1) Who leads this church?
CHC is a team effort and doesn’t elevate any one personality. At CHC, a team of pastors who have individual gifts of leadership, teaching and pastoral care combine their efforts to “prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” (Ephesians 4:12). Christian Heritage follows the Biblical model for church leadership set out in Ephesians 4 and 1 Corinthians 12, which establishes apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to ultimately lead the church. Bradley Cox and Seth Cain, along with Ernest Barr, our Pastor Emeritus, serve as team pastors. They are the “missionaries” to this region through this church (“missionary” or "sent one" is the simple meaning of the word “apostle” in the New Testament). Leadership and ministry decisions are made in partnership and with the input of ministry leaders throughout the church. With a relentless desire for unity, we all teach, lead and pastor. Bradley Cox has the prayerful responsibility of final authority on all decisions.
2) Are the leaders accountable to anyone?
Christian Heritage has a board of elders or trustees, individually appointed by the pastoral team in consensus with existing board members. They are specifically entrusted to guide the pastoral team’s stewardship of the church’s facilities and finances, the specific records of which are always available to the public. Their decision-making and guidance is done by consensus, not by vote. The pastoral team also consults with the trustees on various other issues or decisions relating to the church community.
3) Do members of the church vote?
No, although input from members is always sought after and encouraged. Voting is divisive and has no Biblical precedent whatsoever. The Bible encourages the Ephesians 4 leadership mentioned above to humbly make decisions that will best build the community and fulfill Jesus’ commission to lead people into an ever-growing relationship with Him (Matthew 28:19-20), not to serve the interests of themselves or any one particular group.
4) Is Christian Heritage a part of a denomination?
For purposes of ordination, Christian Heritage Church is connected to the Upper South Carolina Conference of The International Pentecostal Holiness Church. For more information on our Pentecostal faith tradition, check out “What Does It Mean…. That We Are Pentecostal?”.