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Hanging Rock Apostolic Church of God

The Hanging Rock Apostolic Church of God is an Apostolic church in the city of Hanging Rock, Lawrence County, Ohio, in the United States.

Origin and History
While most people in the 1950's followed the trinity doctrine there was a young minister traveling through Lawrence County, Ohio preaching Acts 2:38 and the Oneness of the Godhead. Orval Hankins, a Baptist minister, and his wife were given the revelation and began preaching that God was manifested in the flesh. Beginning with house-to-house fellowship the congregation grew until they began meeting in a garage and in 1962 the first church building was purchased.

On April 8, 1963 the church foundation meeting occurred during which Orval Hankins was named pastor and Harrison Jenkins assistant pastor. Elected trustees were Orval Hankins, Harrison Jenkins, Taylor Jenkins, Henry Bond, Bill Stephenson, Fred Walters, and Bill Hankins. The church was dedicated on April 21, 1963. For the next nine (9) years Pastor Hankins led the church bringing the Apostolic message to all that would listen; and on February 19, 1971, at the age of seventy-one (71), Pastor Hankins went to be with the Lord.

In 1989, after years of growth and several improvement projects, the church purchased property just north of Hanging Rock, Ohio to build a new church. Construction of the new church was started in April 1992, completed in January 1993, and dedicated on February 6, 1993 at which time the church assumed its new name "The Hanging Rock Apostolic Church of God".

Current

 * Current
 * Bishop: Elder Glenn Jenkins [September 11, 2006]
 * Deacons: Bill Hankins, Don Sturgill, Donald Vance, and John Sturgill
 * Trustees: Cecil Sheppard, Bill Spurlock, and David Bolls
 * Former
 * Elder Bill Hankins [Summer 2004 - September 2006] was appointed Elder of the church during the summer of 2004 due to Brother Doug Bishop's illness. Brother Bill was assisted by the ministering of Brother Glenn Jenkins and Brother Kenny Waller until pastoral duties fell upon Brother Glenn.
 * Elder Doug Bishop [August 1995 - October 2004] assumed pastoral duties on August 12, 1995 after approximately thirty (30) years of ministry throughout several states. Church enthusiasm and attendance increased due to Brother Doug's encouragement and guidance.  After nine (9) years and while enduring an extended illness, Brother Doug went to be with the Lord on October 4, 2004.
 * Elder Bill Vance [July 1992 - August 1995] was appointed Elder of the church after the passing of Brother Taylor while the church waited upon the Lord for a new pastor. Brother Bill was assisted by the ministering of Brother Glenn Jenkins.
 * Elder Taylor Jenkins [May 1971 - July 1992] assumed pastoral duties on May 17, 1971. Under Brother Taylor the church experienced a great spiritual move during the 1970's and 1980's.   Under Brother Taylor's leadership a tape ministry was started for shut-ins and radio programs sponsored in Fort Gay, West Virginia, Cattlettsburg, Kentucky, and Portsmouth, Ohio.  On August 12, 1979 Brother Taylor appointed Elder Doug Bishop as assistant pastor due to the passing of Elder Harrison Jenkins on December 17, 1969.  Brother Taylor traveled many miles preaching the Gospel and ministering to the ill until his death on July 11, 1992.
 * Elder Orval Hankins [April 1963 - February 1971] was the church founder who led the church for nine (9) years from its inception until his death on February 19, 1971. During that time Brother Orval brought the Apostolic message to all that would listen.

Tenets of Faith

 * What We Believe

The Bible The Bible is the inspired Word of God, giving a true history of the creation of heaven, earth, and humanity; and contains a correct prophecy of the ages to come regarding heaven, earth, and the destiny of humanity. Moreover, there is no salvation outside of what is taught in its pages. We use and believe that the King James Version of the bible is the closest to the original transcripts; therefore, we discourage any other versions for use within the church of the living God.

