Dear GCI Family and Friends,
In March, the six GCI Superintendents gathered in Charlotte for our bi-annual retreat planning meeting. (Sadly, Daphne Sidney from the Australasia region was unbale to attend in person due to a cyclone in Queensland.) I asked Dan Zachariah to write this letter to highlight the special gifting GCI has as a global body of believers. The gathering of the superintendents is a microcosm of our global family, and it greatly encouraged me to meet with these fine men and women to discuss and pray about the direction of our church around the world.
We understand a denomination to be a group of congregations spread over a wide geographical area. It customarily holds to a specific theological focus and subscribes to a common governance structure. It tends to remain united through a common set of beliefs and practices. By this definition, GCI is a denomination — a global denomination with 550 congregations serving 30,000 members in about 68 countries spread across six regions of the world. As a denomination we subscribe to core Christian orthodoxy. Our focus is Incarnational and Trinitarian theology as revealed in the Bible, which we hold to be inspired and infallible in all matters of faith and salvation.
Denominationalism might sometimes give a negative picture of Christianity, but there are strengths in being an international, global denomination. An important one is that it helps disciples of Christ recognize the wide diversity that exists in God’s creation and his purpose for humanity. It fosters an acceptance of diversity of humans and encourages participation to bring unity in that diversity. This is also how the Bible would describe the dynamic of the kingdom of God.
From that momentous calling of Abraham, God continues to reveal that “all families of the earth will be blessed” through him. By choosing to work with one nation (ancient Israel), God clearly intended to bless peoples beyond them, never allowing inclusion into his grand purpose for humanity to be limited — not by nationality, ethnicity, social status, or gender (Galatians 3:28). This biblical reality helps us to understand that distinctions were meant to be recognized, preserved, celebrated, and to provide a platform for communal wholeness and belonging. This synergetic reality of our Lord’s kingdom reveals the important fact that we can thrive in our distinctives and are only complete together.
Read More The revelation to John shows the inclusive nature of the kingdom that God has ultimately ordained for humankind.
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” Revelation 7:9-10
This is the Kingdom Culture that GCI, as a denomination, celebrates as one of its core strengths. GCI has a footprint in six regions globally. Every one of them is diverse in its ethnicity, language, culture, and challenges. Our denomination actively and intentionally engages in dialogue amongst its regions to reflect and promote kingdom-centered lifestyles. We value the rich lessons that every region brings to our denomination, be it the African value in the interconnectedness of individuals (‘Ubuntu’), the Asian value of compromise in resolving conflicts, or the European value of solidarity necessary to prevail.
These, and many more, are lessons learned together and strengthened as the leadership and members come together on occasions of celebrations and official meetings. In every one of these meetings, we see the need to respect the other, no matter which part of the globe they may be from. We intentionally respect community without compromising on individuality. The goal is always Christlikeness so that we may mirror and reflect the character of God ultimately.
The mission of GCI is to be the healthiest expression of the Church of Jesus Christ that we can be in beliefs, words, and deeds. Being a global denomination provides greater clarity to God’s grand design for humankind and helps us on this journey to become a healthy church.
It is a privilege for us to be a global denomination. This affords us the blessing of knowing God’s precious people from differing cultures and backgrounds. We reflect our triune God — diversity in unity. It makes every effort meaningful and worthwhile to follow what the apostle encouraged us to do: “accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God” (Romans 15:7). And, indeed, the praise is to our loving, inclusive God! We welcome people to join with us in living and sharing the gospel as a denomination.
Grateful for God’s grand design,
Danny Zachariah, Superintendent of Asia
Hyderabad, India
Dear GCI Family and Friends,