About Northwest Gospel Hall
Assembly Picture 2014
Structure and Leadership
We are an independent local church. We believe that the Bible is the sole authority for the life and practice of the local church and the believer. We believe that God has revealed in the Bible everything He wants us to know so we need to study it and practice it. Our desire is to follow the New Testament pattern for the local church and that the Lord Jesus Christ would always be the center of our assembly of believers.
We have several elders who have been recognized from within the body of believers as those whom God has gifted, prepared, and used in the shepherding ministry. These men share the oversight, and primary teaching and shepherding responsibilities of the assembly as under-shepherds of the Lord Jesus. We believe in the priesthood of all believers, that is, that each believer has free access to God through the Lord Jesus Christ, and that God has given to each believer spiritual gifts for the good of the body. Rather than assigning the shepherding and ministry of the local church to just a few believers, our goal is to see each believer use his or her spiritual gifting for the glory of the Lord Jesus and the benefit of the saints.
While we do not not have a system of membership distinct from membership in the body of Christ, we do see a Biblical model of fellowship in a local assembly. By entering into the fellowship of an assembly, a believer willingly places themselves under the authority of the elders, assuming both the privileges and responsibilities of being a part of a local body of believers.
What to Expect?
You can find more information about our beliefs and practices on our FAQ page, but perhaps you’re wondering what to expect if you should visit! Our music is comprised largely of hymns and traditional Sunday School choruses chosen for their ability to communicate and express spiritual truths and emotions with music that is suited to the thought and suitable for congregational singing. The tone varies from somber worship and remembrance to exuberant praise, from earnest expression to eager anticipation! We have grown to love the freedom of expression provided by a cappela singing in the remembrance meeting, but use piano accompaniment in other meetings.
While the sisters participate actively in all corporate functions of the assembly, the men have the responsibility of leading these functions, so the women do not participate verbally in meetings. Should there be any misunderstanding, we stress that this is a distinction, not of rank, but of function! The women, also participate in the meetings with covered heads (a practice, that has only recently become uncommon in America) in obedience to what we see as the intentional teaching of the Word of God. Although we appreciate deference to this practice on the part of visitors, visiting women should not feel compelled to participate for conformity’s sake
In short, we are followers of the Lord Jesus Christ; we love Him because He first loved us, and we want to please Him!