God There is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4). He is the creator of heaven and earth, and of all living beings. He has revealed Himself to humanity as the Father in (Creation), the Son in (Redemption), and as the Holy Ghost (indwelling Spirit in the Church). God is a Spirit (John 4:24). He is the Eternal One, the Creator of all things, and the Father of all humanity by creation. He is the First and the Last, and beside Him there is no God (Isaiah 44:6). There was no God formed before Him; neither shall be there any after Him (Isaiah 43:10). Jesus is the Son of God according to the flesh (Romans 1:3) and the very God Himself according to the Spirit (Matthew 1:23). Jesus is the Christ (Matthew 16:16); the creator of all things (Colossians 1:16-17); God with us (Matthew 1:23); God made flesh (John 1:1-14); God manifested in the flesh (I Timothy 3:16); He which was, which is, and which is to come, the Almighty (Revelation 1:8); the mighty God, everlasting Father, and Prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus Himself testified of His identity as God when He said, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (John 14:7-11) and "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30). It took shedding of blood for the remission of the sins of the world (Hebrews 9:22), but God the Father was a Spirit and had no blood to shed. Thus He prepared a body of flesh and blood (Hebrews 10:5) and came to earth as a man in order to save us, for in Isaiah 43:11 He said, "Beside me there is no Saviour." When He came in flesh the angels sang, "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11). Actually Jesus, (in the son ship) was the very encyclopedia of the Almighty God. He said that no man cometh unto the father but by me. He addressed himself as: the Truth, the Life, the Way, the Door, the Bread of Life, the Living Water, The Shepherd of the sheep, a wiser than Solomon, Master, Servant and the root and offspring of David. The Holy Ghost is not a third person in the Godhead, but rather the Spirit of the Almighty God, the Spirit of the resurrected Christ. The Spirit of truth that comes into our heart when we are born again to lead us and guide us into all truth The Holy Ghost will dwell in the hearts and lives in everyone who believes and obeys the gospel, as the comforter, Sustainer, and keeper (John 14:16-26; Romans 8:9-11).
 * The Father
 * The Son
 * The Holy Ghost

Sin Sin is the transgression of the law, or commandments of God (I John 3:4). The guilt of sin has fallen upon all humanity from Adam until now (Romans 3:23). The wages of sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:14) to all those who refuse to accept salvation as set forth in the Word of God. All disobedience to the will of God is sin. The only way to remit sin is by the blood of Jesus Christ. That after true repentance we are emerged in water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). For there is not another name under heaven whereby we must be saved.

Salvation Salvation consists of deliverance from all sin and unrighteousness through the blood of Jesus Christ. The New Testament experience of salvation consists of repentance from sin, water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and the baptism of the Holy Ghost, with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. After which the Christian is to live a godly life unto the end. (Acts 2:36-41).

Water Baptism Water baptism is an essential part of New Testament salvation. It is where the Blood is applied, and it is not merely a symbolic ritual. It is part of entering into the kingdom of God (God's church, the bride of Christ), and therefore, it is not merely a part of local church membership (see John 3:5; Galatians 3:27). Water baptism is to be administered only by immersion in running water. Paul said, "We are buried with him [Jesus Christ] by baptism (Romans 6:4; see Colossians 2:12), Jesus came up "out of the water" (Mark 1:10), and Philip and the eunuch went down "into the water" and came up "out of the water" (Acts 8:38-39). Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection are applied to our lives when we experience New Testament salvation: "Repent [death to sin], and be baptized [burial] every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost [resurrection]" (see Acts 2:38; Romans 6:1-7; Romans 8:2).  Sprinkling, pouring, infant baptism of any kind cannot be substantiated by the Word of God, but are only human traditions.  The use of the baptistery, tubs, tanks or manmade facilities was not used in the New Testament for baptizing.  They used running water as they used with their sacrifices and cleansing in the old testament which was a shadow of things to come (Leviticus 14:5-6; Leviticus 14:50-52) (Leviticus 15:13) (Numbers 19:17). The name in which baptism is administered is vitally important, and that name is Jesus Christ'. Christ’s last command to His disciples was, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:19). We should notice that He said name (singular) not names. As previously explained, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are not names of separate persons, but titles of positions held by God. An angelic announcement revealed God's saving name in the New Testament: "She shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). The apostles understood that Jesus was the name to use at baptism, and from the day that the church of God was established (the Day of Pentecost) until the end of their ministry, they baptized all nations (Jews--Acts 8:16; Gentiles--Acts 19:5) in the name of the Jesus Christ. In fact, Jesus is the only name given for our salvation. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
 * Mode of Baptism
 * Formula for Baptism

