The Gathering of Believers Church   

 

A GLIMPSE OF THE GATHERING OF BELIEVERS CHURCH

 

 

The Gathering of Believers Church was birthed from an aggregation of people who sought to be connected to a Vision not a Denomination. This aggregation chose to walk away from the dead religious traditions of men and the confines of the way ministry was operating, so by faith we stepped out along with our Pastors and with NO place to worship and NO resources, we believed that this was the will of God and he would provide for us. During this abrupt transition, God began to send the necessary resources and people to assist in bringing this vision to pass and with NO financial resources, the Lord placed on the heart of Pastor Glake and Dr. Shonda Hill of Greater Mt. Bethel COCHUSA to be the first persons to sow a financial seed into this vision, followed by Brother Melvin Shelby of St. Thomas M.B. Church and their word of encouragement to our Bishop was “Go forth and do the work of the Lord, and we believe in you and this ministry”.

 

With these 2 financial seeds sown, we were still left with NO place to worship for New Year’s Eve or Sunday morning, our Bishop reached out to fellow Pastor and close friend Pastor Willie Tobias and shared with him what had taken place and what God was leading him to do, he asked for his help and he gladly extended his church facility to us (free of charge) and our Bishop accepted this act of love and connection. After speaking with Pastor Tobias, another door was made opened to our Bishop for us by Pastor Bobby Stapleton, Jr. (Little Brother to Bishop) and Rehoboth International Ministries to use their facilities as well on New Year’s Eve and on Sunday mornings after their service…..God was proving himself through these 2 churches and Pastors.

 

So with these blessings, on December 31st 2013 (New Year’s Eve) at 7:00 p.m., 37 people gathered for worship at the Progressive Morningstar Missionary Baptist Church. This night was not only momentous because of it being the last day of the year, but it was momentous because God had closed one chapter in our lives while opening another. During the service, we could sense that there was a awesome freedom and release in a way we that we hadn’t felt and experienced in quite some time. The Praise and Worship was intense and flowed with great intensity, our Bishop began to share the testimony of how God was setting everything in place and order for us and who God had begun to send our way to support. Then he preached from Jeremiah 29:11 and the sermon title was “I Love it when a plan comes together” with the Sub-topic being “It’s All in the Plan”.

 

Afterwards, he asked those of us in attendance if we were in covenant agreement to become a congregation and if so signify by raising our hands and saying “I Do”… We unanimously stood together as one and declare our connection to the birth and launching of this ministry now known as The Gathering of Believers Church. With Pastor Tobias present and 2 other Pastors who came to show their support (Pastor Bobby and Lady LaTanya Stapleton and Pastor J. Artie Stuckey and Lady Shae Stuckey) they served as witnesses and our Bishop asked each Pastor to pray the prayers of Strength, Faith, and Covenant Connection for and over us and we became “The Gathering”. Then God gave us favor to be able to have our Sunday services at the Cameron Park Apartment Clubhouse, We are standing with tip-toed anticipation as to where God is about to take us from here and the doors and opportunities he’s about favor us with.