chosen because we have been placed here by a SOVEREIGN GOD, and we look for Him one day to take us out of this world and receive us into Everlasting Life. Darkness appears in our seal because of the present spiritual condition that exists in our Country. Flowers also appear because, as we give out the Light of the Word to others, we ourselves solemnly desire to adorn the Holy Truths of Scripture and Historic Independency by a godly Christian Testimony. Click here to contact us.
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