Baptism of the Holy Ghost The baptism of the Holy Ghost is the birth of the Spirit (John 3:5). This spiritual baptism is necessary to put someone into the kingdom of God (God's church, the bride of Christ) and is evidenced by speaking in other tongues as the Spirit of God give utterance. It was prophesied by Joel (Joel 2:28-29) and Isaiah (Isaiah 28:11), foretold by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:11), purchased by the blood of Jesus, and promised by Him to His disciples (John 14:26; John 15:16). The Holy Ghost was first poured out on the Day of Pentecost upon the Jews (Acts 2:1-4), then upon the Samaritans (Acts 8:17), and later upon the Gentiles (Acts 10:44-46; Acts 19:6). "The promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call" (Acts 2:39). Tongues Speaking in other tongues as the Spirit of God gives utterance is the manifestation God has given as the definite, indisputable, supernatural witness or sign of the baptism of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:4; 10:46; 19:6). It was prophesied by the prophet Isaiah as the rest and the refreshing (Isaiah 28:11-12), foretold by Jesus as a sign that would follow believers of the gospel (Mark 16:17), and experienced by Jews and Gentiles alike. The gift of "divers kinds of tongues," mentioned by Paul in I Corinthians 12:1-12 and concerning which he gave regulations in I Corinthians 14:1-40, is given by both for self-edification (I Corinthians 14:4) and for the edification of the church (I Corinthians 14:27-28). In church meetings the gift of tongues is used to give a public message, and it is to be interpreted. Since this gift can be misused in public, it needs proper regulation (I Corinthians 14:23-28). Not all believers exercise the gift of tongues, which is different in function from tongues given by God as the initial witness of the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Paul said, "Forbid not to speak with tongues" (I Corinthians 14:39) and "I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all" (I Corinthians 14:8). Who dares to teach or preach to the contrary? Speaking in tongues means speaking miraculously in a language unknown to the speaker, as the Spirit gives utterance. Tongues can be classified in two ways, according to function: (1) speaking in other tongues as the initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Ghost and (2) the gift of tongues as mentioned in I Corinthians Chapter 12. Holiness After we are saved from sin, we are commanded, "Go, and sin no more" (John 8:11). We are commanded to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world (Titus 2:12) and warned that without holiness no one shall see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). We must present ourselves as holy unto God (Romans 12:1), cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit (II Corinthians 7:1), and separate ourselves from all worldliness (James 4:4). If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear (I Peter 4:18)? No one can live a holy life by his own power, but only through the Holy Ghost. "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you" (Acts 1:8). Divine Healing God has made Himself known through the ages by miraculous healings and has made special provisions in the age of grace to heal all who will come to Him in faith and obedience. Divine healing was purchased for us by the blood of Jesus Christ, especially by His stripes (Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 8:16-17; I Peter 2:24). Jesus went everywhere healing those who were sick (Matthew 4:23-24), and He commanded His disciples to do the same (Matthew 10:8). He said concerning those who believe the gospel, "They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover" (Mark 16:18). Mighty healings and miracles followed the disciples wherever the gospel was preached. There is no sickness or disease too hard for God. Any of us, our children, or our friends can be healed by the power of God." Is any sick among you?  Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord And the prayer of faith shall save the sick and the Lord shall raise him up and if he have committed sins they shall be forgiven him.  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed" (James 5:14-16). Communion and Foot Washing According to the Scriptures the Lord on the same night that he was betrayed ate the Passover with his disciples. Which was a type and shadow of that which was about take place. Just as the Passover Lamb was the intercession n for the Israelites that were in bondage in Egypt; it also protected their firstborn from the destroying angel (Exodus 12). So must Christ our Passover die for the sins of the world. John said, behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29). That night he instituted a new testament Passover (Luke 22:17-20). And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine (grape juice), until the kingdom of God shall come. And he took bread, and gave thanks, and broke it, and gave unto them, saying, this is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you (Isaiah 65:8). He said the new wine was found in the cluster not on the shelf at the liquor store. Therefore we use the pure blood of the grape (grape juice) to represent the blood of Christ. As unleavened bread was used that night we must still use the unleavened bread to represent his body.

