Thanks for stopping by! My name is Ray Fisher, I serve the church as a minister in Kentville and Mill Village, Nova Scotia.
As an introduction (and not intending to disrespect any other points of view) I offer this information about the Kentville Church of Christ:
We are a congregation influenced by the nineteenth-century unity and restoration efforts of Barton W. Stone, Thomas and Alexander Campbell. They spawned several distinct religious groups: the Churches of Christ, the Christian Churches, and the Disciples of Christ.
Please do not confuse us with the Church of Jesus Christ (LDS), or the International Church of Christ (formally known as the Crossroads or Boston movements.)
We do not claim to be the only Christians but we are trying to be Christians only.
We use the Bible as our guide for how to be pleasing to God. We claim no other statements of faith (other than what is found in the Bible. (66 books Old & New Testaments)
We follow no liturgical calendar although I often preach about the birth of Jesus near the end of December and the resurrection in the Spring of the year.
On this side of heaven, we claim no headquarters, world conferences, or governing bodies other than the local autonomous congregation.
Some Colleges and Universities affiliated with Churches of Christ include Pepperdine in California, Great Lakes Bible College, Beamsville Ontario, Ohio Valley University, Harding University (where I graduated, with a degree in Bible and Ministry) Searcy, Arkansas, Abilene Christian University, and David Lipscomb University. (Bigger concentrations of Churches of Christ in Southern Ontario, and in the Southern United States.)
We are relatively small in number in Nova Scotia (congregations in Mill Village, Halifax and Kentville) but there are congregations throughout the world. Currently we use space belonging to Valley Search and Rescue located at 177 Middle Dyke Road, Kentville. We do not always have access to this site (for instance when there is an active search underway) so we have alternative meeting locations. Contact Ray on the “contact” tab for last moment changes. The Kentville the congregation has been in existence for over 30 years.
Our congregation uses the Command, Example, and Necessary Inference (CENI) hermeneutic. This approach holds that there are three different ways that scripture authoritatively communicates the will of God. First, there are explicit commands ("Repent and be baptized...".) Second, there are examples / precedents ("Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church"). Third, there are necessary inferences ("On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made." Therefore, there must have been an assembly every first day of the week. And therefore we are obligated to do the same.) Admittedly this approach is more controversial the deeper into CENI you go.
What makes us unique from others?
When we assemble on Sunday’s we choose to sing Accapella, sometimes in unison, sometimes in four part harmony, sometimes not so well when learning new songs.
We have male spiritual leadership in public roles while acknowledging and celebrating the distinct gifts of Godley women.
We believe that water baptism of believers is an essential component in the process of salvation.
We remember the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus in a memorial meal every Sunday.
We do not have a formal clergy/laity organization. I am the only paid employee. I prefer the title of minister because it denotes one who serves.
I hope this has been helpful! If you would like more information please come by for a visit or e-mail rcfisherofmen@gmail.com
As an introduction (and not intending to disrespect any other points of view) I offer this information about the Kentville Church of Christ:
We are a congregation influenced by the nineteenth-century unity and restoration efforts of Barton W. Stone, Thomas and Alexander Campbell. They spawned several distinct religious groups: the Churches of Christ, the Christian Churches, and the Disciples of Christ.
Please do not confuse us with the Church of Jesus Christ (LDS), or the International Church of Christ (formally known as the Crossroads or Boston movements.)
We do not claim to be the only Christians but we are trying to be Christians only.
We use the Bible as our guide for how to be pleasing to God. We claim no other statements of faith (other than what is found in the Bible. (66 books Old & New Testaments)
We follow no liturgical calendar although I often preach about the birth of Jesus near the end of December and the resurrection in the Spring of the year.
On this side of heaven, we claim no headquarters, world conferences, or governing bodies other than the local autonomous congregation.
Some Colleges and Universities affiliated with Churches of Christ include Pepperdine in California, Great Lakes Bible College, Beamsville Ontario, Ohio Valley University, Harding University (where I graduated, with a degree in Bible and Ministry) Searcy, Arkansas, Abilene Christian University, and David Lipscomb University. (Bigger concentrations of Churches of Christ in Southern Ontario, and in the Southern United States.)
We are relatively small in number in Nova Scotia (congregations in Mill Village, Halifax and Kentville) but there are congregations throughout the world. Currently we use space belonging to Valley Search and Rescue located at 177 Middle Dyke Road, Kentville. We do not always have access to this site (for instance when there is an active search underway) so we have alternative meeting locations. Contact Ray on the “contact” tab for last moment changes. The Kentville the congregation has been in existence for over 30 years.
Our congregation uses the Command, Example, and Necessary Inference (CENI) hermeneutic. This approach holds that there are three different ways that scripture authoritatively communicates the will of God. First, there are explicit commands ("Repent and be baptized...".) Second, there are examples / precedents ("Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church"). Third, there are necessary inferences ("On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made." Therefore, there must have been an assembly every first day of the week. And therefore we are obligated to do the same.) Admittedly this approach is more controversial the deeper into CENI you go.
What makes us unique from others?
When we assemble on Sunday’s we choose to sing Accapella, sometimes in unison, sometimes in four part harmony, sometimes not so well when learning new songs.
We have male spiritual leadership in public roles while acknowledging and celebrating the distinct gifts of Godley women.
We believe that water baptism of believers is an essential component in the process of salvation.
We remember the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus in a memorial meal every Sunday.
We do not have a formal clergy/laity organization. I am the only paid employee. I prefer the title of minister because it denotes one who serves.
I hope this has been helpful! If you would like more information please come by for a visit or e-mail rcfisherofmen@gmail.com