Position Statements
Baptism of the Holy Spirit
We believe the need for the Holy Spirit’s power and presence in a believer’s life is as critical today as it was in the day of the Apostles. We do not teach a dispensational view of the Holy Spirit’s power and the expression of gifts. Rather we hold the position, supported by Scripture, that the Holy Spirit’s presence and power are for every believer until Jesus returns.
We recognize that the families and members of Cultivate Church come from varied and diverse backgrounds. As such, we extend the opportunity for people to grow in their understanding of the person and power of the Holy Spirit as well as their understanding of His work in their lives. Everyone at Cultivate is encouraged to seek the power, presence, and gifts of the Holy Spirit for themselves in a manner with which they are comfortable. No one will ever be forced to receive the Holy Spirit or any of His gifts, but all are taught the contemporary work of the Holy Spirit from Scripture and encouraged to grow in love and intimacy with God.
As we minister to individuals, we will use all the gifts available to us from God to see healing, deliverance and freedom developed in a person’s life. Public expressions of the gifts of the Spirit will be demonstrated in an orderly manner as directed by church leadership. Appropriate expression of a gift of the Holy Spirit in a corporate setting includes submission to pastoral authority and involves expression of the gifts with dignity and order so that it can be received by all.
Jesus promised His Church that they would receive a powerful encounter with the Holy Spirit after Jesus’ own death and resurrection. It is our view that God desires every Christian to experience this same encounter with the Holy Spirit’s power. In Luke 11:13, Jesus explains that it is our heavenly Father’s pleasure to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him. Just like salvation, the Holy Spirit is a free gift from the Father which is received by faith.
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Through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, God extends His power and the blessing of His presence to all believers. Our role is to receive. This baptism is marked by an initial act of receiving and continues as a daily response of receiving what God has made available for our service and relationship with Him. Through this process of receiving, we choose to accept His good gifts and all His provision for our lives.
While we acknowledge that emotionalism has often been associated with expressions of the Holy Spirit and at times there has been failure in the church universal to properly administrate the manifestations of the Holy Spirit, we do not think these are sufficient reasons to limit the work or expression of the Holy Spirit at Cultivate Church.
The Pastors and Elders of Cultivate Church are committed to teach biblical truth and uphold a biblical standard of order in our corporate worship while at the same time allowing and encouraging an atmosphere for the Holy Spirit’s work among us.
We believe this is a better solution to past abuses and excesses in the church related to the Holy Spirit and His gifts.
At Cultivate, there are opportunities to experience the different ways that God manifests His power as we draw closer to Him. We encourage individuals to seek the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit listed in 1 Corinthians 12:4–11. These gifts are not a reflection of spiritual maturity; they are a response of openness and faith to God. Spiritual maturity combines obedience, faith and character in a process that molds us into the likeness of God.
The gift of tongues, most often associated with “baptism” in the Spirit (in some churches and denominations), has been both misused and misunderstood among believers. We believe the Scriptural use of speaking in tongues is primarily a private prayer language given for personal edificationfor the believer and heavenly unction for prayer concerns that we lack words to adequately express (1 Corinthians 14). As a prayer force, it adds a new dimension to our partnership with God. Its secondary use is prophetic, when coupled with interpretation, and is not to be withheld in the church, but according to Scripture, is also not to have a prominent place in corporate worship.
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We believe a person receives the Holy Spirit when they receive Christ according to Ephesians 1:13. However, as demonstrated in numerous accounts throughout the New Testament, a believer must receive the Holy Spirit in a manner that accepts the full measure of His work in order for it to be activated in his life. Many believers have been taught that the Holy Spirit’s role in our day and time is to function as the seal of the promise of salvation. This teaching is true and right according to Scriptures, but it is only one aspect of the Holy Spirit’s work in the believer’s life. Receiving the Holy Spirit after conversion is based on a dawning awareness that His role is more than was understood or explained at conversion. This act of receiving is accepting the broadened biblical role of the Holy Spirit by faith.
Major Points and Scriptural References
The following scriptures refer specifically to the experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit and are the basis from which we draw our position as stated below.
Spirit and are the basis from which we draw our position as stated below.