After Supper was ended Jesus gird himself with a towel and began to wash the disciples’ feet. Peter seeing this he refused to let Jesus wash his feet. But Jesus told him that if he didn't let him wash his feet that he would have no part in him. Peter replied not only my feet but also my hands and my head. So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.

If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you (John 13). The communion and the foot washing was practiced by the early church. Paul speaks of it again in I Corinthians chapter 11. We should as Paul said examine ourselves and do this in remembrance of him for as often as we do it. We do show the Lords death until he comes.

Second Coming of Christ Jesus Christ is coming back to earth one more time, just as He went away (Acts 1:11). He is coming again in like manner and will come for a holy people (His bride, His church, his kingdom) and those who have accepted redemption through His blood, by the birth of water and of the Spirit, and who are found faithful when He comes. "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (I Thessalonians 4:16-17). "Notice he said at the last trumpet." He says that we will be changed in a moment at the twinkling of an eye at the last trump (I Corinthians 15:52). Will we be ready? The signs of His coming are everywhere. The days of peril are here indeed, with forms of godliness void of the power of God; society and politics corrupted; and people's hearts filled with pride, blasphemies, unholiness, love of evil, and love of pleasures (II Timothy 3:1-13). These things, together with multitudes running to and fro, the increase of knowledge (Daniel 12:4), and scores of other things are starting signs that Jesus' coming is drawing near. Wars, rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes, storms, floods, distress of nations, perplexity, and people's hearts failing them for fear are sounding the solemn alarm that Jesus' coming is at hand (Matthew 24:6; Luke 21:25-28). There are a lot of different teachings on this subject. Some believe that he is coming more than once or that there will be a secret rapture of the church. But it will not be as supposed by mans tradition but He will come in power and great glory and every eye shall see him. And those that have done good will be gathered unto him. And those that have done evil will receive the reward of eternal damnation. Resurrection There will be a resurrection of all the dead, both just and unjust. "Marvel not this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation" (John 5:28-29). "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God . . . and the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them" (Revelation 20:12-13) (see also Daniel 12:2; I Corinthians 15:13-23). Judgment "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). For this reason there will be a resurrection for everyone. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (II Corinthians 5:10).

The eternal destiny of every soul shall be determined by a just God who knows the secrets of everyone's heart. "And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. . . .Then shall he also say unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. . . .  And these shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal" (Matthew 25:32-34, 41, 46). If you will believe it! We are actually standing before the Judgment seat of God right now. Every time we hear the Word of God we are judged within ourselves. That's why it says that we will be without excuse. From the day of our very existence we began to make choices and the consequences of the Lord's Judgment is upon us. That’s why he says be ye ready. ARE YOU? Tithes and Offerings Malachi 3:7-12 ; Ezekiel 33:5 ; Acts 20:28 ; Matthew 23:23-24 ; Luke 11:42 ; Matthew 10:7-11 ; Luke 10:7-8 ; Luke 18:10-14 ; Acts 4:32-35 ; Genesis 14:19-20 ; Genesis 28:20-22 ; Exodus 35:3-29 ; Amos 4:4 ; Leviticus 2:3 ; Leviticus 10:13 ; Leviticus 27:21-32 ; Numbers 3:48 ; Numbers 5:9-10 ; Numbers 18:8-12 ; Numbers 18:20-31 ; Deuteronomy 12:5-11 ; Deuteronomy 14:22-29 ; Deuteronomy 18:3 ; Deuteronomy 25:4 ; Deuteronomy 26:12-15 ; 1 Kings 17:8-16 ; 1 Kings 12:16 ; 1 Corinthians 9:6-14 ; 1 Timothy 5:17-18 ; 2 Chronicles 31:4-19 ; Romans 13:1-8 ; Proverbs 3:9-10 ; Hebrews 7:5-9 ; Nehemiah 10:37-38 ; 2 Corinthians 11:7-9 ; Nehemiah 10:35-38 ; Nehemiah 12:43-47 ; Nehemiah 13:4-14 ; James 5:4 ; 2 Thessalonians 3:8-9 ; Proverbs 27:18 ; Jeremiah 22:13 ; Ezekiel 44:30 ; Deuteronomy 8:18 ; Proverbs 3:27; Malachi 1:6-14 ; Haggai 1:4-11 ; 1 John 3:17 This is a question that is often asked so before we try to answer it, let us make sure we understand what we refer to as tithing. What is a Tithe? The word in Hebrew (maaser) and Greek (dekate) means "tenth." It is mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments and is supposed to be a physical, outward sign of our commitment to God. The offerings were used to 'feed' the tribe of Levi (the designated priests), the widows and orphans of the Hebrews.

