The church in Toledo

In every generation, there have been those who, in answering the Lord’s specific and intimate calling, have stood firm as a testimony for Him. In this era, the testimony is not that of individual spiritual men, but of the corporate expression and outlived realization of Christ through His church. We are grateful to be those ones to whom He has revealed His eternal plan and His move on the earth in this age. As the world changes rapidly, we find ourselves looking more deeply unto our precious Lord, the source of all administration, to rejoice and prepare together with all the saints for His coming.

About Toledo

Situated along the shore of Lake Erie and at the mouth of the Maumee River, the city of Toledo is at the heart of the Great Lakes region and holds a unique position in its history, present and future. As the church in Toledo, we are blessed with this geographical location; we enjoy, embrace and continue the powerful flow of fresh water that has been running through the city and outpouring to the region, nation and globe for centuries. This powerful flow of the river is a perfect picture of God’s heart desire: He intends to come into man as a river of flowing water—as the life-giving Spirit. Since the very beginning in Genesis and throughout the centuries, this flow has reached many dear saints, many cities, and many regions on earth, continuing this divine genealogy for the fulfillment of His purpose on the earth. Today, this flow reaches us in Toledo and desires to be outpoured. As the church in Toledo, we want to echo this divine flow with our churching in this city; we bear testimony to the truth needed in this present age unto His return, a sounding out of this very powerful life, position, truth and testimony that have been given to us.

The living-out of the church life

The church is a unique entity; it is not a building or an organization, but a being modeled after the Jerusalem above—of heaven, not of earth. A gathering of the called ones, the church expresses and represents Christ. As the church in Toledo, we are part of that being locally, simultaneously carrying the heavenly vision and yet walking and living on the earth. 

The church in Toledo is composed of believers meeting house-to-house and day-by-day, sharing in common, as seen in the book of Acts. We say “the church in Toledo” (not a church in Toledo, or the Church) because the church is the local expression of the Church (Christ’s Universal Body) and cannot be divided. The church includes every believer in the boundary of the city. The church is not an organization; rather it is an organic gathering of God’s called-out ones, and is constituted, governed, and nourished by the life of Christ through the Spirit. 

“In reality the church as the Body cannot be divided… All the believers in a locality form the church in that locality, and… they show forth what the Church should show forth.”

– Watchman Nee

Our standard is that Christ is our life and the church is our living. This living—the living out of the church locally—is a sphere that is upheld by each person keeping the vital, organic, real operation of the Spirit among us. It is not a physical place, but rather a realm and a being within us that issues from the divine life of the Lord that we received from our birth as New Testament believers in this age. Today, we have been brought into a walk and living from our direct experience with the Lord and His word. We carry this Person in us, our precious Lord Jesus Christ. We are here living in this way to realize the spiritual reality through our transformed humanity; actually, this living is simply recovering the true meaning of our life and why man exists—to be one with Him in a life relationship between God and man according to God’s original design and heart’s desire. 

We truly live and church day by day, moment by moment. We eat, drink, and rejoice in our Lord, recognizing that nothing but He Himself will satisfy our human life. We were made as finite beings, and yet we can contain, express, and outpour eternal life. What a beautiful and authentic life we have to live unto the true meaning of our existence: to express and represent Him and to exercise His dominion on the earth today. Our humanity is indeed the most perfect expression of His desire, His love and Himself. We as the church—the true uplifted humanity, the one new man—are His counterpart and ultimate completion, His satisfaction and His rest. Hallelujah for Christ and the Church!

Our genealogy

Today, we find ourselves on a very fine line of life that began in the book of Genesis and has continued throughout the ages. Our dear brothers and sisters who have gone before us were scattered throughout time and space, and yet remain connected to us in spirit, having consecrated their lives wholly unto Him and lived out what they believed. We, too, are a simple people, enjoying a bright and colorful life pursuing Him together and sounding out His truth in this age.