Echad Temple Oneness Ministry is a Bible-based church that accepts the Bible as the only source of our beliefs and follows the teachings of Jesus Christ which was the pillar of the Apostles. Thus, we are Apostolic in doctrine as a New Testament Church; we follow the Apostle’s teachings; and thus, are driven to minister to people from all walks of life- every age, every culture, every background, and every level of society. The Church is the body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of her Great Commission. Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven (Ephesians 1:22,23; 2:22; Hebrews 12:23).

Our purpose concerning man is to seek and to save that which is lost, to be worshiped by man, and to build a body of believers in the image of His Son, the priority reason-for-being of the church of Jesus Christ: To be an agency of God for evangelizing the world (Acts 1:8; Matthew28:19,20; Mark 16:15,16). b. To be a corporate body in which man may worship God (1 Corinthians 12:13). c. To be a channel of God’s purpose to build a body of saints being perfected in the image of His Son (Ephesians 4:11-16; 1 Corinthians 12:28; 14:12).

We believe there is but one true and living God, who is everlasting, infinite in power, wisdom, and goodness; that He is the Creator of all things, visible and invisible, and Preserver of all things (Romans 1:20; Colossians 1:16). The Bible repeatedly asserts that God is one. Deuteronomy 6:4 Moses enunciated that “Echad” is one: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord and James 2:19 from the disciple standpoint he argues that “Thou believes that there is one God; thou does well: the devils also believe, and tremble!” Oneness Apostolic doctrine for us underpins Yeshua as one. Romans 6:5 speaks of the Gentiles who were grafted into the family vein of salvation. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. It is important to understand how God called Israel to be His people and how they failed to fulfill that calling. As the seed of Abraham, the children of Israel were chosen by God to be a separate people, holy to the Lord. God’s design was for them to be a light to the Gentiles so that they, too, might know God (Genesis 18:17–19; Isaiah 42, 49). Instead, the Israelites chased foreign gods and betrayed their calling (Ezekiel 23; Hosea 11). But God, who knew they would do this, had already promised to restore His kingdom to Israel after they rebelled and then eventually repented (Deuteronomy 30:1–10). So God sent His Son, preceded by a forerunner, to invite Israel to “repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2; 4:17).

We believe in Water Baptism​​

“Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by You, and You are coming to Me?’ But Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased’” (Matthew 3:13-17).

Baptism is a significant event in our spiritual lives. We desire to make clear what we believe about baptism and to invite you to consider baptism for yourself.

1. We believe in the “Believers’ Baptism.”
   We believe that a person who is going to be baptized must give a credible confession of faith in Jesus Christ. The biblical pattern for baptism is that people first believed in Jesus and then were baptized as an outward confession of that new faith (c.f., Acts 8:12).
2. We believe in baptism by immersion.
   The original Greek word baptizo literally means to immerse. Baptism by immersion was the way people were baptized in the Bible. Baptism by immersion best symbolizes our death, burial, and resurrection with Christ Jesus (c.f., Romans 6:1-10).
3. We believe that baptism is an act of obedience to Christ and submission to His authority.
   In Matthew 28:18-20, the Great Commission, Jesus Christ commanded us to make disciples, baptizing them as an act of identification with Christ Jesus, and teaching them to obey His commands.

The Baptism in the Holy Spirit

All believers are entitled to and should ardently expect and earnestly seek the promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire, according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the normal experience of all in the early Christian church. With it comes the enduement of power for life and service, the bestowment of the gifts and their uses in the work of the ministry (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4,8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31). This experience is distinct from and after the experience of the new birth (Acts 8:12-17; 10:44-46; 11:14-16; 15:7-9). With the baptism in the Holy Spirit come such experiences as an overflowing fullness of the Spirit (John 7:37-39; Acts 4:8), a deepened reverence for God (Acts 2:43; Hebrews 12:28), an intensified consecration to God and dedication to His work (Acts 2:42).

Joel 2:28-29King James Version (KJV)

²⁸ And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

²⁹ And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

Acts 2:1-4King James Version (KJV)

2 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

² And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

³ And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Sanctification

Sanctification is an act of separation from that which is evil, and of dedication unto God (Romans 12:1,2; 1Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 13:12). Scriptures teach a life of “holiness without which no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). By the power of the Holy Spirit we are able to obey the command: “Be ye holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:15,16). Sanctification is realized in the believer by recognizing his identification with Christ in His death and resurrection, and by faith reckoning daily upon the fact of that union, and by offering every faculty continually to the dominion of the Holy Spirit (Romans 6:1-11,13; 8:1,2,13; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 2:12,13; 1 Peter 1:5).

Membership

Members are expected to participate in communal worship, to share in the work and service of the Society, and to live in harmony with its basic beliefs and practices. Membership entails readiness to live as part of the monthly, quarterly, and yearly meeting. Specifically, this means participation in meeting for worship, meeting for business, committee work, and giving time, skills, and financial support to Meeting activities such as religious education, pastoral care, and witness to the broader community. Since Friends reject the distinction between clergy and laity, responsibility for the full range of Meeting activities rests with the membership. This ministry does not require a transfer letter from any other similar believing assemblies in order to become a member at Echad. Most importantly we accept people in good standing and one that is committed to God’s laws, and live according to God’s holy words.