In 'our' world we need to keep our place of worship and pay those that minister to the needs of the church and if our widows and orphans need no actual food (though some do!). We can help feed them. We realize that today more people are starved for 'spiritual food' which they can find in our church and in fellowship with our congregation. (Sharing)

What if I can't Tithe? God never intended for everyone to give the same amount or in the same way, but each should 'give bountifully and cheerfully.' The tithe is to be our acknowledgment of God's ownership (of ourselves and our lives) and thus is meant to be individualized. There is no punishment for not tithing, but there is the promise of God's blessing for giving with proper motives - voluntarily, cheerfully, and according to his or her abundance and conviction!

There is no punishment for not tithing  Malachi 3:7-10 (note verses 8-9) 7Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return? 8Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 9Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. 10Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. That being said, we trust that you voluntarily will make the decision based on how the spirit leads you, but if you do choose to tithe, you will experience the joy of giving.

Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

While the Old Testament emphasizes Tithing the New Testament emphasizes Giving, I think that the principle of tithing is good and every Christian should strive to that end, but those who are wealthy should give more than the Tithe. The scripture says "from everyone who has been given much shall much be required" (Luke 12:48).

Our attitude towards money is like a barometer to how close our walk with God actually is. When we become Christians we receive forgiveness of sins, acceptance by God, and love from God. We are clearly on the receiving end of things but we also give to God ourselves albeit rather messed up in most cases. After that God sorts us out and we mature and learning to give is part of the maturing process. Until we have learned to give we have not fully understood the gospel. We love because God loves us (1 John 4:10), we forgive others because God has forgiven us (Col 3:13), we welcome others because God has welcomed us, we accept one another because God has accepted us (Rom 15:7) and we give because he has given to us (freely you have received, freely give Mat 10:8). In the world we struggle and strive for worldly possessions, however once we get saved we realize that a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions (Luke 12:15). One aspect of loving one another is to meet the needs of another.

What is Apostolic The word Apostolic refers to the ministry of the Apostles and refers to when the Apostles walked on the earth and taught the words of Jesus. They were eye witnesses to all that He said and done. The Apostles were given a great commission; to go ye into all the world and to preach the gospel to every creature. Their ministry, as we know it, lasted about 100 years and history books call this the Apostolic Age.

Jesus carefully chose twelve men and one of them proved to be a devil but was replaced by a man named Mathias in the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. Jesus told them how and where the early church was to be established, and entrusted them with a great work. And they carried it out according to the details he commanded. And in the process of time God chose the Apostle Paul to be a witness to the Gentiles (those who were not of Jewish decent). Paul proved to be a great asset to the church. His ministry covered most of Asia Minor until he was martyred in Rome. All of the books of the New Testament were written by eight of these thirteen men. Those fellows didn't have the Bible like we do today. But they were eye witnesses to all the things that they recorded. So there account was handed down to another generation.

And as time passed men began to edit their account, just like Israel did with the Law of Moses. As time and wars have come and gone, so has the ways of religion. Today there are so many different religions and denominations that we wonder who is right. But truly we know of assuredly that God picked these men. And we have their firsthand account in the book of the Acts of the Apostles. There we can actually read how the true church began. How they repented and were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of their sins (Acts 2:38). How they received the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues (Acts 2:4). How they lived a holy life and continued in the Apostles doctrine (Acts 2:42).

Let us look at their account carefully and see if what we are learning in our churches today is according to their account. Let us examine ourselves by their account. The bible says that there is a way that seemeth right to a man but, the end thereof is the way of death. We take examinations every day. For a job, for school or even for our health, so I challenge you today to examine yourselves by their account in the book of Acts. We may not live in the Apostolic Age. But, we can live according to the apostolic account.