Over the course of September to December of 2017, our regularly attended (Sundays at noon and Thursdays at 7:30pm) gathering of Christians appointed Torrey Moe and David Simmons as pastors and elders for Jesus Missionary Communities. Going forward we have a simple and straight-forward understanding biblically of our ordination process. As the elders of our ministry, Dave and I along with the affirmation of our broader church family select co-pastors each for the leading along with us of any additional house churches. We gather formally and worship the Lord Jesus together, performing communion weekly and worshiping God in song and prayer, the study of God’s Word, evangelism and discipleship of people who do not yet fully rely on Jesus as their Savior and Lord, and any other requirements we see in God’s Word.
In the simplest way we require what God requires of our ordained ministers in Titus and 1 and 2 Timothy. This blog serves as a record of our ordinations and we will abide by Scripture should we ever need to be deposed from wearing the titles of pastor, elder, or both pastor and elder such as Dave and I hold at this point. For simple purposes we believe elders oversee a broader band of pastors as our church movement grows, with a hopeful for rough estimate at a ratio of somewhere around two to four elders for every dozen house churches. The ordination of any house church pastor is final when he has been commissioned to lead a house church or is no longer a co-pastor is training but rather officially a co-pastor. Our current co-pastor in training is Lee Winzor who lives above reproach and is growing in his character and his handling of God’s Word and shepherding of God’s people from God’s Word and through genuine handling of souls with genuine biblical displays of God’s love. He has routinely laid down his life and comforts for the up-building and blessing of others and we love and trust him dearly. We believe he is nearer and nearer to our understanding of being ready to be appointed as a pastor and minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our church family had seen in my wife and in Dave’s life the qualifications for eldership and has appointed us in prayer as the current house church pastors and ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Due to our nation’s careful attention to the separation of church and state, we believe that this online record is sufficient for the record of our ordination and others may disagree. I am willing all day long to receive feedback on this public record as to whether this is “legal” and yet it is not for our government whether state or local to decide if we are “legit” in God’s eyes. It’s sobering isn’t it to stop and remember that it is before God that we must give an account one day! There is a day when we will all give an account and may the LORD Jesus determine who is sincere and faithful.
In the grace of our Ransom-Paying Jesus,
– Torrey Moe
3-17-2018
House Church Planter
House Church Pastor
Co-Elder with David Simmons of Merced, CA
Jesus Missionary Communities
250 Saint Michelle Dr
Merced, CA 95348
Established September of 2017
What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw – each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,”. and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future-all are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.
This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. – 1 Corinthians 3:5—4:2
Grounded Gospel 