AffinityChurch.org

AffinityChurch.org

A Christian community motived by love, guided by truth, under God's controlling influence.

About Us

Diagram of Affinity Church

Affinity Church are Christians who seek to be united in a community motivated by love, guided by truth, and under God’s controlling influence. We affirm that there is one God, the Father, and one Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor 8:5-6). We confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God’s anointed Messiah, and that there is no other name given among men by which we might be saved. (Acts 4:12)

In the context of the Church, affinity applies to our relationship with God and to the relationships among brothers and sisters in Christ. Having an affinity for God involves a deep, personal connection and closeness to God. It entails a natural, heartfelt attraction to God, a sense of belonging to God’s family, and the recognition of God as the central part of our lives.

Believers with an affinity toward God are Theophilic Christians. The term “theophilic” is derived from two Greek words: “theo,” meaning god, and “philic,” meaning loving or being attracted to. Thus, “theophilic” describes something or someone who loves and seeks after God: A God-seeker with an affinity toward God. 

Having affinity with our brothers and sisters in Christ consists of mutual affection and support, which cultivates a strong sense of community. Having a shared faith, seeking to be of one accord, and fostering spiritual unity bring us closer into fellowship according to our collective identity as children of God and members of the body of Christ.

We are also Theophilic in the sense of regarding both Luke and Acts, addressed to Theophilus, as the most credible foundational witnesses of the Gospel narrative and of Apostolic Christianity. Also by extension, Paul’s writings having more affinity with Luke-Acts than the other Gospel narratives. Luke-Acts combined with Paul’s letters give us the clearest snapshot possible of Apostolic Christianity within a few decades of Christ’s ministry. These are the Apostolic writings that serve as the scriptural basis of our faith.Many in the community may regard additional books as Scripture but we can all agree on Luke-Acts + Paul as core Scriptural authorities.

Like the most excellent Theophilus referred to at the beginning of Luke and Acts, we are friends of God concerned with knowing the truth from someone who reviewed everything carefully from the beginning (Luke 1:1-4).  We regard Luke as the preferred Gospel with the highest historical accuracy and reliability (see https://lukeprimacy.com). 

As Apostolic Christians, we emphasize the essential Gospel message as affirmed by Luke-Acts + Paul, with the core emphasis being the preaching by the Apostles in the Book of Acts that Christ is Jesus. We affirm the Apostle’s doctrine of Acts 2:38 of repentance, baptism in Jesus’ name, and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. We affirm that Luke-Acts + Paul provides a core understanding of the gospel. Taking these foundational authorities to heart, they are sufficient as the basis for a saving faith.

We are Restorationist Christians who seek to follow the model of 1st-century Apostolic Christianity. We affirm that mainstream Christianity has deviated from the faith of Christ and his Apostles through the later developments of the first 500 years and in later periods. “Orthodox” Christianity (including Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and mainstream Protestantism) embodies many alterations and expansions to Christian belief and practice, including theological developments spanning several centuries.

We are Biblical Unitarian in our theology and Christology, understanding that although Jesus was a prophetic reality in God’s plan and purpose before he was conceived. Jesus was not a pre-existent incarnate being. Rather, Jesus, whom Paul calls the “last Adam,” came into existence as a human with no prior conscious existence in the likeness of the first Adam. We know it is within the biblical tradition to call agents of God “God” in a limited or qualified sense, as those empowered yet subordinate to the one God and Father (see https://biblicalagency.com). However, the Father is the only true God in his nature or essence. This Jesus who was crucified, God made him both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). As God’s anointed agent, Jesus’s power and authority are not derived from himself but are given to him by God. Correct theology is summed up in a single sentence by Paul in 1 Tim 2:5-6: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave his life as a ransom for all, the testimony at the proper time.”

Accordingly, we reject later theological and Christological speculations developed in the early centuries. We favor the explicit testimony of the Apostles in Acts over the esoteric language of John, which, although explicitly Unitarian, lends itself to misguided notions about Christ through the use of metaphor and esoteric language. We affirm that for any Trinitarian “proof-text,” there is a perfectly reasonable Unitarian explanation. Most relate to Jesus being at the center of God’s plan and purpose to provide salvation to humanity and being exalted by God with power and authority.

We assert our freedom under the law of Christ, distinguishing it from the Mosaic Law. They reject the necessity for believers to adhere to the observances mandated by the Mosaic Law, such as feasts, dietary restrictions, and other rituals. Instead, we emphasize that faith in Christ liberates them from these Old Testament requirements. Furthermore, we do not insist on using Hebrew names, terms, or Hebrewized versions of the Bible. We believe the message and teachings of Christianity transcend cultural and linguistic boundaries.

Affinity Church was formed in 2024 by Josiah Verkaik (AKA Theophilus Josiah, the founder of Integrity Syndicate) and a group of like-minded believers with the goal of establishing an organization that facilitates spiritual growth in the context of fellowship and community. This will be realized as we cultivate fertile soil for transformation and growth within a community that provides opportunities to be blessed by others and also to serve.

Currently, we are connected through Discord and looking to build a local community and, eventually, a campus in Boise, Idaho, and other areas. Follow us on social media, join the Integrity Syndicate Discord, and let us know if you are interested in being part of Affinity Church. For more information, contact [email protected].

Articles of Faith

The Articles of Faith provide an overview of the basics of what apostolic Christianity is.

Picture of the Cross for repentance - Jesus is the Messiah and the Gospel

Jesus, The Messiah

There is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all. (1Tim 2:5-6)

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