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FAQ

How old is Saint Matthew's Churches?
What religious denomination is Saint Matthew's Churches?
What does membership in Saint Matthew's Churches cost?
What if there is no Saint Matthew's Church in the city where I live?
How would Saint Matthew's Churches explain to a person that they can be saved and begin a personal relationship with the Lord?
Does Saint Matthew's Churches have partners in ministry?
Does Saint Matthew's Churches believe God still heals today?
Does Saint Matthew's preach and publish that God really loves me?
Does Saint Matthew's Churches teach that God still hears and answers prayers?
Does Saint Matthew's Churches reach out to those who cannot attend a public worship service?
Does the Internal Revenue Service recognize the tax-exempt status of Saint Matthew's Churches?

Question: How old is Saint Matthew's Churches?

Answer: The original church was founded in 1951, more than half a century ago, when fifteen born-again church members from many denominations met daily, for close to one year, to lay the foundation for an interdenominational church. Their vision was to establish a church that would welcome men and women of all faiths, even those who had no church affiliations.
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Question: What religious denomination is Saint Matthew's Churches?

Answer: Saint Matthew's Churches is an ecumenical church. Ecumenical means that we welcome people of all faiths, and that we are in line with the injunction set forth in Isaiah 56:7 which says, "For mine house shall be called a house of prayer for all people". This Scripture and others make it clear that God's house of prayer is not limited to Baptists, Methodists, Lutherans, Catholics, Presbyterians, Anglicans, Episcopalians or Full Gospel Churches. Thus, regardless of who you are or what religious denomination you belong to - even if you have never been inside a church before - we welcome you and your family the moment you walk into a Saint Matthew's Church. We consider you as our brother or sister.
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Question: What does membership in Saint Matthew's Churches cost?

Answer: Absolutely nothing. Whether you ever contribute a single penny to the church offerings, you are still one hundred percent welcome.
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Question: What if there is no Saint Matthew's Church in the city where I live?

Answer:Saint Matthew's Churches' Mother Church, the Cathedral of Saint Matthew, is located in Houston, Texas. If you live in this area or ever visit in this area, we invite you to join us for service. However, if there is no Saint Matthew's Church near you, we recommend that you ask your friends or family about the churches they attend; look in the phone book, or check the newspaper to find a good Bible-believing church. Close to your residence there are many wonderful pastors and churches where you and your family will be welcomed with open arms. Attend services for a few Sundays at several churches until you find one where you like what you see, hear and feel. We encourage you to be sure that the Bible is preached as the Word of God in any church that you attend. Remember that your children learn from three institutions: the Church, the Home and the School. Thus, it is important to have your children in a good Bible-believing church.
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Question: How would Saint Matthew's Churches explain to a person that they can be saved and begin a personal relationship with the Lord?

Answer: Romans 10:9-10 says, "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation". Roman 10:13 says, "For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved". When most Bible-believing ministers share with people how to be saved, they usually share three main steps. First, consider your life and then turn away from everything that is contrary to what God wants. Turning away from selfishness and toward the Lord is called repentance (Matthew 3:7-10, Acts 3:19). Second, acknowledge that Jesus Christ died on the Cross to forgive you of sin. Ask Him to cleanse you from sin, as the one who was your substitute and paid the price due for your sin and tell Him that you accept Him as your Savior (Romans 5:9). Third, ask Jesus to be the Lord of your life, acknowledging openly and verbally that Jesus is your Savior and Lord (I John 2:23). When you open up your heart and receive Him, He comes into your life through the power of the Holy Spirit and begins to live His life in you. When this happens, the Lord will give you the assurance that you are His and indeed saved. If you have never invited Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, you might pray the following prayer, and if you mean it, you can began to experience the peace and joy of being saved. Heavenly Father, I believe and confess with my mouth that Jesus Christ is Your Son, the Savior of the world. I believe He died on the Cross for me and bore all my sins, paying the price for them. I believe and confess that You raised Jesus from the dead. I ask you to forgive me, and to come into my heart today. I trust you and Your Word that I belong to You. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
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Question: Does Saint Matthew's Churches have partners in ministry?