How Do You Receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit? You receive the Holy Spirit by faith based on the truth of Scripture and the desire of your heart to accept the promise of God for yourself. The acceptance of the promise of God’s power is by faith—the same faith used to receive Christ as Savior. To receive the Holy Spirit, you simply approach God in an attitude of faith, because according to Luke 11:13, it is His good pleasure to give His Spirit to those who ask.
When Does One Receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit? The New Testament tells us that some believers received the baptism of the Holy Spirit at the moment of their conversion, such as Cornelius and his family (Acts 10). Others, such as the believers in Ephesus, received it at a later time (Acts 19:1-5). We should never limit God by our own expectations. He is sovereign and will work in whatever way He chooses.
What Can You Expect? You can expect things to be different in your life. As demonstrated in Scripture, when a person receives the Holy Spirit, there may be a manifestation associated with the encounter. Some become emotional or express a gift of the Holy Spirit such as tongues, while others notice a change in their insight on Scripture or boldness to witness. While manifestations are not required to receive the Holy Spirit, they are common.
What About the Gifts of the Spirit?The Holy Spirit brings the experience of the life of Jesus into our lives. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are divided into three categories (1 Corinthians 12:7–11):
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Vocal Gifts—tongues, prophecy, and the interpretation of tongues
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Knowledge Gifts—word of knowledge, word of wisdom and the discerning of spirits
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Power Gifts—healing, faith and miracles
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The Apostle Paul encouraged us to earnestly desire spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 14:1. Although the gifts of the Holy Spirit are available to every person who receives the Holy Spirit, they are only activated by faith. If you do not want to demonstrate a gift, God will not make you. If you desire His gifts but don’t understand them completely, He may bypass your mind and give you a gift, but it will always be based on your desire.
One of the most quoted prophetic declarations is found in the book of Joel where the prophet writes that God will pour out His spirit “upon all flesh; and ... your daughters shall prophesy ... and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit” (Joel 2:28– 29; see also Acts 2:17).
Ministry in the New Testament is defined within Spirit-empowered expressions of God’s wonderful gifts. Nowhere in the writings of the New Testament do we find conditions or exceptions placed on the distribution of spiritual gifts along gender lines. Thus, while some gifts are a spontaneous work of the Holy Spirit and others are recognized ministry gifts to the Church, all gifts are given by God for His greater purpose and without regard to social, economic or gender demarcation (Romans 12:6–8; 1 Corinthians 12:7–11, 27–28; Ephesians 4:7– 12; 1 Peter 4:10–11).
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Eschato-logy
There is much diversity of perspective concerning the specifics of Jesus’ second coming and the rapture of the church. We embrace a variety of perspectives and do not believe any one opinion can or should be used as a test of orthodoxy within a local body of believers. Preoccupation with this subject has produced stagnant and sterile churches that are spiritually lethargic, evangelistically passive and weak in their social and cultural impact. A church that embraces her identity as an “overcomer” is generally more concerned with her obedience to God’s command of occupying the earth until Jesus returns rather than with speculation on when He will return. Scripture clearly states that we won’t know when He will return.
How Should We Anticipate His Return?
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We are to continue doing the important work that needs to be completed before Jesus returns—preach the gospel throughout the world!
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We keep working on building His kingdom realizing that we don’t know exactly when Jesus will return.
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We are to keep busy because neither Jesus’ delay nor His imminent arrival should be an excuse for idleness.
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We remain prepared, realizing that each day is the possible day of Jesus’ return (1 Thessalonians 4:16–18).
Major Points
Jesus’ return will be universally unmistakable. It will be obvious to everyone (Mark 13:26). We should be aware of the signs of Jesus’ second coming, but also realize these signs are easily misread. Paul wrote, “So that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure” (2 Thessalonians 1:4).
This group of believers to whom Paul was writing was considered great in the kingdom of God because of their endurance and steadfast continuation of the work of Christ while in the midst of persecution and attack.
The point of Paul’s eschatological message to the church was to encourage each one to “stay the course” in their Christ-honoring, relevant lifestyle.
Conclusion
With this in mind, we affirm that Jesus Christ will be returning for a mature bride who has reached “the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13, NASB). He is coming for her as she makes her garments of holiness and righteousness.
