13/08/2026
A local church is not the gathering of believers in a building, but a local church is the gathering of believers in a physically identified location under the authority of a Pastor for the purpose of the teaching of the Word, instruction to walk in the Word, training unto maturity and equipping for the work of the ministry.
Believers can gather in a cinema, that doesn't make that gathering a local church.
The local church is built in a physically identified location, not online.
"Church Online" is not bible-standard neither is It bible-approved.
This doesn't eradicate the use of social media for the work of the ministry
It doesn't mean believers or the local church can't decide to meet online, but it should be rare and not a norm.
This doesn't eradicate the streaming of services. The idea is that, we can stream our services but the local church shouldn't be an online church.
God did not design believers to live apart while connecting online for fellowship. If this is normalized, the purpose of raising disciples/able ministers will be defeated.
Disciples are raised amongst men and by a man(your pastor), not raised by men and not raised online, else the disciples raised will be confused and will not be thoroughly furnished for ministry.
A man can be edified by many men but should not and cannot be discipled by many men.
That is why I don't encourage the transfer of pastors after a few years or longer years in a place.
A man cannot and should not have more than one discipler but the transfer of Pastors makes it difficult to have a discipler.
- Apst Alfred Emmanuel
