Opening Statement
One way
TORCH Ministries serves the Lord's people is
by working closely with local churches.
Beside speaking in churches, Rocky helps to
oversee several independent congregations
working together in the "Independent
Ministries Network", also known as I.M.N.
The goal of this organization is to create a
foundation for local churches to be directly
involved with other pastors and
congregations in apostolic or trans-local
ministry projects.
Next to the list of absolute beliefs you will find below, we also think it is very important that each person learns to discover what he or she really believes. Torch Ministries is firm about what it stands for in the biblical sense, but we also believe our vision has to remain flexible because it is growing in another sense. The people of Torch make up the whole, so a big goal for us is to encourage people to find out what they believe and how that then can help our ministry follow and obey the Lord’s mandate for us. Don’t just check to see if you like what the Churches of I.M.N. are all about but rather look to find out if we are the right description for where God wants you to put your beliefs into action.
Our Vision is Living:
to Boldly Declare the Bible as God’s inspired Word,
a divine Lamp, which, when studied and applied beyond personal preferences, causes us to walk in the illumination of His purposes for our lives, ministries and churches. Psalm 119:105.to Boldly Demonstrate the Holy Spirit as the believer’s supernatural Helper and Guide,
the source of God’s enlightenment, given to indwell, bring revelation and empower the Church to reach the world. Ephesians 1:17-18.to Boldly Develop God's people to BE Jesus' Body,
a living, working, interdependent model of His own authority. Both Jesus and His disciples are called the Light of the World in scripture (John 8:12; Matthew 5:14) because, in Him, they share a mystical unity in expressing the life of "Christ" to humanity. When promoted, this "corporate anointing" causes the Church to exhibit a greater level of God's true power and influence!What We Believe
Identity: Who We Are
We are a sincere Christian ministry, pursuing the Holy Spirit, preaching the Gospel with power, and building Godly people, with the aim of laying down our lives to keep reaching the world for Christ!
Mission: Why We Exist
To provide spiritually empowering opportunities through which people of every kind can make life-changing connections with Jesus Christ and His followers.
Vision: Where We'RE Going
We work together with God's people to proclaim the Gospel outside of and promote effective Christian growth inside local churches. Our church network, I.M.N. conducts conferences promoting corporate worship, personal witnessing, Bible teaching, Spirit-led training, media evangelism, and the strategic multiplication of the talents invested in its members. Our goal is Building the Church of Jesus wherever we encounter it.
Values: Our Core Beliefs
To be effective we must be living examples of the Christian Faith according to the Scriptural Pattern. 1 Timothy 4:12 outlines 6 values for life and ministry, which help us represent the God of the Bible properly in all of our undertakings:
1. In Word
or Speech
2. In Conduct or
Lifestyle
3. In Love or Caring
4. In Spirit or Attitude
5. In
Faith or Conviction
6. In Purity
or Essence
General Beliefs
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Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is our Lord and Savior and our love for Him causes us to worship Him in Spirit and Truth. He’s alive and He’s fantastic! It is our desire to serve Him with all our might. We are not special people, only people who love a special God. The God we serve has an incredible love for every person on planet earth, and it is His sacrificial love for every person that is our inspiration and pattern for living. Most importantly, the fact that Jesus is coming again for a people alert and ready to receive Him is the basis of this ministry. Hold to His Word(s) and you will not be deceived!
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The Holy Spirit
With our desire to give God our best, comes excitement and exuberance in our church meetings and event planning strategies. We are eager to allow the Holy Spirit to meet people, wherever they may be in life. Some may call us radical. However, we believe that the mighty Holy Spirit is present in the world, and in the hearts of born again believers, having been sent by Jesus Christ Himself. Because of this, church is the most exciting place in town! The Holy Spirit is a person, and is here to help us pray effectively, heal the sick, free those who are oppressed and bring salvation to the lost. It is through His power and a continuing personal relationship with God the Father and other believers that people reach their true and greatest potential in life.
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The Bible
I.M.N. Churches hold the Bible and the Bible alone to be the literal inspired Word of God. It is our textbook for life itself and inspires an unshakable faith in a God who never leaves nor forsakes us. Maintaining a high level of Gods’ Word in our daily lives energizes us spiritually and drives us to greater levels of readiness to succeed in the things He calls us to do.
The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy or download the pdf version here.
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The Church
We do not believe the Churches of I.M.N. is the only true church, but just one really important part of the body of worldwide Christians who belong to Jesus Christ. We believe in building the Kingdom of God by working closely within our own ranks and networking with other genuine believers and churches. Godly leadership builds the church as it follows Jesus closely.