Women in
leadership
Cultivate Church strongly believes in recognizing and supporting the contribution of women in the ministry of the church. We believe in the value of women in all aspects of ministry with the exception of those areas that exercise governmental authority within the church. Furthermore, we believe God has ordained the family unit to serve as a model for the entire church with the father as the head of the home and functioning as a servant-leader as described in Ephesians 5. We therefore believe that both men and women can reach their fullest potential in ministry within the structure of the biblical family model. We believe a woman can teach and lead within any of the vast array of ministry roles and positions as long as she demonstrates a biblically-qualifying lifestyle. She must also submit herself, along with other servant-leaders, to those leaders God has placed in positions of governing authority, specifically, the Senior Pastor or the Elders of the church. We believe that the positions of Senior Pastor and Elder are (because of their governmental responsibility) reserved only for men. With the exception of these two positions, we consider all ministry positions and opportunities to be open to women.
Equality of Men and Women
The Bible clearly reveals that God is not a respecter of persons (Romans 2:11; Acts 10:34; Ephesians 6:9). At Cultivate, we ascribe to a belief in the equality of all men and women. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit filled both men and women alike without concern for gender (Acts 2:1– 21). Both women and men are called to faithful service and good stewardship of all that God provides. We discover throughout the New Testament that both genders participated in a full variety of Christian service including prophecy, leadership and teaching (Acts 2:15–18; Acts 18:26; Acts 21:9; Romans 16:7; 1 Corinthians 11:5).
We conclude, therefore, that women can serve in vital roles in ministry and this position is further illustrated in the apostle Paul’s many references to women serving with him in ministry throughout the church.
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Controversial Texts Concerning Women in Ministry
There are two often-quoted passages within the Pauline writings that have caused heated debate over many generations on the topic of women in ministry. 1 Corinthians 14:34-35
In the first passage Paul writes to the church at Corinth, “Let your women keep silent in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak ...” (1 Corinthians 14:34–35, KJV). Unfortunately, this passage has mistakenly been cited to justify a position that rejects the biblical role of women in ministry. Actually, when understood within the context of Paul’s complete letter to a very troubled church, we gain a more informed perspective. Given that earlier in his letter Paul gave instructions regarding how women should pray and prophesy in public (1 Corinthians 11:5), it can be assumed that Paul must have meant something other than absolute prohibition for women in the public arena of ministry. Such an interpretation would simply fail to coincide with countless other Pauline writings that affirm the ministry contribution made by women. Therefore, we conclude that within the context of the situation at Corinth that prompted the letter to be written originally, Paul’s admonition here is in reference to excessive disruptions and disorder taking place. Therefore this passage, like the rest of the chapter, is an attempt to bring correction to the chaos and to affirm that “all things be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40) (1 Timothy 2:11–15).
1 Timothy 2:11–15 Is another challenging passage centers on Paul’s instructions to his young apprentice, Timothy, when he writes, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man ...” (1 Timothy 2:12). This passage has troubled biblical scholars and church leaders for centuries. Was Paul offering some kind of transcultural mandate, or was he instead seeking to provide Timothy with spiritual counsel concerning the improper conduct occurring among some women in Ephesus (1 Timothy 2:9; 1 Timothy 5:13; 2 Timothy 3:6)? A review of the entire text of Paul’s letter gives a strong indication that he was offering advice to Timothy on how to confront the heretical teaching and misconduct occurring among a number of women within the church. To view this passage in any other context would require denying the legitimacy of Paul’s other references to the work and ministry of women within the various churches of his day. Such a perceived contradiction is inconsistent with the proven principles of biblical interpretation.
Biblical Examples of Women in Ministry
While the debate over the role of women in church ministry predominantly centers around the interpretation of two challenging New Testament passages (1 Corinthians 14:34 and 1 Timothy 2:12), a fair and thorough review of biblical records reveals explicit and overwhelming evidence to support Cultivates stated position affirming the role of women in ministry. In the Old Testament, for instance, Miriam was used of God as a prophet during the time of the great exodus (Exodus 15:20). As both a prophet and a judge, Deborah was an instrumental leader in guiding God’s army (Judges 4–5).
