Charter
Statement of Faith
We believe in the supreme Lordship of Jesus Christ by the will of God the Father.
We believe in salvation by grace through faith in the finished atoning work of the Cross and the regenerated life enabled by the same power that raised Him from the dead.
We believe in the hope of the bodily resurrection of the righteous and the blessed hope of Christ’s return.
We believe in the authority of Holy Scripture as guided by the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit of God.
We believe in the unity of the believers as that of one holy universal Body of Christ.
Sacraments
The Anamnesis (variously: Holy communion, Lord’s Supper, Eucharist), the necessary elements being bread and wine (fruit of the vine), so that we never forget the price paid for our salvation
Water Baptism as a public confession of the new birth under the only authority by which men may be saved, Jesus Christ, in whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form as the Image of the Father, Word, and Holy Spirit
The Holy Union of Marriage as defined by our Savior, the Creator, comprising the unification of one man and one woman as representing a mystery, the Union between Christ and His Church
The anointing of the sick by the Elders, accompanied by the Prayer of Faith
Liturgy
We adhere to the most ancient liturgy of the Christian Church as outlined by the Apostle Paul, “When you come together, each of you has a Psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.”
Ministers ordained by Tau Rho Ministries may conform to the liturgy of the tradition in which they are serving, if those practices conform to the Tau Rho Ministries Statement of Faith.
Articles of Governance and Practice
After determining their qualifications and calling, ministers are ordained by the Elders of the Church by way of laying on of hands and a prayer of commission.
Those so ordained are free to minister in any situation as is needful for the purposes of advancing the mission of the universal Body of Christ.
The ordained are likewise permitted to voluntarily submit to any ecclesial governance required for such appointment, if it falls within our Statements of Faith.
Ordination confers the ecclesiastical authority to preside over the sacraments of the Church. Tau Rho Ministries will provide credentials necessary for those privileges customarily afforded the Clergy (e.g., hospital visitation).
Breeches of the obligations of ordination disciplined by any ecclesial body will be reviewed by Tau Rho Ministries and addressed by its episcopate. Based on the findings of such a body, ordination may be suspended while every effort is made toward restoration. Failing restoration, ordination will be withdrawn. Ordination may also be revoked directly by the Ordination Board of Tau Rho Ministries for behavior or heresy unbecoming a minister of the Gospel of Christ.
Evangelism is the obligation of the Church. The Church does not reside in a building made by hands but is comprised of “living stones” that are assembled under the organization of the Holy Spirit. We seek the welfare and proliferation of this cooperative thru every means available including home churches, evangelistic outreach, corporate worship, faith-based recreation, and any other means possible. We denounce any definition of “church” as being confined to a physical structure.
Concerning the places of worship of the Church, the apostolic church and Christian believers worldwide still today continue to organize as home churches. Historically, from the inception of the Church, homes, brush arbors, tents, and open spaces have been among the places where the Body of Christ would gather to celebrate its faith. In creed, liturgy, methods of ordination, doctrine, and practice, Tau Rho Ministries holds to the ancient traditions of Christianity. While modernity has shaped, indeed deformed, what is called “church” into something little resembling that of the Apostolic age, we intend to return to the ancient model of organization and speak the Gospel with a boldness sought by prayer and devotion as empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Members, affiliates, and clergy of Tau Rho Ministries, if not actively engaged in full-time ministry, are encouraged to seek out a fellowship of believers with which to worship corporately and serve. Membership in Tau Rho Ministries does not preclude membership in any other fellowship within the confines of the individual conscience of the believer. While considered commendable, constraints listed in this document are intended to apply only to those ordained as ministers. No membership rolls will be kept or recorded.
We consider alms and charity to be elements of pure religion and an essential form of worship. We do not intend to specify how or where these resources are to be distributed by individual believers. We recognize that giving, whether of time or financial resources, is sanctified by a willing and cheerful heart and should not be done out of necessity. Tau Rho Ministries does not consider tithing to be an obligation under the New Testament. Any donations made directly to Tau Rho Ministries will be used to support the work of ministry.
Donors will be honored with anonymity. Donations are tax deductible under IRC 508c1a, and encrypted records will be accessible for tax purposes. An annual receipt will be generated for donors and an appropriate dossier generated in cases of audit by tax authorities. Donation amounts and use of funds will be made public on the
tau-rhoministries.org website.
Any other practice within the authority of this ministry will be prayerfully considered but may or may not be officially sanctioned. We embrace the saying often repeated in the Church, “In the essentials unity, in the non-essentials liberty, in all things love.”
Affirmation of the Constitution of The United States of America
Without a blanket endorsement of every article, we recognize the Constitution as the law of these United States. We endorse the first ten amendments of that document, the Bill of Rights, and particularly affirm the First Amendment to the Constitution, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
That this right, as any other afforded under our founding documents, is found to be both self-evident and God given as explicitly stated, is the basis on which this ministry relies for freedom to operate unmolested by any governmental influence.
Should by neglect or malevolence this right be disregarded or infringed, it is the intent of Tau Rho Ministries to continue to operate under the Righteous Laws of God rather than the dictates of men.
Apostolic Exhortation