Answer: Yes, for many years, Saint Mathew's Churches has had a Bible-based program. This program is about members taking God as their partner and sowing seeds of faith for their harvest: spiritually, physically, emotionally and financially (Philippians 4:19, Galatians 6:7, Malachi 3:10,3 John 2, Luke 6:38, John 10:10). This stewardship program helps Saint Matthew's Churches carry out the mission of winning lost souls to Christ and preparing people for Heaven. The program is based on the biblical principles of tithes and offerings, and on the principles of sowing and reaping (seed and harvest). Saint Matthew's members are encouraged to include God in their finances by sowing seeds of faith: giving to the church regularly in obedience to the Scriptures. Jesus said, "Give and it shall be given..." (Luke 6:38). Regardless of religion, all houses of worship, churches, synagogues, mosques and temples must meet their financial obligations or close their doors. Saint Matthew's Churches believes that it is "more blessed to give, than to receive" (Acts 20:35). James the Apostle wrote: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights...". Thus, we believe that financial prosperity and growth are good gifts and ones that God wants the church to enjoy. Likewise, we believe that God wants His children to enjoy His bountiful harvests. Saint Matthew's stewardship program is a way for its church members from all over the nation to take God as their partner in life. Jesus said, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33). Believing that the offering one gives, or sows as seeds of faith, are between the person and God, Saint Matthew's never tells our members what to give when they become seed harvest members. Nor does Saint Matthew's sell anything. All our books, Bibles, literature, sermon tapes, magazines, tracts and so on are given away free of charge. Since the foundation of Saint Matthew's in 1951, we have trusted God to provide the means for printing and publishing the Gospel according to St. Mark 13:10. God has sent us dear, Bible-believing partners who walk by faith to join Saint Mathew's Churches stewardship program, through which they include God in their finances. The church receives many letters from its members reporting all kinds of spiritual, physical and financial blessings, which grew because of faithful sowing of seeds according to this biblically based plan. The church has literally thousands of unsolicited testimonial letters about the blessings received by Saint Matthew's members. We thank God for each of our partner's prayers and for their offerings, which help us spread the Good News of a loving Savior, who is holding out His hands to a lost and dying world.
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Question: Does Saint Matthew's Churches believe God still heals today?

Answer: In an attempt to answer that question. let us first say that it is important to understand that yes we believe God still heals today, but it is God who heals, not man. At Saint Matthew's Churches, we do not claim to be able to heal anyone but we humbly give thanks to God who still heals in answer to the prayers of His people. Having said that, the Bible, the history of the Church and the countless testimonies of believers bear witness to the healing power of God. The Bible teaches us that God is a healer, "...for I am the Lord that healeth thee" (Exodus 15:26). It also teaches us that "Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom and healing every sickness and every disease among the people" (Matthew 9:35). The Bible goes on to tell us that Jesus commanded His disciples to "... heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, the Kingdom of God is come nigh unto you" (Luke 10:9). As you move from the Gospels to the history of the early church, we see miracles of healing being manifested. "Then Peter said, 'Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee.' In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength" (Acts 3:6-7). The history of the church is filled with testimonies concerning the power of God and testimonies of healing. In fact, in the sacramental branches of the church, healing prayers have been offered to people through the rites and sacraments of the church, for hundreds of years. The sacrament of unction or anointing with oil is rooted in the admonition of Saint James 5:14, which says, "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". In addition to the Bible and the history of the Church, countless Christians have shared testimonies of how the Lord has touched and healed them. There appears to be four main ways in which God heals: 1) through the skill and science of doctors; 2) through the prayers of Christians; 3) through the rites, clergy and sacraments of the church and 4) through the gifts God has given the church.
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Question: Does Saint Matthew's preach and publish that God really loves me?

Answer: If one thing is certain at all, it is that the Bible teaches us that God loves every single human being. Regardless of who you are, or where you come from or what you have done, God loves you. He has revealed His love for all of us in the sending of His Son Jesus Christ. Read these comforting verses of scripture that are written to inform us as to the reality of God's love. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3: 16). "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). "And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is Love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him" (1 John 4:16). These verses of scripture were not written to simply be viewed as verses in a history book; they are from the Bible, which is the inspired word of God. Someone once said that the Bible is God's love letter to a lost world. These scriptures have been given so that we will know in our hearts that yes God loves us. This is central to our beliefs.
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Question: Does the Internal Revenue Service recognize the tax-exempt status of Saint Matthew's Churches?

Answer: The Church was granted tax-exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service in 1977, which was affirmed by the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in 2000. Not only did the Court determine that the Church was tax exempt under 26 U.S. C. Sect. 501(c)(3) (i.e., that no part of the Church's net earnings inured to the private benefit of any person), but also that its activities were exclusively religious. The Better Business Bureau recognizes that the Church is tax exempt.
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