The Vision of an Antioch Church

This booklet arises out of both a testimony of a local Church (the writer's 'Home Church' -- Waverley Christian Fellowship), as well as some Scriptural principles concerning a New Testament local Church (the Church of Antioch). The Book of Acts shows the Lord building His Church as He promised He would. In Acts, as the Church grew, four major geographical locations of Church expansion are seen. These geographical locations were Jerusalem, then Antioch, and then Ephesus and Thessalonica. The Lord used Jerusalem as the original Church to spread the Gospel through Jerusalem, then Judea and Samaria and then to Antioch. The Lord used Antioch to spread the Gospel among many Gentile cities, especially seen in Paul's great missionary journeys out from Antioch. Ephesus became a great centre for the spread of the Word throughout all Asia and its regions. Then Thessalonica became a great Church spreading the Gospel word to all Macedonia and Achaia and regions around. Two Churches, however, are seen to be "key" Churches - Jerusalem and Antioch, the Churches with special emphasis for Jews and Gentiles. In 1989, the word of the lord came to the writer as the then Senior Minister of Waverley Christian Fellowship saying:"Waverley Christian Fellowship is to maintain the foundational principles laid down in the church at Jerusalem, but not to allow the spirit and attitude that crept into the church at Jerusalem to get into Waverley Christian Fellowship. Waverley as a Christian Fellowship, is to be like the Church at Antioch". This word caused the writer to seek the Lord and search the Scriptures as to what the Lord meant by it. This booklet is the result of that searching of the word. In 1994, the role of senior minister of W.C.F. was given to my son, Mark Conner, along with his wife, Nicole. It is worthy of comment, that, although the leadership has changed, and the style of leadership varies, the vision remains the same, but continues to enlarge and expand itself into greater fulfilment as the lord continues to direct.Because truth is applicable to each generation, the writer believes that the principles set out here can be of help to any minister and local church, especially to those called to be "an Antioch church". It is sent forth with prayer and a sense of destiny as well as being a testimony founded on scriptural principles of a church that desires to be "like the Church at Antioch".