A Personal Announcement

[A.W. Bowman]

I would like to announce that I have been invited to join with, and to become a member of, a newly reorganized ministerial alliance, the Apostolic Society International (ASI). After a number of months of prayer and discussions, I have accepted both the invitation and the intended responsibilities that have been offered.

Speaking only for myself -

For over thirty five years I have successfully dodged a number of attempts to get me to wear organizational labels of various colors and stripes. While there have been a number of excellent reasons for joining in fellowship with these ministerial alliances, my allegiance has always been to my personal Rabbi, Yeshua HaMaschiah B’Natzeret (Teacher/Master, Jesus Christ of Nazareth) and to His corporate body of disciples (Talmidim) throughout the world. My personal allegiance has never been ‘first’ to any individual, assembly or organization, as is so commonly required today by men of religious influence. Neither have I never played the religious political game very well, and have no intention of learning now.

Another reason for staying away from organizationally based religions is the continued growth of man-made doctrines that seem to increase every year. Truly, I care little for the religious ‘good old boy’ clubs, which seem to have as their primary purpose the furtherance of spiritual serfdoms and religious philosophies. For me, if any doctrine is not firmly established in the word of God, then I am not interested in it. On the one hand, for any doctrine that exists in scripture, I will endeavor to observe and follow after it. Yet, on the other hand, if a doctrine is developed that has done violence to the word of God and/or has been manipulated in such a way to serve the interests of men, however noble or spiritual sounding, I categorically reject it.

Therefore, it is with high hopes and expectations that I have associated myself with the men and women of the Apostolic Society International (http://www.apostolicsociety.org/), in an endeavor to contribute in some small way to the building up of the body of Christ through an united effort of faithful leadership and the personal efforts of committed saints of God who are willing to take their Scripturally mandated responsibility for securing their own salvation – even if that salvation has to be won in opposition to some in current leadership positions.

To that end, I am seeking after men and women who share the values and vision of the membership of the ASI fellowship. To review our commitment to Jesus Christ and to furthering His kingdom here on earth – today and for tomorrow, please visit our web site listed above and see if you do not already agree with our principles.

To support our membership we also have a community web site where people of like minded faith and vision can communicate with one another and to share their lives and ministries (http://apostolicsociety.ning.com/). Of course, with the advent of NING Hosting requiring payment for supporting web sites, we may also be joining other ministries in looking for a new web host.

Unlike many ministerial associations, ASI does not require your undivided loyalty to a faceless organization, or even to a group of particular people. Let your loyalty be first to the master of us all, and still you are welcomed into fellowship with the rest of His brothers and sisters – as diverse as we may all be. If you are licensed through another ministerial organization and you are satisfied with that arrangement, then please continue in that relationship, we are not in membership competition. Even so, you are still invited to join and be welcomed into fellowship among us also, for according to ‘the word’, there is but one body of Christ, one Spirit, and one faith, i.e., Jesus is not divided nor fragmented into many parts. Only man seeks to create such divisions. Now, it is God that calls, ordains and establishes His children for ministry within His own body. Man therefore has only two choices before him, to recognize and accept a claim of God on a person’s life, or to reject it. Regardless, to everyone that is called of God, in whatever capacity that may be, the gifts and calling are without repentance, so let them who are called also remain faithful.

On a more personal note: I shall not be setting aside my studies into the Jewish roots of our Christian faith, or go slack in the pursuit of witnessing the ‘tearing down the wall of separation’ that divides Jews and Gentiles from fellowship in the Spirit of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, in whom Jesus Christ also made known to us. Nor will I forsake (at least not any more so than I have in the past) my studies and sharing on ‘the’ HaShaliach forum (http://www.hashaliach.com/), or contributing what I might on this and other forums.

May our endeavors be guided, approved and blessed of God, and proven to be fruitful in the growth of His kingdom.

Amen.