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The Enemy
Our only real enemies are Satan, Sin and Superficiality. We hate sin because it separates people from experiencing the love God has for them! It is only through the blood of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit that these can be effectively dealt with in an individual’s life. Spiritual superficiality is the act of professing Christianity without character, passion and obedience to the faith. God has called us to be people of conviction and integrity and we believe that by the grace of God we can live a blameless life. Both of these evils originated with Satan who aims to exalt himself at the expense of stealing, killing & destroying others. The Bible says, “…but the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8) This is Good News! TORCH promotes the biblical concept of demonic deliverance, believing people should be free from all forms of evil possession, oppression and depression! We actively use the name of Jesus to cast devils wherever we encounter them.
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Who can come to I.M.N. Churches?
In a word-anyone! You, your family, your friends, even the more challenging people in your life-anyone is welcome here. People of different occupations, race, color and creed find a spiritual home in this church. We believe there are no barriers, which cannot be bridged through the love of God. Your life could be forever changed when you attend an I.M.N. Church!
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Our Purpose
According to scripture, we are the “Body” of Christ, being individual members of a great spiritual collective among mankind. The Gospel of Jesus Christ as we carry and display it, is the greatest tool for effectively reaching AND developing people to be great and do great things! Therefore, we believe our local purpose is dual in nature. Until Jesus returns, as our name suggests, we are committed to first “connecting” people with God and then through Him to one another! This means we must work at providing an alternative for people who are looking for more than mere traditional forms, religious services and who desire real, fulfilling spiritual experiences.
We invite God’s people to seek genuine Christian expression with us through our ongoing gatherings for worship, biblically-based research and teaching, spontaneous preaching, prayer, fellowship, evangelism, Christian discipleship and spiritual gift development and spiritual readiness preparation/warfare. For the sake of truly reaching these goals we encourage the practice of personal accountability and corporate participation in something larger than self.Out of this vision we believe many other kinds of visions, ministries and even churches will emerge through the lives of those the Lord uses us to teach, train and equip to follow Him. We are completely committed to following both the natural and supernatural means Jesus uses in building His church. There is room for both large dreams and specific detail within our vision, new and old concepts, radical and conservative strategies, creative and administrative roles.This church is also dedicated to giving believers access to the multiple and diverse kinds ministries the Bible describes as necessary for true spiritual growth. Because we are independent but work within an interdependent, connected network of churches and ministries, the people of I.M.N. Churches continuously interact with quality and proven ministers of God from both within our fellowship and outside of it.
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Oversight
I.M.N. Churches are driven by the leadership of a pastor who is accountable to elders both outside of and within the church itself. It is closely connected to TORCH Ministries in the United States as well as being a part of the Global Connexions international network of churches. From this foundation we use the anointing God has given us to extend, establish, and build the Kingdom of God through the primary vehicle of people building. We work with other genuine believers, churches and ministries as the Lord leads wherever we encounter them. As a church our specific vision is driven by our commitment to always remain a vital part of the larger Christian world. Experience teaches us that humility and submission to godly authority allows us to win more victories and have more fun than by standing alone!
Our Opportunity
As you navigate around this site you will find these three specific areas of focus. The WORD, The SPIRIT, and the BODY of Christ are key themes of TORCH ministries. Each of these foundational Christian doctrines are scriptural sources of the spiritual “light” we seek to carry into a dark, lost, and hurting world.
We believe the hour is late and the harvest is greater than ever, but much of the World is still waiting to see the "glorious" Church! God has given us a specific message that we feel is both urgent and practical. With it, we are actively helping people find Christ, gain complete deliverance and healing in Him, and grow in real Faith.
Our "Faithworks" Bible School is actively producing Word, Spirit and Body of Christ-minded leaders who will advance God's Kingdom in this critical juncture of human history. Maybe you are one of those we can help develop in God's gifts to become a better fit within the framework of your local church? Take advantage of the resources you find here and let the Lord do what He wants in your life. The End Times are your time to shine as lights for God's Kingdom (Daniel 12:3-4)! Click here for more information.
We are a work in progress and by no means perfect but this is a good fruit-bearing ministry to get behind. We believe a better Church better reaches the world for Him! So, please consider supporting our efforts to carry our burning torch deep into the night, lighting the way for others and looking for the second coming of Jesus!
Final Words
The hour seems late when viewed through the Bible and current events but we intend to take our generation for Christ and then keep passing on the keys of our success to whatever generations are yet to come. Life is short, it is important to know what you believe and where you belong in God’s grand scheme of things. We hope your interest in the I.M.N Churches experience leads you to joining us in the exciting process of doing church a whole new way! If not, be blessed in your pursuit of Jesus and stay ready, He is coming quickly!!
In the Light of His Countenance,
Rocky Veach