Withrow Gospel Mission: Our Faith and Community

Westgrove Gospel Chapel is an autonomous Christian congregation that gathers together, rooted in New Testament principles and reflective of the values of the Open Brethren. We believe in the authority of the Scriptures, local outreach ministry, and international missionary work. Our services include singing, teaching from the Scriptures, prayer, and The Lord’s Table every Sunday. We joyfully sing contemporary worship songs alongside traditional hymns. Our goal is to worship God, grow in His grace, and encourage, edify, and comfort one another. It is our mission to share the good news of salvation and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit with people in our neighborhoods, across our country, and around the world. We welcome believers who are born again and baptized to participate in the Lord’s Table, while others are invited to attend as observers. Our roots are part of the Open Brethren Assemblies, tracing back to the Plymouth Brethren.

Following is a brief summary of the distinguishing characteristics of our gathering.

The sacred Scriptures (Bible) are foundational to our faith and practice (2 Tim. 3:16). We are a non-denominational, non-sectarian, and independent gathering (1 Cor. 1:2) that aligns with the principles of the Open Brethren. Ours is a Christ-centered assembly, united under Christ as the central figure of His people (Matt. 18:20; 1 Cor. 1:2). We value the blessing of gathering together around the Lord’s Table each Sunday for worship and fellowship (Acts 2:42; 20:7; 1 Cor. 11:26). At the Lord’s Table, we encourage spontaneous worship and allow freedom for all believers to exercise their Spirit-led participation (1 Cor. 14:26-27). Men lead in worship through prayer, praise, thanksgiving, hymn singing, reading of Scripture, or sharing from the Word, as led by the Holy Spirit, while women worship silently (1 Cor. 14:34; 1 Tim. 2:11-12).

We believe in the Priesthood of all believers, emphasizing that there is no clergy-laity distinction (1 Pet. 2:5,9; Rev. 1:6). All believers have the privilege and opportunity to draw near to God without the need for a human mediator. Although we are an independent local congregation, as modeled in the New Testament, we encourage fellowship, partnership, and cooperation with other like-minded Open Brethren gatherings toward a common goal, particularly in evangelism and missions.

We advocate for responsible fellowship rather than strict membership within the congregation. We do not impose rules that govern Christian giving, as we view giving as an act of worship, and believers give as unto the Lord (2 Cor. 8:1-6; 9:6-11; 1 Cor. 16:1-2). There is no salaried ministry or solicitation of funds; servants of Christ look to the Lord alone for their support.

We are dedicated to Christian missions and adhere to the New Testament model of missions (Acts 13:1-3; 14:26-27). We associate with missionary service organizations that channel funds and provide updates from mission fields. Those whom the Lord calls are recognized and commended to the grace of God by the congregation.

The leadership of the congregation is composed of multiple elders whom God raises up within the gathering. It is the Holy Spirit who appoints elders, and they are recognized by the oversight of the congregation. There is no human or ecclesiastical ordination to ministry (Acts 20:17, 28; 1 Peter 5:1-4).