The New Testament also reveals the essential role women shared in the ministry of the early church. Contrary to the cultural norm of that time regarding the status of women in society, the apostle Paul frequently refers to the contribution made by women. For instance, Paul speaks of women who “worked hard with him” in the work of the gospel (Romans 16:6, 12; Philippians 4:3). At Philippi, Euodias and Syntyche were described as “fellow-workers” alongside Paul. This description is the same wording used to also describe other young ministers who served with Paul such as Timothy, Epaphroditus, Titus and Luke.
Furthermore, as a servant (diakonos) at the church in Cenchrea (Romans 16:1–2), Phoebe was obviously viewed as more than simply a helper. In fact, Paul uses the same word (diakonos) to refer to other ministers and leaders in a congregation, including himself. From these and many other writings, we discover that Paul was an advocate of women in ministry. And contrary to the social order of the day, he frequently recognized the Spirit-inspired work that many women shared as fellow-laborers. We can conclude, therefore, that Scriptural evidence affirms the call of women to spiritual leadership and vital ministry roles in the early church. Such divine acknowledgement provides us with the irrefutable evidence we need to believe that God continues to call women to serve alongside men in the vital work of ministry today.
Conclusion
We believe that this equality of men and women represents the heart of God and the revelation of Scripture. While recognizing that certain governmental roles in the church do have some gender distinctiveness within the community of faith as it is true within the biblical construct of the home, we do affirm the tremendous contribution women have made in the early days of the church and must continue to make as we move forward in the ministry of Cultivate Church. The Spirit of God is being poured out on all flesh and we seek to walk in step with the Holy Spirit in power and practice until Christ returns.
Church
Government
Cultivate Church is committed to building a biblical foundation for church government. Spiritual life is produced when church government and theological correctness are combined with biblical preaching that proclaims the authority of God’s Word and the presence of the Holy Spirit. We believe the principles of church government are universal and the scriptural formula for oversight and governance of the local church is relevant in every culture.
Issues of Concern and Practice
Cultivate practices an Elder form of government. Although there are other important positions of leadership for instruction and ministry, it is the Elder board that has the responsibility to provide visionary direction and spiritual covering for the ministries of the church. There are three basic functions of Elders:
1. To lead the church by governing the vision of the church and establishing policies which provide philosophical boundaries for church life.
2. To uphold the biblical standards of behavior among church members. This includes enforcing church discipline for factious behavior, unrepentant sin and doctrinal error.
3. To individually demonstrate a model for ministry and godly living to the people as they lead the church.
Cultivate Church believes that church policies and philosophies for ministry are best decided when the entire Elder team meets together and discusses, debates and prays. Elder meetings are held regularly and include discussion about policy decisions that affect the congregation as a whole. While the Senior Pastor is the leader of the Elders and is given special respectful consideration, all the Elders have equality relating to input and decision making. Until there is unanimity on an issue, no decision is finalized or acted upon. As the church grows and new ministries are established, the Elders ensure that the ministry remains consistent with the vision of the church and the methods of ministry remain consistent with our principles for ministry.
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Major Points
The office of Elder is a governmental office with spiritual responsibilities and rewards. We believe that one day Jesus will review each Elder’s stewardship. Faithful, willing and sacrificial service to the flock of God will result in a heavenly reward. Elders should set the standard in every area of life. While perfection is not possible, an Elder should take his position seriously and strive to uphold the character qualifications necessary for this office in the church.
The first Elders of Cultivate Church were appointed by Pastor Daniel Morris and came out of the men from the founding team. The original group of Elders have the authority to expand the number of Elders as they determined. Careful consideration is given when choosing an Elder. The qualifications in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 are used to determine a man’s ability to minister in the capacity of Elder. Cultivate Church will only appoint spiritually mature men who are known within the congregation and have served faithfully in the ministries of the church for a season of time. A man must also be gifted governmentally, which is reflected through the following qualities.
The Elder candidate should:
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Enjoy overseeing the church and desire the office of Elder.
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Have the disposition of a servant and have a distinct love for people.
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Have an enthusiasm for every ministry of the church and not have a strong bias towards particular areas.
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Understand and respect the authority structure of the church.
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Be able to make decisions and maintain his resolve even in the face of intense and sometimes critical opposition.
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Be filled with faith for the future and not be overwhelmed by the size of the vision that God has for the church.
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Support and be able and willing to defend the Eldership publicly and privately.
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The Elder role and scope of service:
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Cultivate Church believes the Senior Pastor should be the leader of the Eldership and should set the agenda for each meeting.
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Cultivate Church will have Elders who are serving as staff of the church and Elders who are not a part of the church staff. While the ratio of staff Elders and non-staff Elders may vary, it is the desire of Cultivate Church to maintain a balance of both.
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The Elders who are not a part of the church staff are given the responsibility to approve the annual budget and to administrate the compensation packages of the senior staff.
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Cultivate Church maintains the position that Elders are men only and should serve as the head of the church just as men should serve as the head of the home.
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Decisions are made by the Elders after extensive discussion and prayer and with complete unanimity. Debate is common and differing opinions are welcomed. Every effort is made by each Elder to operate in unity with one another.
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In the event that the Elders of Cultivate Church reach an impasse with a decision, the Elders will appeal to a group of apostolic leaders who are appointed by the Senior Pastor.
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The existing Elders have the authority to appoint new Elders as deemed necessary. When new Elders are appointed, the congregation will be notified.
Elders are appointed for life unless:
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They resign for personal reasons.
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They are disqualified by sin or a failure to meet the biblical standards of the office.
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They leave Cultivate Church.
Scriptural References:
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1 Timothy 3:1–7
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Titus 1:5–9
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1 Peter 5:1–4
Church
Discipline
Cultivate Church also believes a primary responsibility of leadership is to model and maintain a standard of biblical behavior in the local church. We believe the Lord has given the Elders the responsibility to provide spiritual oversight for those who join the church and desire to be in active within the fellowship.
His command in 1 Peter 5:1 to “shepherd the flock of God” is something we take seriously. Although we do not believe God has given the Elders absolute responsibility or authority in an individual’s life, we believe there are three specific areas in which we are responsible to give spiritual oversight.
Because we believe we are responsible before God to provide this spiritual oversight, we will confront our members on their behavior in these areas. If the situation is not subsequently resolved in a satisfactory fashion, a formal process of church discipline will be initiated.
The areas of spiritual oversight are as follows:
1. Open and blatant sin - It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father’s wife! And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who had done this deed might be taken away from among you. 1 Corinthians 5:1–2
2. Issues involving doctrinal error - But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. 2 Peter 2:1–3
3. Divisive and contentious behavior within the congregation - But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition. Titus 3:9–11
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Every effort will be made to meet with the member who is involved with these issues. Our desire is to help our members grow to maturity through compassionate mentoring.
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The biblical model of confrontation and correction is not meant to punish people but rather to protect the Body of Christ from the wages of unrepentant sin.
Biblical authority is not a license to exert control; it is a responsibility to exert influence for God’s will to be accomplished.
“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.”
 Matthew 18:15–17
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Our approach to confronting a member of the church involves the following steps:
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Begins with personal confrontation
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Expands to committee confrontation
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Broadens to group confrontation
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Ends in removal of membership privileges
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In confronting sin, we must remember that:
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The purpose is redemption and reconciliation.
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The attitude is humility.
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The result is accountability
Conclusion
Biblical government is designed to represent heaven accurately and attack hell successfully. The governmental DNA of the church is produced by pure biblical standards that have not been distorted or damaged by negative influences. The local church is the hope of the world and the hope of the local church is biblical government that operates under the blessing and favor of God.
Biblical
Marriage
We believe the term “marriage” has only one meaning, and that is marriage sanctioned by God, which is the joining together of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive, covenant as defined in the Bible (“Biblical Marriage”).
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We believe that because God our Creator established marriage as a sacred institution between one man and one woman, the idea that marriage is a covenant only between one man and one woman has been the Biblical definition of marriage for all of human history. We believe Biblical Marriage is the only definition of marriage God recognizes or accepts. (Genesis 2:22- 24, Matthew 19:4-6, 1 Timothy 3:12, Ephesians 5:22-28)
Gender
We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.
(Genesis 1:26-27, Psalm 139:13-16)